AWARD | Statistical Beaver 2015–ACS

CityEconomist has decided to give its 2015 Statistical Beaver Award to the U.S. Census Bureau for releasing their 2010-2014 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates one  week early.

In the statistical arena, the huge advances that have been made in communications technology have not made much of a dent in the reporting speed of many government statistics.

However, lags in release of routine government data make it harder to control access. Some innocent-looking numbers have great value in the private sector to those who get them before the general public.

In the case of the many monthly numbers, they are handed on to Federal agencies routinely by each state. State statistical agencies collect data against national standards. As years go by, it stands to reason that delays could be reduced.

It is encouraging when statistical agencies voluntarily move up the date of release of their data. In this case, users will have more time to analyze the new information before they leave for their holidays.

Here is the Census Bureau announcement that gave rise to the CityEconomist Statistical Beaver Award.

Release Date for 2010-2014 ACS 5-year Estimates  The 2010-2014 ACS 5-year estimates are now planned for release on Thursday, December 3, 2015, a week earlier than the initially planned date of Thursday, December 10, 2015. You can access the complete 2014 Release Schedule on our website. The 2010-2014 ACS 5-year estimates will be available for all geographic areas including census tracts, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), and block groups. For the first time, users will be able to compare two non-overlapping 5-year datasets (2005-2009 and 2010-2014).  Embargo subscribers will have access to these statistics beginning Tuesday, December 1. A pre-release webinar is scheduled for Monday, November 30 from 1:00-2:00 PM.  Information on how to log-in will be added to the Events. The ACS provides reliable statistics that are used to make informed decisions about the future. These statistics are required by all levels of government to manage or evaluate a wide range of programs, but are also useful for research, business, education, journalism, and advocacy. If you have questions about this survey, please call our Customer Services Center on 1 (800) 923-8282. Thank you,

American Community Survey Office
U.S. Census Bureau