The Center for Social Science Computation and Research

ACS 3-Year Estimates

Beginning in December 2008, the Census Bureau releases 3-year averages estimates for areas with populations greater than 20,000. These estimates are based on data collected over a 3-year period of time and therefore they describe the average characteristics for that 3-year time period. There are over 13,500 geographic areas that meet the 20,000 or more population threshold for the 3-year estimates. The geographic areas in 3-year averages estimates include:

  • State
  • County
  • County subdivision
  • Place
  • Metropolitan statistical area
  • Combined statistical area
  • New England City and Town Area (NECTA)
  • Urban area
  • Congressional district (110th Congress)
  • Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)
  • School Districts

2005-2007 3-Yr ACS-SF for WA

The 2005-2007 3-Year ACS-Summary File contains exactly the same table format and content as the 2007 ACS Summary File, which is a total of 1369 unique detailed tables (a.k.a. “base tables”). Of these tables, ID’s beginning with the letter “C” are collapsed versions of tables (i.e. these tables have fewer detailed cells). However, the 2005-2007 estimates are averages over the period from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007. The ACS did not begin full implementation for group quarters until 2006. Thus, the 2005-2007 group quarters estimates use only data collected in the years 2006 and 2007. 2005-2007 3-Year estimates includes all geographies published by the 2005-2007ACS that means it includes more geographic areas than 2007 ACS-SF does.

The 2005-2007 3-yr ACS-Summary File posted on our website contains three types of data, the estimate data, the margins of error data and the standard error data that are available in SAS, SPSS & STATA formats. These data files contain all the tables but at a certain level of geography, eg. e20073wa_county.sas7bdat is a estimate data at county level. Please read the “READ ME” document on how to use the data files, eg. extracting variables from a complete data file.

To obtain ACS-SF data by variables in SAS format is also available on the Missouri Census Data Center website http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/uexplore?/pub/data/acs2007

2005-2007 3-Yr ACS PUMS for WA

This 3-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2005-2007 is a subset of the 2005-2007 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) samples Note that microdata records in this sample do not contain names, addresses, or any information that can identify a specific housing unit, GQ or person. The smallest geographic unit that is identified is the Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA).

The 2005–2007 American Community Survey Three-Year PUMS file contains the same sample as the three 1-year PUMS for 2005, 2006 and 2007. It contains three years of data for housing units and the population from households. However, because group quarters (GQs) were not included in the 2005 American Community Survey, this file includes two years (2006, 2007) of data for the group quarters (GQ) population. The 2005-2007 PUMS data has 3,830,606 housing unit records and 8,783,474 person records from households and 162,830 person records from GQs.

2006-2008 3-Yr ACS-SF for WA

The 2006-2008 3-Year ACS-Summary File contains exactly the same table format and content as the 2008 ACS Summary File, which is a total of 1374 unique detailed tables (a.k.a. “base tables”). Of these tables, ID’s beginning with the letter “C” are collapsed versions of tables (i.e. these tables have fewer detailed cells). The 2006-2008 estimates are averages over the period from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008, and the 2006-2008 group quarters estimates are also included. 2006-2008 3-Year estimates includes all geographies published by the 2006-2008 ACS that means it includes more geographic areas than 2008 1-Year ACS-SF does.

The 2006-2008 3-yr ACS-Summary File posted on our website contains three types of data, the estimate data, the margins of error data and the standard error data that are available in SAS, SPSS & STATA formats. Files like “e20083wa_county.sas7bdat” contain all the tables but at a certain level of geography, while the subject table files contain only tables belong to this subject but at all levels of geography. Please read the “READ ME” document on how to use the data files, eg. extracting variables from a complete data file.

To obtain ACS-SF data by variables in SAS format is also available on the Missouri Census Data Center website http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/cgi-bin/uexplore?/pub/data/acs2008

2006-2008 3-Yr ACS PUMS for WA

This 3-year public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2006-2008 is a subset of the 2006-2008 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS) samples Note that microdata records in this sample do not contain names, addresses, or any information that can identify a specific housing unit, GQ or person. The smallest geographic unit that is identified is the Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA).

The 2006-2008 American Community Survey Three-Year PUMS file contains the same sample as the three 1-year PUMS for 2006, 2007 and 2008. It contains three years of data for housing units and the population from households, and three years’ group quarters (GQ) population. The 2006-2008 PUMS data has 3,875,950 housing unit records and 8,819,885 person records from households and 245,787 person records from GQs.