Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Persons and of the Population in American Indian and Alaska Native Areas in the American Community Survey

• Activity Number: 418
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Survey Research Methods Section
• Author(s): Michael Beaghen*+ and John Matthew Jordan
• Companies: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: design and estimation ; quality ; sampling frame

Abstract

The Census Bureau measures demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the United States population through the American Community Survey (ACS). Coverage is the measure of completeness of the estimate of persons living within housing units (HUs) and group quarters (GQ). Undercoverage exists when HUs, GQs, or people do not have a chance of being selected in the sample. Overcoverage exists when HUs, GQs, or people have more than one chance of selection in the sample, or are included in the sample when they should not have been. The Census Bureau produces ACS coverage rates for the nation and states every year by comparing ACS estimates to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program estimates. The 2010 Census offered a unique opportunity to measure the coverage of the recently produced 2010 ACS 1-year and 2006-2010 ACS 5 year estimates, as it provided an up to date listing of HUs and population and highly detailed demographic groups for comparison. Of particular interest were the coverage rates of American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) persons and of population living in AIAN areas, which are the focus of this paper.