2010 PUMA Program Justification & Plan

The 2010 Census Public Use Microdata Areas Program

The Census Bureau requests approval for the 2010 Census Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) Program, which is covered under the generic clearance called the Geographic Partnership Programs (GPPs), OMB Control No. 0607-0795.

The Geography Division manages programs to continuously update features, boundaries, addresses, and geographic entities in the Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing System (MAF/TIGER) database that is used to support programs and to conduct the census and surveys. PUMAs are statistical geographic areas defined for the tabulation and dissemination of decennial census and American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data. Additionally, PUMAs are used in the publication of ACS period estimates. Nesting within states, or equivalent entities, PUMAs cover the entirety of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas that contain a 2010 Census population of 100,000 or more¹. PUMA delineations are subject to population, building block geography, geographic nesting, and contiguity criteria. State Data Centers (SDCs)² define PUMAs with the cooperation of regional, state, local, and tribal organizations and agencies.

The information collection for PUMA will occur from September 15, 2011 through December 31, 2011 as participating SDCs return digital extracts from the MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS). The MTPS is specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) software developed by the Caliper Corporation enabling participants without a GIS, or limited GIS skills, to participate digitally in the PUMA project. It also contains built-in PUMA criteria checks, easy to use update tools, and various options for returning data back to the Census Bureau in a standard, easy-to-process, format. The Geography Division at the Census Bureau will review the digital files and make updates from acceptable returns, provided by the SDCs by December 31, 2011. .

The PUMA Program will be conducted in a completely digital format. Beginning September 15, 2011, SDCs will have the ability to download the MTPS, as well as corresponding digital data and user guides. Participants will use the MTPS in combination with digital data to create a PUMA plan that can be submitted to the Census Bureau via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site. Software and data will only be mailed upon request from the participant.

The Census Bureau will make PUMA materials available to approximately 52 SDCs. The Census Bureau expects that all 52 SDCs will participate in the PUMA Program.

The FY2011 and FY2012 estimate of average burden to perform PUMA activities per participant is approximately 80 hours. The FY2011 and FY2012 estimate of total respondent burden hours is therefore 4160 hours for the estimated 52 participants.

This document includes:

1. The PUMA user guidelines and criteria

2. The PUMA program commencement email

3. Example correspondence to the SDCs about the PUMA program

4. PUMA PowerPoint presented to SDC steering committee members

The contact person for questions regarding the PUMA program is:

Gregory Hanks
Assistant Division Chief for Geographic Partnerships
Geography Division
U.S. Census Bureau
Office: (301) 763-3093
Mobile: (202) 570-2135
[email protected]

1 There was one PUMA delineated for each of the state equivalents of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands in Census 2000. American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands did not meet the minimum population threshold for PUMS publication; therefore, PUMAs were not delineated in these areas. At the time of publication, the 2010 Census population counts were not yet released for the Island Areas. A 2010 PUMA will be delineated for those Island Areas that contain a 2010 Census population of 100,000 or more

2 Island Areas will not participate in PUMA delineation, since only one coextensive PUMA will be delineated in each qualifying Island Area (based on population size).