U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2017-2021 ACS 5-Year PUMS Files and Variance Replicate Estimate Tables, and Data Products for 118^th Congress

2017-2021 ACS 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

We are pleased to announce the release of the 2017-2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files.

The ACS 5-year PUMS files show the full range of population and housing unit responses collected on individual ACS questionnaires for a subsample of ACS housing units and group quarters persons (approximately five percent of the United States population) with disclosure protection enabled so that individuals or housing units cannot be identified.

PUMS files allow data users to create custom estimates and tables that are not available through ACS pretabulated data products. Working with PUMS data generally involves downloading large datasets onto a local computer and analyzing them using statistical software such as R, SPSS, Stata, or SAS.

PUMS data can be accessed via data.census.gov and the Census Bureau's FTP site. 

Visit our Microdata section on the ACS website to find all resources related to PUMS files.  This section contains access to PUMS data, the PUMS Handbook, How-to instructions, FAQs, and PUMS documentation.

The PUMS Documentation page is updated with the 2021 release to include the PUMS User Guide, Accuracy of the PUMS, PUMS Estimates for User Verification, Subjects in the PUMS, and Data Dictionary. Code Lists have also been posted to help users with the release of the 2017-2021 ACS 5-year PUMS files.

2017-2021 ACS 5-Year Variance Replicate Estimate Tables

We are pleased to announce the release of the 2017-2021 ACS 5-year Variance Replicate Estimate Tables.

These tables allow advanced users to calculate margins of error (MOEs) when collapsing data within a table or across geographies. This method provides a more accurate MOE than available approximation formulas.  

To access these estimates, visit the Variance Replicate Estimate Tables page or through the Census Bureau's FTP site. This page also includes technical documentation, a table and geography list, and table shells.

New ACS Data Products Available for the 118th Congress

The Census Bureau released new social, economic, housing and demographic statistics for the 118th Congress. The four Data Profiles are available for all 435 congressional districts and are available in the Census Bureau’s FTP site and through a web-based lookup tool on the ACS website. The My Congressional District data tool is also updated for the 118^th Congress. These data products are produced from the 2021 ACS 1-year estimates.

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About the American Community Survey

The American Community Survey provides reliable statistics that are used to make informed decisions about the future. These statistics are required by all levels of government to manage or evaluate a wide range of programs, but are also useful for research, business, education, journalism, and advocacy. If you have questions about this survey, please call our Customer Service Center on 1-800-923-8282.

To request a free data workshop, training, or presentation from the Census Bureau, please contact the Data Dissemination Branch at census.askdata@census.gov or 1-844-ASK-DATA (1-844-275-3282). Use the button below to sign up to receive American Community Survey email updates.