Know Your Community How to find and use Demographic Information

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Know Your CommunityHow to find and use
Demographic Information

• Western New Mexico University
• Silver City, New Mexico
• July 25, 2008

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• The Government Information in the 21st Century
  Program is made possible by a grant from the U.S.
  Institute of Museum and Library Services. 
  Additional support is provided by the University
  of Colorado at Boulder as well as Arizona State
  Library, Archives, and Public Records New Mexico
  State Library Wyoming State Library and
  University of Utah.

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Where to go first for my community?

• American Community Survey ? good news
  fabulous resource with vast improvements in
  currency details to be discussed later on in
  presentation. Bad news most small locations in
  NM not covered yet.
• Census 2000 Decennial Data ? obvious
  limitations due to rapidly changing demographics,
  but might be the best alternative for detailed
  data for small areas.
• Estimates and Projections? What is available
  for your community and area?

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American Community Survey Available for larger
areas, not yet for small

• Collects data every year instead of every 10
• 3 million households surveyed sample
• Age, race, income, commute to work, home value,
  veterans status, etc.
• Goal Places or areas less than 20,000 covered in
  2008
• In late 2008, the Census Bureau will release data
  for all geographic areas with populations of
  20,000 or larger.
• In late 2010, the Census Bureau will release data
  for areas as small as census tracts and block
  groups, nationwide.
• For very small towns, 2010 will be the first time
  ACS data are published.

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• How to find out which New Mexico towns and
  counties have been included in ACS to date?
• http//factfinder.census.gov
• American Community Survey click on learn
  moreAmerican Community Survey Home Page (box on
  right)
• 2006 Guide to the data Products (center of page)
• Select New Mexico
• Limit to places and counties

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Which communities/counties might have ACS
information for their patrons?

• Alamogordo 2007 population estimate, 35,607
• Tularosa 2007 population estimate, 2,865
• Las Cruces 2007 population estimate, 89,722
• Otero County 2007 population estimate. 63,129
• Dona Anna County 2007 population estimate.
  198,791

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OR

• http//factfinder.census.gov/
• Get a fact sheet for your community
• Type in city/county or zip
• Tabs at top will inform you of data availability

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• Bad news some of you will have to use Decennial
  data or estimates ACS becomes available
• Good news some of you have current ACS data
  available right now.
• Convenient news if you learn how to find
  Decennial data, the steps are the same to find
  ACS data.

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• Census concepts - 2000 Decennial Data

• 100 characteristics short form
• Population counts for area
• Sex
• Age
• Race
• Hispanic or Latino
• Limited housing information

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Census concepts -2000 Decennial DataSample
characteristics long form (one in six)
Examples of broader subjects

• Marital Status
• Place of Birth
• Income
• Ancestry
• Disability
• Education
• Work status
• Occupation

• Language spoken at home
• Housing
• Value of home
• Telephone service
• Vehicles available
• Utilities
• Etc.

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Census 2002 concepts - Race?

• White refers to people having origins in any of
  the original peoples
• of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
• Black or African American refers to people
  having origins in any of the Black racial
  groups of Africa.
• American Indian and Alaska Native refers to
  people having origins in any of the original
  peoples of North and South America.
• Asian refers to people having origins in any of
  the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
  Asia, or the Indian subcontinent.
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  refers to people having origins in any of the
  original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or
• other Pacific Islands.

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Hispanic Origin

• The federal government considers race and
• Hispanic origin to be two separate and
• distinct concepts.
• Hispanics may be of any race.
• Questions on race and Hispanic origin were
• asked of every individual living in the
• United States.

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Census Geography

• Hierarchical Presentation
• United States
• Region
• Division
• State
• County
• County subdivision
• Place (or part)
• Census tract (or part)
• Block group (or part)
• Census block

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• Enough of this background stuff! Lets find some
  information
• (All steps in each exercise are listed in detail
  in your handout)

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Quick Statistics

• Create a general profile or Fact Sheet for your
  community or county can you find any
  percentages or rankings?
• http//factfinder.census.gov

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Street Address search

• Using a street address as a starting point, find
  out what Congressional District and School
  District the Address is in What else can you
  find?
• http//factfinder.census.gov

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Data Sets powerful tool for specific
questionsHints

• Avoid using the Back Arrow on your browser use
  breadcrumbs to navigate whenever possible
• When using Data Sets, Clear All Selections
  between searches

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Exercise using Census 2000 Using Data Sets -
Quick Tables

• What percentage of the population of Silver City
  has a High School diploma?
• http//factfinder.census.gov

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Exercise using Census 2000 Data Sets - Detailed
Tables

• Make a chart that compares the median family
  income for the population of Silver City, Deming,
  Lordsburg and Las Cruces?
• How about Grant, and Otero Counties? Compare
  State and National median family income with
  local data.
• http//factfinder.census.gov

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Exercise using Census 2000 - Data Sets -
Geographic Comparison Tables

• What county in New Mexico has the highest
  percentage of working single women who also have
  young children to care for?
• What county in New Mexico had the highest
  percentage of families with income below the
  poverty level in 1999?
• Which city in NM had the highest percentage of
  families with income below the poverty level in
  1999?
• http//factfinder.census.gov

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Exercise using American Community Survey

• Develop a profile of the city of Las Cruces using
  ACS 2006. Include both statistical information
  and graphic information if possible.
• http//factfiner.census.gov

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• Estimates and Projections What is available?
• http//www.census.gov/
• Click on estimates
• BIG HINT Mouse over drop down box for Estimates
  data upper left.
• Select Geography or subject

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Exercise using the UNM Bureau of Business and
Economic Research site

• What are the most current population estimates
  for New Mexicos cities and towns?
• http//www.unm.edu/bber/

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Comparison tables set up for you and more!

• The New Mexico State Library site
• http//www.nmstatelibrary.org/index.php?optioncom
  _contentviewarticleid221Itemid408
• Census Comparison tables online
• http//www.nmstatelibrary.org/index.php?optioncom
  _contentviewarticleid222
• Compare NM Cities/Towns/Places Counties
  Pueblos Reservations NM to other States

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2010 Census

• The census is a count of everyone living in the
  United States every 10 years.
• The census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.
• The next census is in 2010.
• Your participation in the census is required by
  law.
• It takes less than 10 minutes to complete.
• Federal law protects the personal information you
  share during the census.
• Census data are used to distribute Congressional
  seats to states, to make decisions at every level
  of government, and to distribute 300 billion in
  federal funds to communities each year.

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• Questions?
• Dan Barkley, Regional Federal Document Librarian,
  University of New Mexico
• barkley_at_unm.edu Phone [phone]
• Laurie Canepa, Public Services Director, New
  Mexico State Library
• laurie.canepa_at_state.nm.us
• [phone]