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Meet your trainer & coach!

Susie Neilson

Investigative data reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle
Investigations have changed laws & been cited in SCOTUS opinions
Used to use census data on a weekly basis

Zack Newman

Freelance investigative data journalist
Previously worked at 9NEWS, MSNBC
Investigations have changed laws, exposed human trafficking rings, etc.
Uses census data a LOT

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What is the census?

First taken in 1790
Established by Congress
Originally door-to-door

Now a combo of mail, online and in-person

U.S. Census Bureau established in 1902

More data products and surveys proliferate!

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Types of data collected

Census - the main event

Decennial census taken every 10 years

Tries to count every person living in the country — including undocumented residents

Economic census

Count of businesses in the US taken every 5 years

Surveys

American Community Survey - also big deal

Asks questions of a “representative sample” of the country
~3.5 million addresses a year

More than 130 others, including….

American Housing Survey
American Time Use Survey

Population Estimates & Projections

Attempts to guess what population will look like 10, 20, 30+ years from now
“Based on assumptions about future demographic trends”

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When to use what

Decennial census

Official “best count” population and housing statistics, also longest-running survey
Limited number of questions and variables
Imperfect, especially at the block level

American Community survey

Very expansive
Can have high error margins at smaller geographies

Population estimates & projections

Less often for journalism but useful for thinking about future
Life expectancy changes, demographic changes, etc.

Other surveys and censuses

If there’s something specific to the purview of another agency that ACS, census etc. do not capture. For example…

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Rodent sightings in the Midwest?

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Examples of investigations that use census data

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Using census data for investigative reporting

Anytime you need population data
Uncover inequity/disparities
Fact-check officials, powerful figures
Uncover change over time
Meta-uses: Investigating census data itself

Decennial census undercounted Black, Latino & Indigenous people
Executive branch interference may have led to undercounting in certain states
How census issues impact electoral process

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Let’s explore data.census.gov!

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Option one: search by area

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Quick profile

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Option 2: searching by topic

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Option 3: searching by table ID

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Comparing across geographies

Story idea: which parish in Louisiana has the greatest disparity between median income of white and Black households?

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Census Reporter

Access here

Quick facts
Embeddable visualizations
Allows easy comparisons

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A few story ideas

Housing

What is your county’s housing “vacancy rate?” What share of those homes are “seasonal vacancies,” i.e. vacation homes? (Decennial census)
What share of homes in your city don’t have air conditioning? How about heating? (American Housing Survey)
What is the homeowner-to-renter ratio for white, Black, Asian & Latino people in your county? (Decennial census)
What share of people in your metro area are not just homeless, but “housing insecure”? (American Housing Survey)

Immigration

What share of residents in your county were born in Eastern Europe? How about South America? How do they feel about current international conflicts? How do these statistics square with official immigration rhetoric? (American Community Survey)

Education

What share of adults in your area are college graduates? How does that change from one ZIP code to the next in your state? How does that correlate with voting rates and party preferences? (American Community Survey)

Economic mobility

How has median household income changed in your county compared to the rest of your state and/or the U.S. over time? How do those changes reflect other changes to your county, i.e. job availability, housing market, etc.? (American Community Survey)

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Exercise: Census scavenger hunt

In pairs, use data.census.gov, OR the Census Reporter, to find the following data points from the latest American Community Survey data. Winner receives a NOLA-themed prize!

What is the median household income of Chickasaw County, Iowa?
What share of Alaskans live below the poverty line?
How many kids in New York City live with their grandparents?
What share of Hawaiians speak a language other than English at home?
CHALLENGE 1: How many same-sex married couple households are there in Bourbon County, Kentucky?
CHALLENGE 2: Which state has a greater share of people 25 years and older that have a bachelor’s degree or higher – Maine, or Nevada?

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