Post on 24-Dec-2015
THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAUPatricia Doty, Jennifer Dassow, and Jennifer Hanson
What is the Census Bureau?
It is an agency that measures people, places, and our economy.
History of the Census Bureau George Washington, John Adams and
Fredrick Muhlenberg signed the 1790 Census Act, March 1, 1790.
First census was taken in 1790, overseen by Thomas Jefferson.
From 1890 to 1950’s Herman Hollerith’s electrically –operated components were used to process data.
1950’s to present computers are used to capture data.
History of Census Bureau
The six inquiries in 1790 . Head of the family and the number of
persons in each household of the following descriptions:
Free white males of 16 years and upward Free white males under 16 years Free white females All other free persons Slaves
History of the Census Bureau
1902: The Census Bureau becomes an official agency.
1903: Simon Newton Dexter North became director, due to being a well-known statistician.
The Purpose of the Census Bureau
Take census every 10 years. Provide date on each state. Provide data for every level of
geography. Data can be found by zip codes on the
Census Bureau website for areas with populations of 5000 or more.
More about the Census Bureau The Economic Census
is taken every five years for every industry.
The Census Bureau provides data on:
Americans at work Housing Medical/Health Care Roads & Transportation Rural live
Schools/Education
Urban Life Voting
Census Bureau Data
What Data We Collect & When Population & Housing Census - every 10 years Economic Census - every 5 years Census of Governments - every 5 years American Community Survey - annually Our many surveys -- both Demographic &
Economic Economic Indicators - each indicator is
released on a specific schedule, see the Economic Indicator Calendar
Data Collection & Organization Formulate Questions (Formulate one or
more questions that can be answered with data).
Collect Data (Design & implement a plan to collect appropriate data).
Analyze Data (Select appropriate graphical or numerical methods & analyze the data).
Interpret Results (Interpret the analysis & relate interpretation back to original question).
Exploring the Census (Examples of Numerical Data)
The U.S. Census Bureau provided the following estimates of the annual income of individuals for the year 2008.
Income Range (in dollars) Number of Individuals (in millions)
0 - 4999 20.353
5000 - 9999 21.476
10000 - 14999 21.981
15000 - 19999 18.801
20000 - 24999 17.742
25000 - 29999 14.941
30000 - 34999 14.078
35000 - 39999 11.895
40000 - 44999 10.447
45000 - 49999 7.994
50000 - 54999 8.963
55000 - 59999 5.136
60000 - 64999 5.921
65000 - 69999 3.909
70000 - 74999 3.961
75000 - 79999 3.139
80000 - 84999 2.886
85000 - 89999 1.806
90000 - 94999 1.910
95000 - 99999 1.278
100000+ 13.215
Histogram
Histogram: A bar graph for which the categories are individual numbers or equal length intervals of numbers.
Line Graph
Line Graph: A graph in which adjacent data points are connected by a line. Appropriate for displaying “continuously varying” data.
Applying Percentiles & Median
From examining this graph, we can easily see that the average (specifically, the median) income of individuals in the USA in 2008 was about $25,000, and that an income of $75,000 per year would place the earner at approximately the 90th percentile .
Type of Pet Number of Households Number of Pets
Bird 5.7 million 16.2 million
Cat 38.9 million 86.4 million
Dog 46.3 million 78.2 million
Equine 2.4 million 7.9 million
Fish, Freshwater 11.9 million 151.1 million
Fish, Saltwater 0.7 million 8.6 million
Reptile 4.6 million 13.0 million
Small Animal 5.0 million 16.0 million
Exploring the Census (Examples of Categorical Data)
Bar Graphs
Bar Graph: Shows relative sizes of various categories quickly.
Pie Charts
Pie Charts: Uses a subdivided circle to show how data partition into categories.
Using Census in Business
There are many ways different businesses use the data of the US Census To study their industry Gauge the competition Calculate Market Share Locate business in an area Expand their business to a new market
Gauge the Competition
To see how their company is doing compared to the rest of the companies in the same industry For example:
A manufacturer compares statistics for his company with figures from other companies
Realizes that his company is was achieving lower numbers than the competition
The data allowed him to speak to the board of directors and change how they operate
Calculate Market Share
By looking at the Census under the same industry a company can calculate its part of the market share For example:
A Restaurant supplier calculated its own market share by taking its own sales divided by state totals for similar businesses
The owner realized he held 11% of the market share
This can help business owners pick a target when expanded to other locations
Locate Business Markets
Finding the best market for a product For example:
A new product maker looks for the best companies to present his new product to
By looking at the census, he could find the top growing companies and market to them and their specifics
The product could also be targeted towards other companies in that area by looking at the census
Enhance Business Opportunities Census data can be used to help get
loans from the bank or Investors By showing data to the bank or investors
that backs up the need for the loan For example,
A person wants to open up a tailoring shop geared towards women with careers
They could provide the loan company with Census information showing how the area is saturated with women in managerial positions
Research
Scientists and researchers use census data to see how one set of criteria effect the other set For example,
Researchers could take a piece of data like how what industry is each state’s main industry and then compare it to how that particular state’s representatives vote on certain issues
References
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/ec97use2.htm
http://www.census.gov Graphic Presentation Using Census Data