Decennial Census
A Base for Community Analysis
Grace York
University of Michigan
March 2007
Components of Your
Assignment
•Observation
•Analyzing Census and other
statistical data and comparing
with 5th grade residence
•Community interviews
Outline of Presentation
 Census
Questionnaire
 Census Geography
 Map to Identify Your
Neighborhoods
 Census Data
 Thematic Mapping
 Other Data Sources on the Web
Class Bibliography
http://www.lib.umich.edu/
govdocs/compsych.html
Purpose of the Census
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Mandated by the Constitution
Reapportionment of 435 seats in
the House of Representatives
Latest Census is 2000; updates
do not provide neighborhood info
Two Questionnaires
100% Questionnaire
Sent to all households
SAMPLE Questionnaire
Sent to one-sixth of households
2000 Questionnaire
 Age
 Sex
 Race
100% Questionnaire
(Multiple)
 Hispanic origin
 Household relationship
 Occupied v. vacant housing units
 Owner v. renter occupied housing
Primary Uses of Short
Form Data
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Race and sex for single years of age
to 99; three groups after 100
Most detail by race (250 groups total)
Race Groups in 2000
White
 Black or African-American
 American Indian or Alaskan Native
 Asian
 Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
 Other
 Two or More

(Based on Self-Identification)
Individual Races
Some files breakdown Asian, Pacific Islander,
American Indians and Hispanic into 250
categories
 Includes Chippewa Indians, Hmong, Pakistanis
 Whites and blacks broken out as ancestry in
sample data (e.g.Israelis, Arabs, Iranians,
Nigerians)
 Racial definitions appear at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/census2/
sf3td/sf3tdg7.pdf

Hispanic
Not considered a race
Can be Hispanic and any race
Breakdowns in some tables
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Cuban
Puerto Rican
Mexican
Spanish
Various Latin American Countries
Calculating Minorities
Replace White Alone with
White Alone Non-Hispanic
White Hispanic
Then add
Black Alone
Native American Alone
Asian Alone
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Alone
Other Alone
Two or More Races
New Race Category in 2000
Respondents could choose up to
SIX racial backgrounds
Typical mixed race is 2-3% of
population
Race data not necessarily
comparable with previous
censuses
Household Relationships
Relationship to Householder
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Spouse
Child
Stepchild
Grandchild
Brother/Sister
Parent
Non-relative
Unmarried partner is separate category
100% Questionnaire Data
Reports
Pre-Tabulated Data
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Summary File 1 – most age, race, sex
data to the smallest geographies,
block and block group
Summary File 2 – same data by 250
races and Hispanic groups to
neighborhood (tract) level
2000 Sample Questionnaire
 Marital status, housing
rent (100% in 1990)
 Grandparents
 Ancestry
 Language
 Country
value and
as caregivers
(new)
of origin
 School enrollment and educational
attainment (and dropouts)
2000 Sample Questionnaire
 Employment
 Industry
and occupation
 Transportation to and place of
work
 Disability and mental illness
 Veteran status
 Income and poverty
Sample Data Products
Pre-Tabulated Data
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Summary File 3 – socio-economic and housing
characteristics to census tract or block group
level
Summary File 4 – same data as Summary File 3
for 210 racial and 125 ethnic groups to tract
level
Census Geography
Legal Areas
Nation
 State
 Counties
 Cities
 Townships
 Congressional Districts
 School Districts
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Census Geography
Census-Designated Areas
Metropolitan Statistical Area
 Urbanized Area
 Census Tract
 Block Group
 Block
 Zip Code Tabulation Area

Metropolitan Statistical
Area
•Central city of 50,000 or more
•Its own county, and
•Surrounding counties with
heavy commuting patterns
Detroit Consolidated
Metropolitan Statistical Area
1990
Detroit PMSA
2000
Lapeer
Lapeer
Livingston
Macomb
Macomb
Detroit PMSA
Monroe
Monroe
Oakland
Oakland
St. Clair
St. Clair
Wayne
Wayne
Lenawee
Ann Arbor PMSA Washtenaw
Ann Arbor PMSA Livingston
Washtenaw
Census Tracts
 Areas
of about 4000 people
 Approximate neighborhoods
Detroit Tract
Block Group
Two – eight block groups per tract
All 2000s (2001, 2002, 2003) are BG 2
Smallest area for sample data
Blocks
All blocks in 2000 have 4-digit numbers
Some 100% data but no sample data
Locating Census Maps

American Factfinder
• http://factfinder.census.gov/

Documents Center Paper Copies
• Tract maps for Michigan
• Block maps for Wayne and Washtenaw

Southwest Detroit Tract Map
• http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/images/detsw.GIF
Initial Factfinder Screen
http://factfinder.census.gov/
(Mozilla
works better than internet explorer for downloading)
Skip Examples
Geographic Area
If you know the geographic area or proceed directly to
DATA SETS
If you need to determine the geographic area, go to
ADDRESS SEARCH
Geographic Area
Default is address search
Name search is a place search
Address Searching
Search for a known address to find its county, city, tract,
block group, block number, and map
Address Searching
Choose the Reference Map from your search results
Address Map
Changing Boundaries
Changing Boundaries
Revised Map
Move map around to choose block groups and
census tracts in neighborhood.
Example of a Neighborhood
Tract 5240; 5241-BG 2, and 5242-BG 1&2
(It is much easier to retrieve data if your neighborhood
has whole tracts, e.g.5240, 5241, 5242)
Another Search
Click on Geography to Change to Another Search
Place Name Searching
BEST option for mapping
States
Counties
Cities
Townships
Villages
Name Search
Altering Map
Place boundaries in green. You may need to add
census geographies on your own.
Reading Tract Numbers
Sometimes you have to zoom in to read all of
the tract numbers.
Making Map More Legible
Fiddle with the legend to make more readable.
Example: take out block groups; put in zip codes
Downloading Map
Use Download command to download in pdf format
Left click on mouse to download in gif format
Data Sets
Once you’ve determined geography and
go to DATA SETS for the detail
Listing of Data Sets
The default display are files from the 2000
and 1990 Census
Data Files for 2000
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Summary File 1: 100%
• Race, sex, age, households and families,
housing tenure
• BLOCK LEVEL for many categories
• MOST DETAILED ON AGE
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Summary File 2: 100%
• Detailed cross classifications by type of
Hispanic origin, Indian tribe, or Asian
subcategory (about 250 total)
• LOWEST LEVEL IS TRACT
Data Files for 2000
 Summary
File 3: Sample
• Income, language, ethnicity,
occupation, commuting, housing value
and rent for 7 races and Hispanic
• Most useful file for most of you
 Summary
File 4: Sample
• SF3 data with detailed cross
classifications by for 350 races and
ancestries (e.g. income for
Mexican, Lebanese)
Summary File 3
http://factfinder.census.gov/
The most interesting social and economic
characteristics for the smallest geography.
Data Sets Option Box
Options box aligns with checked
data set
Use Detailed Tables or Thematic Maps
Detailed Tables Geography
Default is LIST geography. Others include name search,
address search, and geography within geography.
Detailed Tables Geography
List Geography
You can choose
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All
All
All
All
states
counties in a state
tracts in a county
block groups in a tract
• All blocks in a block group.
Detailed Tables Geography
List Geography
You can add multiple levels of geography, e.g.
tract, block group, city, county, state
List of Tables – SF3
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Once you’ve chosen your geography, choose your tables.
The default for Detailed Tables is the Show All Tables.
Multiple Table Spreadsheet
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The result is two separate tables
Data meaningless unless use do percentages and comparisons
Use a spreadsheet program or calculator when combining them
Multiple Table Spreadsheet
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Census tract 5238 is very different from Wayne County in racial mix
Excel template at:
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/xls/centemp.xls
Detailed Spreadsheet
and Downloading Options
Use Factfinder’s button for downloading data
Downloading Options
Comma, xls, rtf
•Use comma delimited or tab delimited for spreadsheets,
including Excel
•Beware of compressed formats
Downloading Options
Mozilla automatically downloads to your Desktop and
provides the name: DTXLSPresentationDownload.xls
Saving File to Your UMich Account
•Right-click default download name on desktop
•Rename before you download anything else
Saving to UMich Account from
Campus Computers
Drag downloaded file from the desktop to your L:
drive or upload using MFILE (http://mfile.umich.edu)
Changing Tables
You can change tables but keep same geography by pressing
“tables” breadcrumb at top of page.
Household Comparisons
Tract 5238 more family oriented than county.
Summary File 3-Subjects
http://factfinder.census.gov/
 Ancestry
 Education
and school enrollment
 Commuting, occupation, industry
 Income and poverty
 Disability and veteran status
 Housing value, rent, mortgages
 Race and household status
Summary File 3
Subject Search
Highlight a subject and search
Results include all tables where the subject
is a variable
Choose P37; Add; Show Result
Educational Attainment
Population over 25 is counted
Data is not cumulative;
Even though high school graduation rate may
be 0%, people who completed bachelors or
masters completed high school as well
Main table is P37
Table by race is P148
Many tables in this data set are split so racial
breakdowns appear in a later number
Educational Attainment
Educational Attainment
Disability
Disabilities count overall limitations,
not individual diseases
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Sensory
Physical
Mental
Self-care
Go outside the home
Employment
Disability
Rent
Contract rent = amount paid to
landlord
Gross rent = amount paid to landlord
AND amount for utilities
Labor Force
Labor Force = either have a job or are
looking for a job
Not in Labor Force = don’t have job or
want one (e.g. retiree)
Unemployed = in labor force but don’t
have job
Labor Force
Occupation
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Income
Income calculated for households (related,
unrelated, single), families (related), and
individuals
Income includes salaries, interest, social security,
retirement, public assistance
Median means half earn below and half earn above
Aggregate means all of the income in that
geographic area
Income
Poverty
Calculated variable based on income, size of
family, and federal poverty guidelines
Poverty guidelines for 1999 appear at:
http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/histpov/hstp
ov1.html
Example of ratio of income to poverty
Poverty for one person in 1999 was $8501
Under .50 = earned less than $4250
Earned 1.5 of poverty=$12751
Poverty
Ancestry
http://factfinder.census.gov/
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Primarily countries with which white and
some black races identify
Tables PCT 16, 17, and 18
List of Ancestries
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/census2/sf3td/sf3tdg1.pdf
Ancestry
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Ancestry is another tract only variable
Summary File 4
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Sample data for 350 races and ancestries
Summary File 4
http://factfinder.census.gov/
List geography shows county, city, tract levels
Summary File 4
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Subject search for poverty by by age
Summary File 4
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Use ancestry tab for Arab, German; race and
ancestry can be mixed in same operation
Summary File 4
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Result is two tables; insufficient people of Arab descent in
these particular tracts; large percent considered poor
Thematic Maps
http://factfinder.census.gov/
Thematic maps can be accessed through Data Sets.
Thematic Maps
Choosing New Geography
You can choose a map through the List method, using
the HIGHEST LEVEL of geography you want
(e.g. Wayne County, Mich)
Thematic Maps
Choosing Theme (Subject)
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You can choose a theme by subject, keyword, or list
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Not all Census variables are represented
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In this case, race appears in SF1 maps; ancestry in
SF3 maps
Thematic Maps
Choosing Theme (Subject)
Thematic Maps
Changing Geographic Display
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The default for a county is county subdivision
This can be changed to census tract or BG
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
Same map at tract level. You can change the display
by choosing DATA CLASSES.
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
Natural breaks = equal number of people counted
Equal interval means equal percent intervals
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
This is probably more accurate. Click on legend to
add geographic boundaries
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
Click on legend to add geographic boundaries
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
Same map with tract numbers
Thematic Maps
Same Map – Tract Level
Use identify button and click on map to obtain data
Thematic Maps
Limitations of Factfinder Maps
Only pre-selected variables; not entire
data set
 Maps download as gifs (pictures) or pdf.
 Maps cannot be exported into another
program
 Maps can not be manipulated, e.g.
showing layers
 Geolytics and ARCVIEW are alternatives

Census Does Not Cover
Crime
 Health
 Social Services
 Religion
 Business
 Politics
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Local Data Sources
 Most
national and local sources
cover city as a whole
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Local sources come and go (e.g. Detroit crime,
health data, Michigan COMNET
Use your web page to locate city government
sources (Detroit and cities nationally)
Michigan County Profiles
http://medc.michigan.org/miinfo/places/
Population, employers, banks, hospitals, wages, recreation,
housing values, and utilities in each county.
Michigan County Profiles
http://medc.michigan.org/miinfo/places/
Lists major manufacturing and
non-manufacturing employers.
Michigan County Profiles
http://medc.michigan.org/services/sitedevelopme
nt/renzone/WayneCounty/
Renaissance Zone Map
http://gis.culma.wayne.edu/website/ez/viewer.htm
Transportation

American Factfinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/
• Vehicles per household, H44-45, HCT33
• Commuting to work, P30-35, PCT65
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Detroit Bus Schedules
http://www.detroitmi.gov/ddot/index.html
Crime
http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/police/default.htm
 Detroit
Police Department web side
has city-wide data beginning 1994
http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/police/dept/compstat/com
pstat.htm
 For
earlier years, use the paper
copy:
HV 7595 .D6 A23
 WSU
Center for Urban Studies
used to publish crime maps
Crime by Tract
No longer on web. Use 2004 Map instead.
Michigan Assistance
Payment Statistics
Social welfare cases by office
http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-1245458_7696_10830---,00.html
Social Services
 Partial
directory of social services
from United Way
 Can
find national directories of
non-profits from
Associations Unlimited
National Public School Locator
http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
Searchable by school name and zip code.
Provides pupil/teacher ratio, grades, race of enrollees
Detroit Public Schools
http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/schools/map_SchoolLocations
.pdf
Detroit Public Schools
http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/schools/meap/
Standard and Poor’s
http://www.schoolmatters.com/
Type in school or school district
Standard and Poor’s
http://www.schoolmatters.com/
Provides basic educational scores.
Click on school name for further information.
Standard and Poor’s
http://www.schoolmatters.com/
Charts compare scores with district and state.
Racial enrollment at bottom.
American Hospital Directory
http://www.ahd.com/
Searchable directory of hospitals with some data
on zip code of patients, charges, and most
frequent diagnoses. Receiving Hospital below.
Michigan County Health Data
http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/chi/index.asp
Births, marriages, divorces, and deaths by cause
and race, preventable hospitalizations,
reportable diseases, most by county
Superfund Sites
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm
Search by address, city, or toxic chemical
to determine location of toxic spills.
Religion
http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/
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American Religion Data Archive provides 1990
and 2000 church membership by county.
Also use yellow pages
(http://www.yellowpages.com)
Politics
 Almanac of American Politics
• Look under Carolyn Kilpatrick for
Detroit’s political history and
sentiments
http://nationaljournal.com/pubs/almanac
 Detroit
City Council
• Biographies of council members
• Extensive guide to city services
http://www3.ci.detroit.mi.us/legislative/CityCou
ncil/Default.htm
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See also Newspapers
American Community Survey
http://factfinder.census.gov/
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Annual update of Census data to city level; no
neighborhood data yet
Access through datasets
Getting Census Help
Documents Center
203 Hatcher Library North,
(734) 764-0410,
govdocs@umich.edu
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/
Campus representative to the Census
Bureau’s State Data Center program.
 Assistance with American Factfinder,
