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Using Data to Drive Problem-Solving in Memphis and the Mid-South

Learn how to access, understand, and use community data from the American Community Survey to drive problem-solving in Memphis and the Mid-South region. Workshop presented in partnership with United Way of the Mid-South and Community Issues Management.

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Using Data to Drive Problem-Solving in Memphis and the Mid-South

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  1. Using Data to Drive Problem-Solving in Memphis and the Mid SouthUses and Limitations of the American Community Survey Phyllis Betts pbetts@memphis.edu Tk Buchanan Tehrian Martin

  2. In partnership with United Way of the Mid-South and Community Issues Management, the Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action and InfoWorks Memphis presents one in our series of workshops to build the capacity of organizations and agencies in greater Memphis to access, understand, and use community data.

  3. Our Agenda Just what is the American Community Survey? Uses and limitations of ACS data Understanding mapped ACS data for Shelby County: tipping points Your issues and questions

  4. American Community Survey in Action Poverty Rate Child Poverty Rate 16-19 year olds neither in school nor working Residential vacancy Multi-family housing The evidence for “site-based resident services” in apartment developments

  5. ACS Basics Replaces decennial census “long form” Demographic, social, economic, housing characteristics data New questions added over time: grandparents primarily responsible for the care of their children New “data views” added over time: children in households with no working adult

  6. ACS Basics Population/household/housing unit sample Subject to “sampling” error: + or - estimates Self-reporting issues Good news: city, county, state data almost as good as the old long form Not so good: be careful with track, block group, and block level data!

  7. Getting the Data • American Factfinder or CIM? • Factfinder Basic Profiles: demographic, social, economic, housing, and summary narrative reports • Numbers and percentages • Factfinder Subject Tables

  8. Getting the Data • Detailed tables • Not for the faint of heart • Calculate your own percentages! • Data wonks welcome to download but CIM and CBANA are doing some heavy lifting for you • What is PUMS?

  9. Annual, Three Year, Five Year Estimates Sample size large enough for annual estimates in areas with 65,000+ people Three year estimates: areas w/ 20,000+ Five year estimates: tracts, block groups, blocks

  10. Estimates Not Exact! • Confidence interval: + or – x number of cases! • Even then there is room for an “outlier” sample • If the data does not ring true it may not be • Small changes from year to year may be meaningless • Differences between census tracts may not be as big as they first appear • All of this is VERY important

  11. Tracking Change Over Time? • Three and five year estimates are “rolling averages” • Tract level data captures “average” characteristics during a five year period • Annual release of five year estimates: new year added and oldest year dropped • 2009 data release: 2005-2006-2007-2008-2009 • Next year 2010 data release: 2006-2007-2008-2009-2010 • All releases come the following year

  12. Tracking Changes Over Time? • One year estimates for Memphis, Shelby County, state of TN fairly reliable window on change • Hard to capture big year to year changes with three and five year cycle • When Cleaborn and Foote public housing are demolished . . . • When drop out prevention succeeds in a targeted school. . .

  13. Live Demo • ACS and American Factfinder tools • Data Profiles • Subject Tables • Community Issues Management • CIM-loaded ACS data: how to find it • Producing reports • Mapping with complementary data layers: zips, school attendance zones, and apartment complexes

  14. Demo Time! Go Look: ACS on the web Go Look: Using ACS data with the CIM mapping tool Your recommendations for CIM and CBANA-InfoWorks

  15. A little something extra for the data wonks among us …

  16. Sampling • Sample from all addresses/households in census Master Address File • 1.5 to 10% of addresses per census block • Blocks with fewer addresses=higher % • 2.9 million addresses divided into 12 panels • New panel initiated each month • 3 month data collection period per panel • Mail-phone-personal follow up with subsample • 67% initial response = 97% with subsample weighting

  17. And . . . • Responses are “weighted” to account for non-response of types of individuals and types of households • Example: African American males

  18. Data “Validity” ACS is self-reported Do people tell the truth? Mostly yes, but . . . Confusion: social security or SSI? Guessing: property values Judgment: grandparents primarily responsible for the care of their grandchildren? Fudging: work, income, social programs

  19. Quality Control • There is a Census Bureau protocol for correcting inconsistencies • Over time, self-reporting issues “even out” • How are you using the data and how exact does your data have to be? • Backstopping with other data sources when it is important to be as precise as you can be • Example: use actual Social Security data to determine number of SSI recipients rather ACS

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