America is changing, and so is the census. The American Community Survey lets communities see how they are changing - filling in the gaps between each 10-year census. The ACS:

• is sent to a small percentage of our population on a rotating basis;
• helps determine how more than $300 billion per year is distributed;
• informs decisions on policies, programs, and services for communities;
• is also conducted in Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community Survey.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a new nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It is a critical element in the Census Bureau’s reengineered 2010 census plan. The ACS collects information such as age, race, income, commute time to work, home value, veteran status, and other important data from U.S. households. As with the official decennial census, information about individuals will remain confidential.

The ACS collects and produces population and housing information every year instead of every ten years. About three million households are surveyed each year, from across every county in the nation. Collecting data every year reduces the cost of the official decennial census, and provides more up-to-date information throughout the decade about trends in the U.S. population at the local community level.

The ACS began in 1996 and has expanded each subsequent year. Data from the 2006 ACS are available for geographic areas with a population of 65,000 or more, including 783 counties, 436 congressional districts, 621 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia.