Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Use caution when comparing Race from the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates to 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates.  Differences between the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates may be the result of demographic changes and/or differences in question wording, race reporting, or coding updates.  For more information, see the ACS Race User Note: Improvements to the Race Question. 

Use caution when comparing Hispanic origin from the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates to 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates. Differences between the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates may be the result of demographic changes and/or differences in question wording, Hispanic origin reporting, or coding updates.  For more information, see the ACS Hispanic Origin User Note: Improvements to the Hispanic Origin Question.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020. 

Methodological changes to citizenship edits may have affected citizenship data for those born in American Samoa. Users should be aware of these changes when using 2018 data or multi-year data containing data from 2018. For more information, see: American Samoa Citizenship User Note.

Modest changes have been made to the region and country groupings. For the 2014 ACS South Sudan (code 463) was added as an eligible place of birth, please see the 2014 ACS Code List. For the 2017 ACS, St. Martin (code 349) was added as an eligible place of birth, please see the 2017 ACS Code List. These changes do not limit comparing most 2011-2015 ACS 5-year and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Beginning in 2019, the Census Bureau implemented changes to selected means of transportation categories based on results of the 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) Content Test. While the category labels have changed, the categories are considered comparable. Please refer to the 2019 Changes to the Means of Transportation Question Data User Note for comparability guidance.

We recommend using caution when comparing the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates to 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates. The 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates contained expanded “husband/wife” and “unmarried partner” categories that included separate categories for opposite-sex and same-sex couples. Additionally, the “roomer or boarder” category was removed. For additional information regarding changes to the Relationship to Householder item, please see the Same-Sex Couples page. Further, the 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates used a joint age, sex, and relationship edit, while the 2010-2014 ACS 5-year estimates used a joint relationship/marital status edit.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

We recommend using caution when comparing the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates to 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates. The 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates contained expanded “husband/wife” and “unmarried partner” categories that included separate categories for opposite-sex and same-sex couples.Additionally, the “roomer or boarder” category was removed. For additional information regarding changes to the Relationship to Householder item, please see the Same-Sex Couples page. Further, the 2016-2020 ACS used a joint age, sex, and relationship edit, while the 2011-2015 ACS used a joint relationship/marital status edit. These edits are used to determine categories of family types.

Use caution when comparing marital status from the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates to 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates. The 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates used a separate marital status edit, while the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates used a joint relationship/marital status edit.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Use caution when making comparisons between the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates and 2016-2020 ACS 5-year estimates of spoken languages and English-speaking ability.  Some languages need additional steps for comparison. Please refer to the 2016 Language Data User Note for comparability guidance.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Income and earnings estimates in the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year data set are inflation-adjusted to 2015 dollars. Income and earnings estimates in the 2016-2020 ACS 5-year data set are inflation-adjusted to 2020 dollars. To compare income estimates between the two, multiply the 2011-2015 dollar estimates by 1.09257667 (CPI-U-RS) in order to inflation-adjust 2015 dollars to 2020 dollars. The exception is the Comparative Economic Characteristics Profile (CP03) where all income and earnings dollar values are presented in 2020 inflation-adjusted dollars. Note that the Census Bureau inflation-adjusts microdata to arrive at the adjusted dollar values in CP03. Data users will not be able to exactly replicate the CP03 2011-2015 inflation-adjusted values.

Income and earnings estimates in the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year data set are inflation-adjusted to 2015 dollars. Income and earnings estimates in the 2016-2020 ACS 5-year data set are inflation-adjusted to 2020 dollars. To compare income estimates between the two, multiply the 2011-2015 dollar estimates by 1.09257667 (CPI-U-RS) in order to inflation-adjust 2015 dollars to 2020 dollars. The exception is the Comparative Economic Characteristics Profile (CP03) where all income and earnings dollar values are presented in 2020 inflation-adjusted dollars. Note that the Census Bureau inflation-adjusts microdata to arrive at the adjusted dollar values in CP03. Data users will not be able to exactly replicate the CP03 2011-2015 inflation-adjusted values.

In 2013, the veteran status question was modified. As a result, we recommend using caution when comparing the 2016-2020 estimates to estimates from 2011-2015 of the veteran population or any earlier ACS 5-year data.  For more information, visit the Veterans Statistics webpage.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

The 2011 to 2012 ACS industry data was coded using the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The ACS industry data for 2013 to 2017 years was coded based on the 2012 revision of the NAICS codes. The 2018 ACS industry data and later years are based on the 2017 revision of the NAICS codes. To allow for the creation of 2016-2020 tables, industry data for data years 2016-2017 in the multiyear file was recoded to 2017 Census industry codes. Because of the NAICS revisions and Census industry code changes, we recommend using caution when comparing 2016-2020 industry data with 2011-2015 industry data. For more information on Census industry code changes, please visit the Industry and Occupation website.

The Census occupation codes for 2018 and later data years are based on the 2018 revision of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). To allow for the creation of 2016-2020 tables, occupation data for data years 2016-2017 in the multiyear file was recoded to 2018 Census occupation codes. The 2011-2015 ACS 5-year occupation data was based on the 2010 revision of the SOC. There were significant changes to the Census occupation codes as a result of the 2018 SOC revisions. Therefore, the 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 occupation data are not comparable. For more information on the Census occupation code changes, please visit Industry and Occupation website.

The Census occupation codes for 2018 and later data years are based on the 2018 revision of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). To allow for the creation of 2015-2019 tables, occupation data for data years 2015-2017 in the multiyear file was recoded to 2018 Census occupation codes. The 2010-2014 ACS 5-year occupation data was based on the 2010 revision of the SOC. There were significant changes to the Census occupation codes as a result of the 2018 SOC revisions. Therefore, the 2010-2014 and 2015-2019 occupation data are not comparable. For more information on the Census occupation code changes, please visit Industry and Occupation website.

Telephone service data should be compared with caution between 2011-2015 and 2016-2020. In 2017, a consistency check was added to the telephone service edit to better determine households with telephone service. Furthermore, beginning in 2019 the telephone service question was revised in its structure and wording as a result of findings from the 2016 ACS Content Test. For more information on this change, see the following ACS User Note. In general, these changes led to an increase in households with telephone service during the 2016-2020 period compared to the 2011-2015 period.

Mortgage status data compared between 2011-2015 and 2016-2020 should be done with caution. In 2020, changes were made to allow those listed without a primary mortgage to have a home equity loan. In previous years, anyone with a home equity loan would have been categorized as having a primary mortgage. 

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data from 2011-2015 are comparable to 2016-2020.

Data was not available prior to 2013. Therefore, the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates were not available.  For more information about computer and internet use questions in the ACS and other Census Bureau surveys, visit the Computer and Internet Use website.

Data was not available prior to 2014. Therefore, the 2011-2015 ACS 5-year estimates were not available.