Profiles for Every Town and City in Herkimer County Based on the 2014 Five Year Estimates

This post has been improved and updated. Please click the link and go to this blog post which has all of the towns and the City of Little Falls data readily available !!

FULL TOWN AND CITY PROFILES FOR HERKIMER COUNTY

 

One Versus Five Year Estimates: Measuring Regional Poverty

With the release of the 2014 Five Year Estimates by the Census Bureau, we now have the ability to compare changes between two five year periods: 2005-2009, and 2010-2014. For the region (Herkimer and Oneida Counties combined) we have always been able to compare the one year estimates. These have been available since 2005. So why would someone want to compare five year estimates then?

Both the one year and the five year estimates have certain advantages. If you are interested in the MOST CURRENT DATA, then you should look at the one year estimates. These are the most up-to-date data available. However, if you'd like the most accurate data, then the five year estimates are the better answer. They have lower margins of error due to a larger sampling taken over five years and provide the most precise measure of the data.

Let's compare the two on a single graph. Below is a chart showing the one year estimates (in blue) from 2005 to 2014 for our region for the percentage of people in poverty. As you can see, there is a slight decline in poverty prior to the Great Recession (from 2005 to 2007), and then a huge spike following that event (note the rise from 2007 to 2011).

CLICK TO ENLARGE

In comparison, looking at the single year data may not give you the best idea of what has occurred. Because of the annual fluctuations, the overall trend gets a little lost - especially when you look at the last five years from 2010 to 2014. There are huge variations year to year, so how are you to get an accurate view of what is happening with poverty? This is where the five year estimates are helpful.

In looking at the 2009 Five Year Estimate and comparing it to the 2014 Five Year Estimate, you can see that there has been a substantial (indeed, a statistically significant) change between these two periods.In the last half of the last decade the poverty rate was at 14%; over the last five years the rate is now 16.4%.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FIVE YEAR ESTIMATES ARE NOT AVERAGES OF THE INDIVIDUAL FIVE YEARS. Rather, the data is collected over the five year and then measured as a whole.

In conclusion, both tools - the single year and the five year estimates - offer different advantages. Which one you prefer to use depends on what you are trying to measure !

Comparing Five Year Estimates of Median Income for Households

A comparison of municipalities' median household income changes between 2009 and 2014 shows that only six municipalities show actual income growth in the region. The chart below shows the six municipalities and compares their median household incomes found in the 2009 Five Year ACS estimates with those in the newly released 2014 Five Year Estimates. These are the only areas in the region where household income, after being adjusted for inflation, has shown significant growth between the two five year periods.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

2014 ACS FIVE Year Estimates Now Available for ALL Geographies

Each year, the Census Bureau has released three versions of the American Communities Survey (ACS). These have been the 1-Year, the 3-Year, and the 5-Year ACS Estimates. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 3 YEAR ACS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.

The five year estimates are released for EVERY level of census geography (down to the block group level) as well as every municipality (think town, city, and village). FIVE YEAR ESTIMATES ARE NOW AVAILABLE !
 
The most recent Five Year Estimates are a permanent part of this blog in the linked area just below the blog title. A permanent link will take you to the most recent five year estimate post so you can always easily find this important data for both Herkimer and Oneida Counties !

Below are the individual links to the most recent (2014) ACS Five Year Estimate's Demographic, Social, Economic, and Housing Profiles for each county.

Herkimer County ACS Five Year Demographic Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Social Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Economic Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Housing Profile

Oneida County ACS Five Year Demographic Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Social Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Economic Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Housing Profile

Mapping Herkimer County Persons Living Alone (2013)

The map below shows the distribution of single person households (a person living alone) as a proportion of all households by block group in Herkimer County. The block groups have been color coded as follows: ORANGE block groups represent areas where at least 50% of the households are comprised of a single person living alone;  YELLOW block groups have between 25% and 49% of their households occupied by a single adult; and WHITE (or unfilled) block groups have less than 25% of their households made up of a single person living alone.

These are based on the 2013 Five Year Estimates of the ACS. Click the map to enlarge it.

Click to Enlarge

New FIVE YEAR ESTIMATES Available !

New five year estimates have been released from the Census Bureau as part of the American Communities Survey. These now cover a sample drawn from the 2009 to 2013 span and provide data for EVERY LEVEL OF GEOGRAPHY in both Herkimer and Oneida Counties !

To see the county level data, visit this link to a post on the blog or else click on the link under the banner at the top of the page to see the most recent five year estimates !

If you'd like to see a full matrix of the ACS One, Three and Five Year Estimates, visit this table, which is also listed under the banner at the top of the page.

2013 Five Year Estimates to Be Released Next Thursday (12/4)

The 2013 Five Year Estimates of the American Communities Survey will be released next Thursday, providing data for basically all small areas (block groups and tracts) as well as municipalities (regardless of population size). The data will come from a sample collected across the years 2009 to 2013. I will post the basic profiles as soon as I can get them uploaded as PDFs.

New Five Year ACS Estimates Released

The Census Bureau has released the latest Five Year American Community Survey Estimates for the period 2008-2012 for ALL LEVELS OF GEOGRAPHY ! To get information from the ACS for any given level of geography visit the American Fact Finder page.

County level data profiles for Herkimer and Oneida Counties can be found by clicking the link below our banner or by going here to our permanent five year estimate page.

Regional 2011 ACS Housing Data By Municipality

Data from the 2011 American Communities Survey  for Herkimer and Oneida Counties concerning total housing units, occupied housing units, and the age of the housing stock can be found below. Click on either image to see information about Herkimer or Oneida Counties housing from the ACS 2011 Five Year Estimates.

Click To Enlarge Herkimer County Housing Data Table

Click To Enlarge Oneida County Housing Data Table

2013 New Five Year ACS Estimates Available for ALL Areas !

Each year, the Census Bureau releases three versions of the American Communities Survey (ACS). These are the One Year, the Three Year, and the Five Year ACS Estimates. These are released based on the population size of the municipality. Five year estimates are released for EVERY level of census geography (down to the block group level) as well as every municipal  civil division (think town, city, and village). Three year estimates are only released for geographies or municipalities with a MINIMUM population of 20,000 persons. So many smaller villages and towns are excluded. One year estimates are released for municipalities with a MINIMUM population of 65,000. This means they are mostly available for counties and larger cities.

What this means for municipalities is that in some cases (Oneida County for example), each year there are 3 levels of ACS released - the One Year, the Three Year, and the Five Year ACS Estimates ALL include Oneida County data. Other communities, like Herkimer County, only have two versions of the ACS that cover them - the Three Year, and the Five Year ACS Estimates. And even still smaller areas, say the tiny villages such as Newport, can only find annual updates of data in the Five Year estimates.

Each of these types of ACS releases have advantages and disadvantages. The rule of thumb, when multiple versions are released and available, is that you should use the One Year, the Three Year Estimates when you are looking for the NEWEST data out there. They cover the most recent time frame for release of data. Because they have smaller sample periods (1 or 3 years) they also have the greater variability, so that is the downside of using them. On the other hand, if you have a choice, you should use the Five Year estimates when you are looking for the most accurate data, or perhaps the better way to say it is when you want to see the data with the least variability.

Regardless, the most recent Five Year Estimates have now become a permanent part of this blog in the linked area just below the blog title. A permanent link will take you to the most recent five year estimate post so you can always easily find this important data for both Herkimer and Oneida Counties !

Below are the individual links to the most recent (2013) ACS Five Year Estimate's Demographic, Social, Economic, and Housing Profiles for each county.

Herkimer County ACS Five Year Demographic Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Social Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Economic Profile
Herkimer County ACS Five Year Housing Profile

Oneida County ACS Five Year Demographic Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Social Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Economic Profile
Oneida County ACS Five Year Housing Profile