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Census 2000 Data Access and Use Manhattan, KS Comparative Trend Analysis Profile (XLS) More about Profiles • Interpretation and Insights • From Data to Action • Urban and Rural Areas - Kansas Urban Clusters • Map Views from GIS • Trend Analysis Profile • Urban/Rural Defined |
Community and Regional Planning and Development by Warren Glimpse -- data driven decisionmaking information resources and applications Community and regional planning and development needs to be integrally tied with geodemographic data, particularly from the decennial census. Important, relevant, subject matter data to meet these needs are only available from the decennial census. Obviously data from other sources play a key role from a broader perspective (see applications); new possibilities result from combining these data for planning and development analyses. This section reviews how decennial census data can be used for communities and and associated built-up regional areas to assess 'where they are', 'how things have changed', and used to develop reasonable, actionable plans to help guide future developments. While information summarized in this section applies to any area in the U.S., applications and data displayed are for the state of Kansas. A Focus on Demographic Trend Profiles. A focus of this section is on the use of longitudinal/geographic comparative analysis as partly shown in the following view. 
(click image to view full Excel file). Proximity 'demographic trend comparative analysis profile' software and database can be used to develop this type of profile for any community, county, or state. The Census Bureau, nor any other organization, has the ability to flexibly develop these types of profiles. The profile content has been patterned after a Census 2000 profile developed by the Census Bureau. These items in the profile layout are described in the leftmost column. Items included in this profile are summarized in tables available at http://proximityone.com/dp1.htm. Definitions and related background are available in the Census 2000 technical documentation (this relates only to the Census 2000 data). Proximity has added 1990 Census data to the Census 2000 data rows in the spreadsheet. As the 1990 Census subject matter sometimes vary from Census 2000 subject matter, the second column shown in the spreadsheet (see above) has comments and footnote references relating to the corresponding 1990 Census data. The above sample profile shows data for three geographic areas -- a community, the county in which the community is located, and the corresponding state. Any set of geography could have been selected. For each geographic area in the report, 6 columns of data are presented for approximately 500 subject matter items (derived from 1990 Census STF1 and STF3 and Census 2000 SF1 and SF3). These 6 columns include: 1990 Census data values 1990 Census percent distributions Census 2000 data values Census 2000 percent distributions 1990-2000 Census change data values 1990-2000 Census percent change Use of the Demographic Profiles and Benefits. [goto top] The specific data in the profiles are all generated from 1990 Census and Census 2000 data. Their strength derives in part from: • Census 2000 data still the most recent source of these subject matter for all communities • trend analysis view • ability to side-by-side geographic area comparisons • data presentation in excel and thus portable and lend themselves to integration and analysis The content of the profile provides a fairly detailed, but consumable, set of indicators enabling a look at many sociometric attributes of places and counties. Another important feature of these profiles is that they are "new to the prospective user community." The data offer a fresh look at some old and continuing issues. This feature might enable use these profiles as a means of garnering interest on the part of communities across a state in making more use of data driven decisionmaking tools and methods. Interpretation and Insights [goto top] Greater potential lies in the use of the longitudinal data that Census 2000 alone. We see "where we are", "where we have been", and get a sense of how matters might change. We can see where changes need to be made to achieve realistic goals. From Data to Action [goto top] Demographic trend profiles can be used, with other resources and processes, as a vehicle to make a difference in community and regional planning and development. Here are a few examples. State of [Local] Education. While the U.S. Department of Education and some state departments assess the state of education, ironically, little of this work makes use of census data. An emphasis is placed on the facilities and staffing infrastructure, administrative data collected on students (e.g., number of students by grade), finances, and test score/assessment related data. This is all good, but these data need to be integrated with the demographics of the households -- sending students to school. This is the market served by the schools. Also, for the most part education agency data relates mainly to public schools. In many areas more than 20 percent of the students attend private schools. Data on these student demographics are only available from the decennial census. Census demographics are the basis for enrollment projections, or should be. Right now, we have data on the number of persons by single year of age by census block -- it is pretty easy to determine projections by grade by district or attendance area to school year 2005-6. Localities can use these data to better assess very localized need and demand for services, where schools should be, where day care centers should be, and many other such applications. While some states have an their own censuses, and these can serve an important role, these data are not parallel nor a substitute for the richer demographics with additional geographic breakout detail from the decennial census. We can approximate the Census 2000 SF3 "richer demographics" by school district right now by aggregating block group level data to school district boundaries. A Federal Census 2000 school district special tabulation will enrich this set of data in early 2003. We can analyze the same types of data for school districts as for communities and related areas. These data can help localities address the "state of education" on a local level. School districts and related stakeholders do not have access to these data and do not generally understand their power. Assessing Housing Situation. How old is our housing stock? How does this compare to adjacent areas? How has our housing values changes over the past decade? Have these values kept pace with areas like our in the state? Answers to questions like these can be obtained from the census data. Managing directions in housing is not something that can be left to be determined by developers alone. These data offer a basis for dialog which can help communities develop housing strategies that yield improved benefits to residents and help strengthen the community and extended area. Assessing Labor Force Change. What is our employment infrastructure net advantage? Do we have people with occupations that might give us a net advantage in locating new businesses that might be looking for a location to expand? What is our economic base in terms of employment by industry? What does this tell us new opportunities or areas that we might seek to prioritize in transformation of our local labor force? Answers to these questions are in large part contained in Census 2000 data. Impact of Education/Literacy on Earnings. How do earnings relate to educational attainment? The level of educational attainment of the community's population directly affects the local labor force infrastructure. We can show, using Census 2000 and related data, what the impact of education attainment is from community to community. Using these data communities can see the impact of improving literacy and achieving higher levels of educational attainment. This help demonstrate the dollar value/benefit to individuals and communities with differing levels of educational attainment. These indicators and cause and effect relationships as largely unknown and not understood by key leaders in communities. Urban and Rural Areas [goto top] For Census 2000 (as further described below), the Census Bureau classifies as urban all territory, population, and housing units located within urbanized areas (UAs) and urban clusters (UCs). There are other ways to classify geography as urban or rural. The profiles described above are for places (incorporated places and census designated places (CDPs), counties, and states. What about urban versus rural in a state where rural development is so important? A key issue is how to select geography for analysis, in the context of rural development, which is outside of places/communities. Interest is placed on communities because these areas tend to operate as areas with a sense of identity and behavior. But in less developed areas, it is important to be able to look at all of the geography. Urban Communities and Urban Clusters. The following table shows Kansas communities (places) with population 2,500 or more (based on Census 2000). The Census 2000 population is shown in column 2. The geography (geographic area) for each of these communities also corresponds to an "urban cluster" [of census blocks] by the same name. For example, the geographic area of Abilene, as a city, is quite similar to the geographic area of Abilene, as an urban cluster. Generally, but not always, the urban cluster area will include all of the corresponding city area and some adjacent census blocks. The urban cluster is used in an effort to identify the broader more urban area associated with an urban place (city). The three columns to the right in the table are for the city area as an urban cluster.
For most smaller places, the difference between the area as an urban place versus urban cluster is not too significant. For other areas, such as Junction City and Leavenworth in the above list, the differences can be substantial. What role do urban places versus urban clusters play? In those areas where there is a much larger population in the urban cluster, community and rural planning and development should be considering this larger area and characteristics of population in the larger area. It means that we now have a new way of looking at the population which are in more built-up areas adjacent to communities that were once considered rural. It remain that in areas that are outside of urban clusters and urbanized areas, a geographic unit of analysis is needed that has data on par with places/urban clusters. These geographic units are other places (rural places) and those parts of township areas outside of places. Role of Township Geodemographics. Much of what follows here relates to the use of township geography for counties not included in metropolitan areas. In Kansas and several other states, township areas cover the entire state. In Census nomenclature, township areas are also referred to as county subdivisions and minor civil divisions. Any area with a population concentration with an identity provides the core basis for planning unit. When attempting to develop plans for rural development, as well as community development, township areas come to mind as a potential area for planning. Conversely, even where townships have governmental authority, the governmental authority and resource is so limited that it does not normally have a functioning existence beyond road maintenance. Despite this limitation, townships might offer a unit that should be incorporated into the planning framework. GeoDemographic Patterns [goto top] This section provides views of selected Kansas geographic areas as thematic maps showing selected socioeconomic characteristics. These maps were prepared using the CommunityViewer (CV) software. The CV project used to develop these views is available from Proximity for use on your computer. Kansas by County with Names 
Patterns of Prosperity. The following map shows median household income by block group. Block groups average 1,000 population. 
Poverty Incidence. The following map shows percent population in poverty by census tract. Census tracts average 4,000 population. 
Kansas Communities (county outline). The following map shows Kansas communities with associated county boundaries. 
Kansas Urban Areas. The following map shows Kansas urbanized areas and urban cluster areas. 
Census 2000 and Urban/Rural Classifications [goto top] Census 2000 Urban and Rural Classification Urbanized areas list Urbanized clusters URBAN AND RURAL The Census Bureau classifies as urban all territory, population, and housing units located within urbanized areas (UAs) and urban clusters (UCs). It delineates UA and UC boundaries to encompass densely settled territory, which generally consists of:
Urban Cluster (UC) An urban cluster (UC) consists of densely settled territory that has at least 2,500 people but fewer than 50,000 people. (A UC can have 50,000 or more people if fewer than 35,000 people live in an area that is not part of a military reservation.) The Census Bureau introduced the UC for Census 2000 to provide a more consistent and accurate measure of the population concentration in and around places. UCs replace the provision in the 1990 and previous censuses that defined as urban only those places with 2,500 or more people located outside of urbanized areas. Urban Cluster Central Place. A central place functions as the dominant center of a UC. The Census Bureau identifies one or more central places for a UC, with a preference for the most populous incorporated place(s). (Some UCs do not have a central place.) Urban Cluster Title and Code. The title of a UC may contain up to three incorporated place names, and will include the two-letter Postal Service abbreviation for each state into which the UC extends. However, if the UC does not contain an incorporated place, the UC title will include the single name of the geographic entity that occurs first from the following list: census designated place (CDP), minor civil division (MCD), or populated place recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey. Each UC is assigned a five-digit census code in alphabetical sequence on a nationwide basis. The alphabetic assignment of codes for urban areas includes both urbanized areas (UAs) and UCs. A separate flag is included in data tabulation files to differentiate between UAs and UCs. In printed reports, this differentiation is included in the name. Urbanized Area (UA) An urbanized area (UA) consists of densely settled territory that contains 50,000 or more people. The Census Bureau delineates UAs to provide a better separation of urban and rural territory, population, and housing in the vicinity of large places. At least 35,000 people in a UA must live in an area that is not part of a military reservation. For Census 2000,the UA criteria specify that the delineations be performed using a zero-based approach. Because of the more stringent density requirements and the less restrictive extended place criteria, some territory that was classified as urbanized for the 1990 census has been reclassified as rural. (Area that was part of a 1990 UA has not been automatically grandfathered into the 2000 UA.) In addition, some areas that were identified as UAs for the 1990 census have been reclassified as urban clusters. goto top Additional Information. Please see the Proximity home page for more information on Proximity and related resources and programs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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