ACS Methods Panel

Attachment H8 - C4_Official FAQ

What is the American Community
Survey?

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the American
Community Survey each month to give our
country an up-to-date picture of how we live —
including our education, employment, housing,
and more. The American Community Survey is
our nation’s most reliable source of accurate
data about every part of the country — from the
smallest rural communities to the largest cities.

How does my response benefit
my community?

To make informed decisions, our communities
need accurate and reliable information. Local
charities, small businesses, and government
leaders use the data collected by the American
Community Survey to decide how to best meet
the needs of our communities.
Each year, thanks to responses from people
like you, communities across the United States
receive more than $400 billion for services such
as reducing traffic congestion, providing jobtraining programs, and planning for the health
care needs of the elderly.

Will my response be confidential?

Yes. The information you provide will help create
a picture of your community, but it cannot be
used to identify you. By law (Title 13, U.S. Code,
Section 9), all of the information the Census
Bureau collects for this survey is completely
confidential, and millions of people securely
participate in the survey each year.

Complete the American Community Survey online —
it’s the quickest and easiest way to respond.
Go to https://respond.census.gov/acs

If you need help or have questions about the American Community
Survey, please call 1-800-354-7271.

The American
Community Survey:
Frequently Asked Questions

Vaya a https://respond.census.gov/acs para completar la Encuesta
sobre la Comunidad Estadounidense en Internet. Si usted necesita
ayuda o tiene preguntas, por favor llame al 1-877-833-5625.
如需帮助或对美国社区调查有何疑问，请致电 1-800-638-5945。

Nếu quý vị cần trợ giúp hay có thắc mắc về cuộc Điều tra Cộng đồng Người Mỹ,
hãy gọi tới số 1-877-221-9436.
Если Вам потребуется помощь или у Вас возникнут вопросы относительного
данного опроса внутри американского сообщества, звоните по телефону:
1-866-225-2297.
도움이 필요하거나 미국 지역사회 설문조사에 관해 질문이 있을 경우
1-800-722-6728번으로 문의하십시오.

Census Bureau employees are subject to a
$250,000 fine and/or up to five years in prison
if they disclose any information that could
identify you.
ACS-10SMPR (2014) (June 2014)

Why Do We Ask Certain Questions?
Every question we ask contributes directly to providing beneficial
programs or services to communities that need them most.

Name

Names help make sure that everyone in your household is accounted
for, but that no one is listed twice. Names provided in surveys are never
released or published.

Am I required to fill out the survey?
Yes. Your response to this survey is required by
law (Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 141 and 193).
As a randomly selected representative of your
community, you are the voice of your neighbors
and peers. To create an accurate picture of your
community, it is critical that you respond.

How will the Census Bureau use
the information I provide?

Your confidential response will be aggregated
with information from other nearby households
to produce a portrait of your community.
This information is made freely accessible to
government leaders, businesses, nonprofit
organizations, and the public at large.

Based on the information you provide, you may
be asked to participate in other Census Bureau
surveys that are voluntary. We may combine
your answers with information that you gave to
other agencies to enhance the statistical uses
of these data. This information will be given the
same protection as your survey response.

Disability

Questions about disability provide the means to help develop
disability employment and job-training programs and to put in place
adequate public transportation accommodations for disabled people,
among other uses.

Plumbing and kitchen facilities

These questions help to identify areas in danger of groundwater
contamination or waterborne diseases and areas that may be eligible
for housing assistance, rehabilitation loans, or special programs, such
as Meals on Wheels.

Income

Data about income are used to distribute funds to school districts
that serve economically disadvantaged children and to identify
communities eligible for grants to stimulate economic recovery or run
job-training programs, among other uses.

Home value or rent payment

Government and planning agencies use answers to these questions
to evaluate housing affordability and neighborhood quality, develop
housing assistance plans for elderly and low-income households,
determine impacts of transportation infrastructure on property values,
and generally help families to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

Occupation

Answers to questions about the jobs people hold provide information on
unemployment levels and the availability of workers in different areas of
the country. Communities can use this information to evaluate demand for
staff in certain occupations, and companies can decide where to locate
new plants, stores, and offices.

Journey to work

Answers to these questions help communities plan road
improvements, develop public transportation services, and design
programs to ease traffic problems.

Education

Responses to these questions help to determine the number of public
schools and day care services required in a community, develop adult
education and literacy programs, and assess the qualifications of the
U.S. workforce.

“1.6 million people in this
country live without full
indoor plumbing. When we
know where they live, we
can prevent groundwater
contamination.”

— Jim Dawson,
Public Health Director