Brian- You are correct: Not every ACS Base table is available for BGs. BGs are the smallest level of geog in ACS. And some of Base tables may not be published at the BG level for two reasons: (1) estimates reliability concerns; (2) sensitivities about certain topics (poverty, citizenship status...). These data *are* available for Tracts. So, if one really needed such data at the BG level, you could figure out marginal distributions for the Tract, and then evaluate whether the marginals can be assigned down to the member Block Groups. [EMAILLOGO.png] Todd Graham Principal Forecaster | Metropolitan Council | Regional Policy and Research todd.graham(a)metc.state.mn.us P. 651.602.1322 | F. 651.602.1674 390 North Robert Street | St. Paul, MN 55101 | metrocouncil.org/data<http://www.metrocouncil.org/data> [ConWUs][FaceBook_32x32]<http://www.facebook.com/MetropolitanCouncil>[… [EmailSU] <https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNORGMETC/subscribers/new?preferences=true> From: ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net [mailto:ctpp-news-bounces(a)chrispy.net] On Behalf Of Brian Chenault Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 2:36 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: [CTPP] ACS 5-year Estimates Hello, Brian Chenault from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization here. We are trying to collect several pieces of data at the block group level using 2007-2011 ACS 5-year estimates. Using the Census' Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool, we are able to retrieve basic population data at the block group level. However, data at the block group level is not provided for poverty, language spoken at home, etc. This appeared to be the case even when examining 2006-2010/2005-2009 5-year estimates. Has this information not been "filtered down" from the census tract level yet? How is one supposed to go about gathering this type of updated information at the block group level? Much appreciated, Brian [Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: TPO-Heartbeat-Logo-FINAL]<http://www.hrtpo.org/> Brian Chenault Community Outreach Planner Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization The Regional Building | 723 Woodlake Drive | Chesapeake, Virginia | 23320 bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov<mailto:bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov> | http://www.hrtpo.org<http://www.hrtpo.org/> | Phone: 757.420.8300 | Fax: 757.523.4881

Brian, I'm not sure if data from state to state is different, but here at NCDOT we have been using the tables you mentioned below for the 2006-2010 5-year estimates at the block group level (have not checked 2007 5 year estimates yet). The table we use for language spoken at home is: Table B16001 "Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over." For poverty, we use: Table S1701 "Poverty Status in the Past 12 months" and Table C17002 "Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months." And yes, they are found at the block group level (at least for the State of North Carolina). This was a major headache for us after the Census change in 2010 when trying to do socio-demographic analyses for our reports. Data Ferret and the Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool were not very user friendly and took quite a long time to use, so we ended up downloading all of the ACS 5-Year Estimate Data from the Census FTP site and then joining them with the 2010 Census geography boundaries in ArcGIS. This has made our lives so much easier trying to extract census data for certain geographies in our project areas. Hope this helps, Megan Cogburn, MCRP Community Planner | Human Environment Section NCDOT Project Development & Environmental Analysis e: mscogburn(a)ncdot.gov<mailto:mscogburn(a)ncdot.gov> p: (919) 707-6062 f: (919) 212-5785 From: Brian Chenault [mailto:bchenault(a)hrtpo.org] Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 3:36 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: [CTPP] ACS 5-year Estimates Hello, Brian Chenault from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization here. We are trying to collect several pieces of data at the block group level using 2007-2011 ACS 5-year estimates. Using the Census' Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool, we are able to retrieve basic population data at the block group level. However, data at the block group level is not provided for poverty, language spoken at home, etc. This appeared to be the case even when examining 2006-2010/2005-2009 5-year estimates. Has this information not been "filtered down" from the census tract level yet? How is one supposed to go about gathering this type of updated information at the block group level? Much appreciated, Brian [Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: TPO-Heartbeat-Logo-FINAL]<http://www.hrtpo.org/> Brian Chenault Community Outreach Planner Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization The Regional Building | 723 Woodlake Drive | Chesapeake, Virginia | 23320 bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov<mailto:bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov> | http://www.hrtpo.org<http://www.hrtpo.org/> | Phone: 757.420.8300 | Fax: 757.523.4881 ________________________________ Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Brian, I'm not sure if data from state to state is different, but here at NCDOT we have been using the tables you mentioned below for the 2006-2010 5-year estimates at the block group level (have not checked 2007 5 year estimates yet). The table we use for language spoken at home is: Table B16001 "Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over." For poverty, we use: Table S1701 "Poverty Status in the Past 12 months" and Table C17002 "Ratio of Income to Poverty Level in the Past 12 Months." And yes, they are found at the block group level (at least for the State of North Carolina). This was a major headache for us after the Census change in 2010 when trying to do socio-demographic analyses for our reports. Data Ferret and the Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool were not very user friendly and took quite a long time to use, so we ended up downloading all of the ACS 5-Year Estimate Data from the Census FTP site and then joining them with the 2010 Census geography boundaries in ArcGIS. This has made our lives so much easier trying to extract census data for certain geographies in our project areas. Hope this helps, Megan Cogburn, MCRP Community Planner | Human Environment Section NCDOT Project Development & Environmental Analysis e: mscogburn(a)ncdot.gov<mailto:mscogburn(a)ncdot.gov> p: (919) 707-6062 f: (919) 212-5785 From: Brian Chenault [mailto:bchenault(a)hrtpo.org] Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 3:36 PM To: ctpp-news(a)chrispy.net Subject: [CTPP] ACS 5-year Estimates Hello, Brian Chenault from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization here. We are trying to collect several pieces of data at the block group level using 2007-2011 ACS 5-year estimates. Using the Census' Summary File Excel Retrieval Tool, we are able to retrieve basic population data at the block group level. However, data at the block group level is not provided for poverty, language spoken at home, etc. This appeared to be the case even when examining 2006-2010/2005-2009 5-year estimates. Has this information not been "filtered down" from the census tract level yet? How is one supposed to go about gathering this type of updated information at the block group level? Much appreciated, Brian [Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: TPO-Heartbeat-Logo-FINAL]<http://www.hrtpo.org/> Brian Chenault Community Outreach Planner Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization The Regional Building | 723 Woodlake Drive | Chesapeake, Virginia | 23320 bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov<mailto:bchenault(a)hrpdcva.gov> | http://www.hrtpo.org<http://www.hrtpo.org/> | Phone: 757.420.8300 | Fax: 757.523.4881 ________________________________ Email correspondence to and from this sender is subject to the N.C. Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.