Evaluating the Age Dimension at the PUMA Level in the Three-Year Estimates from the American Community Survey

• Activity Number: 207
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 3, 2009 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Joseph J. Salvo*+ and A. Peter Lobo and Joel A. Alvarez
• Companies: NYC Department of City Planning and NYC Department of City Planning and NYC Department of City Planning
• Keywords: ACS population controls ; age/sex distribution ; sub-county controls

Abstract

This research examines the utility of age/sex distributions below the county level, focusing on Bronx Public Use Mircodata Areas (PUMAs). While the ACS controls by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin are determined at the county level, they are used uniformly across potentially heterogeneous PUMAs within the county. An important issue in a heterogeneous county is whether county controls reflect nonresponse among individual PUMAs. The key question examined is whether the age/sex distributions that are a product of this process are useful at the PUMA level. We conclude that sub-county controls should be pursued in the ACS, especially in counties that exhibit high levels of heterogeneity, since they would benefit from weights based on PUMA-specific attributes. Understanding the improvements that would result from such actions needs to be high on the Bureau's research agenda for the ACS.