A little-known yearly survey conducted by the Census Bureau gathers a wealth of information that helps guide everything from investments in highways and schools to business decisions about building supermarkets and department stores. The American Community Survey gathers neighborhood-level data that isn’t collected in the decennial Census, providing invaluable information about issues from immigration to income levels. Losing that ground-level view of the changes in American life year after year would be disastrous, says Senior Fellow William Frey.
![NEW YORK - JULY 14, 2014: passengers on MTA subway train in New York. The NYC Subway is a rapid transit/transportation system in the City of NY.](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/passengers-on-MTA-subway-nyc.jpg?quality=75&w=500)
Demographics & Population
Census shows America’s post-2020 population is driven by diversity especially among the young
Commentary
Podcast@ Brookings Podcast: The American Community Survey
June 8, 2012