The Wait Is Over—ACS Data for Areas with Populations of 20,000 or More

In December 2008, the Census Bureau released the first-ever American Community Survey three-year estimates (this set covers the 2005-2007 time period) for areas with at least 20,000 people. Prior to this, the only ACS data available were for areas meeting a population threshold of 65,000. Table 1 shows the geographic coverage differences between the single-year and three-year estimates for counties, townships, places and school corporations in Indiana.

Table 1: Number of Covered Areas in Indiana by Selected Geography Types for One-Year and Three-Year Estimates

One-Year Estimates Three-Year Estimates
Counties 25 72
Townships 16 70
Cities and Towns 9 42
School Corporations 24 86
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Seventy-two Hoosier counties have three-year estimates at their disposal (see Figure 1). The 25 counties meeting the 65,000 population threshold have both single-year and three-year estimates. Twenty counties (those with fewer than 20,000 people) will have to wait until 2010 for the release of the five-year estimates.

Figure 1: Indiana Counties with Three-Year Estimates Available, 2005 to 2007

Figure 1: Indiana Counties With Three-Year Estimates Available

Table 2 provides a detailed list of the numerous other geographies in Indiana that meet the population threshold and have three-year estimates available (see Table 2).

Table 2: Indiana Geographies Meeting Population Threshold with Available Three-Year Estimates, 2005 to 2007

  • Adams County
  • Allen County
  • Bartholomew County
  • Boone County
  • Cass County
  • Clark County
  • Clay County
  • Clinton County
  • Daviess County
  • Dearborn County
  • Decatur County
  • DeKalb County
  • Delaware County
  • Dubois County
  • Elkhart County
  • Fayette County
  • Floyd County
  • Franklin County
  • Fulton County
  • Gibson County
  • Grant County
  • Greene County
  • Hamilton County
  • Hancock County
  • Harrison County
  • Hendricks County
  • Henry County
  • Howard County
  • Huntington County
  • Jackson County
  • Jasper County
  • Jay County
  • Jefferson County
  • Jennings County
  • Johnson County
  • Knox County
  • Kosciusko County
  • LaGrange County
  • Lake County
  • LaPorte County
  • Lawrence County
  • Madison County
  • Marion County
  • Marshall County
  • Miami County
  • Monroe County
  • Montgomery County
  • Morgan County
  • Noble County
  • Owen County
  • Porter County
  • Posey County
  • Putnam County
  • Randolph County
  • Ripley County
  • St. Joseph County
  • Scott County
  • Shelby County
  • Spencer County
  • Starke County
  • Steuben County
  • Sullivan County
  • Tippecanoe County
  • Vanderburgh County
  • Vigo County
  • Wabash County
  • Warrick County
  • Washington County
  • Wayne County
  • Wells County
  • White County
  • Whitley County
  • Aboite township (Allen County)
  • Adams township (Allen County)
  • St. Joseph township (Allen County)
  • Washington township (Allen County)
  • Wayne township (Allen County)
  • Columbus township (Bartholomew County)
  • Jeffersonville township (Clark County)
  • Center township (Delaware County)
  • Concord township (Elkhart County)
  • Elkhart township (Elkhart County)
  • Osolo township (Elkhart County)
  • New Albany township (Floyd County)
  • Center township (Grant County)
  • Clay township (Hamilton County)
  • Delaware township (Hamilton County)
  • Fall Creek township (Hamilton County)
  • Noblesville township (Hamilton County)
  • Washington township (Hamilton County)
  • Center township (Hancock County)
  • Guilford township (Hendricks County)
  • Lincoln township (Hendricks County)
  • Washington township (Hendricks County)
  • Henry township (Henry County)
  • Center township (Howard County)
  • Huntington township (Huntington County)
  • Jackson township (Jackson County)
  • Franklin township (Johnson County)
  • Pleasant township (Johnson County)
  • White River township (Johnson County)
  • Vincennes township (Knox County)
  • Wayne township (Kosciusko County)
  • Calumet township (Lake County)
  • Center township (Lake County)
  • Hobart township (Lake County)
  • North township (Lake County)
  • Ross township (Lake County)
  • St. John township (Lake County)
  • Center township (LaPorte County)
  • Michigan township (LaPorte County)
  • Shawswick township (Lawrence County)
  • Anderson township (Madison County)
  • Center township (Marion County)
  • Decatur township (Marion County)
  • Franklin township (Marion County)
  • Lawrence township (Marion County)
  • Perry township (Marion County)
  • Pike township (Marion County)
  • Warren township (Marion County)
  • Washington township (Marion County)
  • Wayne township (Marion County)
  • Bloomington township (Monroe County)
  • Perry township (Monroe County)
  • Union township (Montgomery County)
  • Center township (Porter County)
  • Portage township (Porter County)
  • Westchester township (Porter County)
  • Clay township (St. Joseph County)
  • Penn township (St. Joseph County)
  • Portage township (St. Joseph County)
  • Addison township (Shelby County)
  • Fairfield township (Tippecanoe County)
  • Wabash township (Tippecanoe County)
  • Wea township (Tippecanoe County)
  • Center township (Vanderburgh County)
  • Knight township (Vanderburgh County)
  • Perry township (Vanderburgh County)
  • Pigeon township (Vanderburgh County)
  • Harrison township (Vigo County)
  • Ohio township (Warrick County)
  • Wayne township (Wayne County)
  • Anderson
  • Bloomington
  • Carmel
  • Clarksville
  • Columbus
  • Crown Point
  • East Chicago
  • Elkhart
  • Evansville
  • Fishers
  • Fort Wayne
  • Franklin
  • Gary
  • Goshen
  • Granger CDP
  • Greenwood
  • Hammond
  • Highland
  • Hobart
  • Indianapolis (balance)
  • Jeffersonville
  • Kokomo
  • Lafayette
  • La Porte
  • Lawrence
  • Marion
  • Merrillville
  • Michigan City
  • Mishawaka
  • Muncie
  • Munster
  • New Albany
  • Noblesville
  • Plainfield
  • Portage
  • Richmond
  • Schererville
  • South Bend
  • Terre Haute
  • Valparaiso
  • Westfield
  • West Lafayette
  • Anderson
  • Bloomington
  • Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN
  • Gary Division of the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI metro
  • Columbus
  • Elkhart-Goshen
  • Evansville, IN-KY
  • Fort Wayne
  • Indianapolis-Carmel
  • Kokomo
  • Lafayette
  • Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN
  • Michigan City-La Porte
  • Muncie
  • South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
  • Terre Haute
  • Angola
  • Auburn
  • Bedford
  • Connersville
  • Crawfordsville
  • Decatur
  • Frankfort
  • Greensburg
  • Huntington
  • Jasper
  • Kendallville
  • Logansport
  • Madison
  • Marion
  • New Castle
  • North Vernon
  • Peru
  • Plymouth
  • Richmond
  • Scottsburg
  • Seymour
  • Vincennes
  • Wabash
  • Warsaw
  • Washington
  • Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI
  • Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN
  • Fort Wayne-Huntington-Auburn
  • Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus
  • Kokomo-Peru
  • Lafayette-Frankfort
  • Louisville-Jefferson County--Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN
  • South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka, IN-MI
  • Anderson
  • Bloomington
  • Chicago, IL-IN
  • Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
  • Columbus
  • Elkhart, IN-MI
  • Evansville, IN-KY
  • Fort Wayne
  • Indianapolis
  • Kokomo
  • Lafayette
  • Louisville, KY-IN
  • Michigan City, IN-MI
  • Muncie
  • South Bend, IN-MI
  • Terre Haute
  • Auburn
  • Logansport
  • Marion
  • Richmond, IN-OH
  • Seymour
  • Vincennes
  • Warsaw
  • Anderson Community School Corp.
  • Avon Community School Corp.
  • Bartholomew County School Corp.
  • Brownsburg Community School Corp.
  • Carmel Clay Schools
  • Center Grove Community School Corp.
  • Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp.
  • Clay Community Schools
  • Concord Community Schools
  • Crown Point Community School Corp.
  • DeKalb County Central United School District
  • Duneland School Corp.
  • East Allen County Schools
  • East Noble School Corp.
  • Elkhart Community Schools
  • Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp.
  • Fayette County School Corp.
  • Fort Wayne Community Schools
  • Franklin Community School Corp.
  • Franklin Township Community School Corp.
  • Gary Community School Corp.
  • Goshen Community Schools
  • Greater Clark County Schools
  • Greenfield-Central Community Schools
  • Greenwood Community School Corp.
  • Hamilton Southeastern Schools
  • Huntington County Community School Corp.
  • Indianapolis Public Schools
  • Jay School Corp.
  • Jennings County Schools
  • Kokomo-Center Township Consolidated School Corp.
  • Lafayette School Corp.
  • Lake Central School Corp.
  • Laporte Community School Corp.
  • Lebanon Community School Corp.
  • Logansport Community School Corp.
  • M S D Decatur Township
  • M S D Lawrence Township
  • M S D Martinsville Schools
  • M S D Perry Township
  • M S D Pike Township
  • M S D Southwest Allen County
  • M S D Warren Township
  • M S D Washington Township
  • M S D Wayne Township
  • Madison Consolidated Schools
  • Marion Community Schools
  • Merrillville Community School
  • Michigan City Area Schools
  • Middlebury Community Schools
  • Monroe County Community School Corp.
  • Mooresville Con School Corp.
  • Muncie Community Schools
  • New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated Schools
  • New Castle Community School Corp.
  • Noblesville Schools
  • North Lawrence Community Schools
  • Northwest Allen County Schools
  • Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp.
  • Plainfield Community School Corp.
  • Portage Township Schools
  • Richmond Community School Corp.
  • School City Of East Chicago
  • School City Of Hammond
  • School City Of Hobart
  • School City Of Mishawaka
  • School Town Of Highland
  • School Town Of Munster
  • Seymour Community Schools
  • Shelbyville Central Schools
  • South Bend Community School Corp.
  • South Madison Community School Corp.
  • Sunman-Dearborn Community School Corp.
  • Tippecanoe School Corp.
  • Valparaiso Community Schools
  • Vigo County School Corp.
  • Vincennes Community School Corp.
  • Warrick County School Corp.
  • Warsaw Community Schools
  • Wawasee Community School Corp.
  • West Clark Community Schools
  • West Lafayette Community School Corp.
  • Westfield-Washington Schools
  • Westview School Corp.
  • Whitley County Consolidated Schools
  • Zionsville Community Schools
  • District 1
  • District 2
  • District 3
  • District 4
  • District 5
  • District 6
  • District 7
  • District 8
  • District 9
  • PUMA5 00100
  • PUMA5 00201
  • PUMA5 00202
  • PUMA5 00203
  • PUMA5 00300
  • PUMA5 00400
  • PUMA5 00500
  • PUMA5 00600
  • PUMA5 00700
  • PUMA5 00800
  • PUMA5 00900
  • PUMA5 01000
  • PUMA5 01100
  • PUMA5 01200
  • PUMA5 01300
  • PUMA5 01400
  • PUMA5 01500
  • PUMA5 01600
  • PUMA5 01700
  • PUMA5 01800
  • PUMA5 01901
  • PUMA5 01902
  • PUMA5 02001
  • PUMA5 02002
  • PUMA5 02100
  • PUMA5 02200
  • PUMA5 02301
  • PUMA5 02302
  • PUMA5 02303
  • PUMA5 02304
  • PUMA5 02305
  • PUMA5 02306
  • PUMA5 02307
  • PUMA5 02400
  • PUMA5 02500
  • PUMA5 02600
  • PUMA5 02700
  • PUMA5 02800
  • PUMA5 02900
  • PUMA5 03000
  • PUMA5 03100
  • PUMA5 03200
  • PUMA5 03300
  • PUMA5 03400
  • PUMA5 03500
  • PUMA5 03600
  • PUMA5 03700
  • PUMA5 03800
  • Urban
  • Rural
  • In metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area
  • Not in metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area
  • In metropolitan statistical area
  • In metropolitan statistical area—in principal city
  • In metropolitan statistical area—not in principal city
  • Not in metropolitan statistical area
  • In micropolitan statistical area
  • In micropolitan statistical area—in principal city
  • In micropolitan statistical area—not in principal city

Here are some things you should know when using this new dataset.

  • Multiyear estimates do not represent one point in time. It is best to think of them as averages over the time period.
  • If an area has both single-year and multi-year estimates, which one should you choose? It is ultimately a trade-off between currency and reliability, so it will depend on your purpose. The single-year estimate will be more current, but the three-year estimate will have a smaller margin of error (especially important if you are looking at a smaller subset of the population).
  • Compare apples to apples: that is, you shouldn't compare the 2007 single-year estimate for one geography with the 2005-2007 estimate for another geography.

Rachel Justis, Managing Editor
Indiana Business Research Center, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University