Data Guide

The Vermont Community Profiles are displayed using Tableau, a software that creates interactive data visualizations. These visualizations or "vizzes" are controlled by filters, allowing users to select only the information that interests them. Data can be downloaded for other uses using the Download button on the Tableau toolbar at the bottom of the page in the following download options:

• Image: Downloads the selected view as a photo or displays the image in a new browser tab (depending on browser settings).
   
• Data: Displays the data from the view in a new browser window in a table with two tabs:
  • Summary: contains aggregated data for the fields shown in the view.
  • Underlying: contains underlying data for the selected fields in the display.
     
• Crosstab: Saves the underlying data for the selected fields in the visualization to a CSV (comma-separated values) file which can then be opened in Microsoft Excel.
   
• PDF: Downloads the selected view as a PDF or displays the PDF in a new browser tab (depending on browser settings).
   

• Powerpoint: Downloads a Powerpoint file containing the selected view as an image

   

Download troubleshooting:

• The data and crosstab options may be grayed out (i.e. not clickable) on the download menu. To activate these options, you may need to interact with the view. The easiest way to do this is to double click on any data point within the table or graph.
   
• Sometimes when data is downloaded as a crosstab, Tableau will organize data from a graph or table in a different way than users might expect.   To get more usable downloads, choose the "Data" option in the download menu, which will open the view in a new browser window in a table with two tabs. Select the "Full data" tab. Then click the hyperlink that says "Download all rows as a text file". This will open a csv (comma separated value) file, which can be saved to your computer as an Excel workbook.
   
• Tableau will only download data from the options selected in the filters. If you wish to download the entire data set, you must select "all" in every field. This may overload the visualization since the visualization does not have room to display the chosen data. However, you can still download the selected data in a table or crosstab, even if the visualization itself cannot display all those fields.
   
• If there are multiple graphs and tables on the view, Tableau will only download data/crosstabs from the last table or graph clicked on. You cannot download from multiple visualizations at one time. Some visualizations have summary tables at the bottom of the page to facilitate convenient download.
   
• If the file does not download or the new window does not open, you may need to disable your browser's pop-up blocker.
   
• Tableau does not allow users to copy text within a visualization on a screen. The best workaround is to download the viz as a PDF and then copy and paste text from there.

The U.S. Census Bureau provides two data sources used on this site that provide similar population and household characteristics data: The U.S. Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS).

The Surveys

The Decennial Census is conducted once every ten years, and is intended to survey all households in the United States. Article I of the Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years for the purpose of reapportioning the U.S. House of Representatives. The Decennial Census has been conducted every ten years since 1790. This survey is the foundation of demographic analysis in the U.S., but collecting the data is a highly resource intensive effort requiring years of planning and administration.

To capture population and household characteristics data during the intervening years, the Census Bureau additionally conducts the American Community Survey (ACS).  The ACS samples a smaller number of households to develop estimates for the population to produce demographic, social, housing and economic estimates in the form of 1-year, 3-year and 5-year estimates based on population thresholds. The strength of the ACS is in estimating population and housing characteristics for small areas on an annual basis.

ACS data on the Vermont Community Profiles are obtained or derived from the ACS 5-year rolling estimates. For example, the 2023 ACS estimates are derived from surveys completed between 2019 and 2023. Although some of the Vermont Community Profile visualizations allow users to compare ACS estimates from different years, the Census Bureau cautions users about identifying year-to-year trends if estimates are based on overlapping 5-year periods.  

Understanding estimates and data reliability ratings

American Community Survey (ACS) estimates are accompanied by margins of error. The margin of error describes the amount of sampling error associated with a particular estimate resulting from the survey. The larger the margin of error relative to the value of the estimate, the less confidence we have that the estimated results are close to the true figures for the population. 

Some ACS data sets shared on the Vermont Community Profiles may have very large margins of error, especially for communities with small populations, or for small subsets of a population, due to the small sample size. Furthermore, it should be noted although the ACS is administered by trained professionals and questions are vetted thoroughly, the estimates rely on data reported by survey respondents, which could contain inaccuracies. 

Note that since the Decennial Census is a count, there are no margins of error available. However, since the Census is a count of the actual population, the data is expected to be very reliable. 

To help users make informed decisions when using the data on the profiles, we have developed a simple system of data reliability ratings to accompany ACS data points. These ratings are displayed when users hover over data points on the visualizations. The data reliability ratings are derived from the coefficient of variation (CV) between the ACS estimate and its margin of error. If the CV is less than or equal to 15, the data reliability rating is “Good”. CV's less than or equal to 30 are labeled “Fair”, and CV's greater than 30 are labeled “Use with caution”. 

If a user encounters a data reliability rating of “Use with caution”, users are encouraged to critically evaluate whether the data seems plausible. Users can compare estimates with previous years, with neighboring geographies, or with county-level estimates where appropriate.

More resources

The U.S. Census Bureau publishes the guide Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What All Data Users Need to Know, which contains a more detailed overview on how ACS data can be used and how to judge the accuracy of ACS estimates. The Bureau also provides a Statistical Testing Tool for users who want to compare two ACS estimates.

At the bottom of each visualization we provide a short description of the relevant terms. For a more detailed description of survey terms, review the ACS 2019 Subject Definitions. Users can also access a copy of the 2019 ACS Survey to view how the questions were administered to survey respondents.  Be aware that although the U.S. Census Bureau tries to keep the ACS as consistent as possible, some subject definitions have evolved over the years.

A full list of all ACS tables is also available from the Census Bureau.

This is a monthly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau which provides national, state, and local data on the number of new housing units authorized by building permits.

For more information about Building Permit Survey methodology, visit the Census Bureau's BPS site.

The ACS PUMS files are a set of records from individual people or housing units, with disclosure protection enabled so that individuals or housing units cannot be identified. PUMS files enable data users to create custom estimates and tables, free of charge, that are not available through ACS pre-tabulated data products.

For more information, visit the Census Bureau PUMS site.

Area Median Income (AMI) is a HUD derived value reflective of local household income. These thresholds are then used to inform many federal and state affordable housing programs to ensure programs reach the particular targeted income group.

• Low income – 60% AMI
• Very low-income – 30% AMI
• Middle-income – 80-120% AMI
•  

Area Median Income is used to specifically to inform the Section 8 program income limits. For more information about AMI methodology, visit the HUD Section 8 Income Limits page.
 

This monthly rental amount standard is a HUD derived value reflective of the local rental market. Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are used to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher program and many other HUD administered housing assistance programs. Generally, HUD will set the FMRs at the 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units within the local area.

For more information about Fair Market Rent, visit the HUD FMR dataset site.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receives custom tabulations of American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau. These data, known as the "CHAS" data (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy), demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households.

The primary purpose of the CHAS data is to demonstrate the number of households in need of housing assistance. This is estimated by the number of households that have certain housing problems and have income low enough to qualify for HUD’s programs (primarily 30, 50, and 80 percent of median income). The CHAS data set also disaggregates data by additional characteristics for potentially vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled, minorities, and different household types.

For more information about CHAS, visit the HUD CHAS site page.

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness, conducted in all communities in the United States. Through a coordinated effort, housing support agencies aim to interview all people who meet the federal definition of “literal homelessness” on a single day in January, whether they are unsheltered or temporarily sheltered in places such as emergency housing, a publicly funded hotel room, or transitional housing.

Since 2007, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has required all states to conduct an annual PIT Count to continue receiving funds for homelessness assistance. The resulting dataset is the only comprehensive view of people experiencing homelessness in the United States over time. The survey is conducted annually during the last week of January – the data does not show how many people are entering and exiting homelessness in an area over the year, instead focusing on accurately recording the instances of homelessness on the night of the survey.

The survey is administered across the country by local housing service providers through a coalition model known as the Continuum of Care (CoC). Vermont has two HUD-recognized Continua of Care (CoCs): the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance (CCHA) which covers Chittenden County and the Vermont Balance of State CoC (VT BoS CoC) that encompasses the other 11 counties. Each region in the state also has a local group focused on regional homelessness prevention and intervention efforts. These groups were formerly called Local CoCs and are now called Local Housing Coalitions.

The results of PIT are likely an under-count of the true instances of homelessness in a community. Collecting the data is highly resource intensive, requiring the coordination of many agencies attempting to reach some of the most marginalized Vermonters. The data is reliant on housing support workers and volunteers counting and interviewing people sleeping in unsheltered locations during the January weather. Vermont consistently has a much greater portion of people in temporary shelter during the survey than people who are fully unsheltered. The count also does not include people imminently at risk of homelessness or who may be living somewhere temporarily (couch surfing or staying with family) as the data would be too difficult to collect.

For more information about the Point in Time Count, visit the HUD site or visit the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont for state specific resources.

This report, published by HUD, provides an annual inventory of beds that provide assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness or transitioning out of their experience of homelessness.  

The Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is a point-in-time inventory of provider programs within a CoC that provide beds and units dedicated to serve people experiencing homelessness (and, for permanent housing projects, where homeless at entry, per the HUD homeless definition), categorized by five Program Types: Emergency Shelter; Transitional Housing; Rapid Re-housing; Safe Haven; and Permanent Supportive Housing.

For more information about the Point in Time Count, visit the HUD site or visit the Housing & Homelessness Alliance of Vermont for state specific resources.

Property Transfer Tax (PTT) is a tax on the transfer of title to real property in Vermont collected by the Dept. of Taxes. The tax applies to both property transfers by deed and to acquisitions of a controlling interest in an entity with title to a property.

For more information, visit the Dept. of of Taxes website.

A Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a dataset created by real estate agents for the purpose of consolidating and sharing information about the home sale market. This data is locally collected by 500+ local networks of real estate agents across the country, which are then combined to create a national dataset of homes for sale/recently sold. The data is standardized and accessible through the Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS). This data usually includes details such as the listing price, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and other similar data points relevant to potential buyers.

Unlike most other data sources on HousingData.org, the MLS dataset is not created or published by the state or federal government. Instead, it is created by real estate agents and disseminated by data brokers. As such, homes that were sold without a real estate agent are not captured by the MLS dataset. 

For more information about MLS, visit the National Association of Realtors site.

Enacted by Congress in 1975, HMDA provides the most comprehensive source of publicly available information on the U.S. Mortgage Market. HMDA is a disclosure law that requires the collection and disclosure of data about applicant and borrower characteristics to assist in identifying possible discriminatory lending patterns and enforcing antidiscrimination statutes.

Pursuant to the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as of 2018 HMDA data was to be submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau via an online portal named the HMDA Platform. The first year of data submitted via this process was 2017.

For more information about HMDA, visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) website.

Current Employment Statistics (CES) provides a monthly estimate of total nonfarm payroll employment for Vermont. It also estimates employment by industry. 

CES is a program of the VT Dept. or Labor's Economic & Labor Market Information division in collaboration with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Estimates are derived from a survey of approximately 1,200 Vermont firms representing 2,500 establishments across all industries each month. 

All CES data can be found on the Economic & Labor Market Information Division's website.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) is a program of the VT Dept. of Labor's Economic & Labor Market Information Division in cooperation with the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. LAUS incorporates data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), Vermont’s Unemployment Insurance program, and Current Employment Statistics to generate monthly estimates of the number of Vermonters employed and unemployed (which combined equal the total labor force). 

All LAUS data can be found on the Economic & Labor Market Information Division's website

NAICS is the standard used by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy. NAICS is based on a production-oriented concept, meaning that it groups establishments into industries according to similarity in the processes used to produce goods or services.

For more information about NAICS, visit the U.S. Census Bureau NAICS site page.