Comparing the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS ASEC)

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Comparing the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS ASEC)

The ACS...	The CPS ASEC...
Aggregates responses into annual datasets.	Aggregates responses into annual datasets.
Includes data on the foreign born at regional, national, state, and substate levels of geography, such as counties, metropolitan areas, and places.	Includes data on the foreign born at national, regional, and state levels of geography.
Includes data on respondent’s place of birth.	Includes data on respondent’s place of birth, mother’s place of birth, and father’s place of birth, which allows for the tabulation of estimates on immigrant generational status.
Contains data on the foreign born subdivided by many economic, social, and demographic characteristics.	Contains data on the foreign born subdivided by most of the same characteristics as the ACS.
Provides income, earnings, poverty, and labor force statistics.	Provides income, earnings, poverty, and labor force statistics comparable to those provided by the ACS. Asks detailed supplementary questions on these topics that the ACS does not ask.
Collects income and poverty data about the previous 12 months on a rolling monthly basis.	Collects income and poverty data using the previous calendar year for its reference period.
Collects group quarters (GQ) data in addition to person and household level data. The GQ portion includes data on institutional GQs, such as colleges and prisons, and data on non-institutional GQs, such as group homes and shelters.	Collects GQ data in addition to person and household level data. The GQ portion includes data on institutional GQs, such as colleges and prisons, and data on non-institutional GQs, such as group homes and shelters.
Collects data on civilian and military populations.	Collects data on civilian populations and only those military personnel living in housing units with at least one civilian adult.