Definition
To capture population and household characteristics data during the intervening years between the Decennial Census, 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.
