The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
The Pennsylvania State University
7 Armsby Building, University Park PA 16802-5602
814/863-4656(phone); 814/863-0586(fax)
Please send questions and comments to:
nercrd@psu.edu
Demographic Dimensions of Diversity Relevant for Extension Educators
What To Look For, Why, and Where To Find the Data on The Web
by Stephan J. Goetz, Ph.D.; COMMENTS WELCOME
Director, The Northeast Regional Center for Rural
Development and Professor of Agricultural and Regional Economics,
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802-5602;
sgoetz@psu.edu
© 2003 The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
All Rights Reserved. Prepared for the PA Diversity Catalyst Team
and Change Agent States for Diversity. Opinions are those of the
author.
Introduction and Purpose
This document lists basic demographic variables related to diversity that are relevant for Extension educators, discusses why the variables are important, and provides links to data sources for the different variables at different levels of geographic detail. Data are available at the state, county and sub-county levels, such as the Census tract level. Most of the data are also available at different points in time, allowing basic trends to be identified.
Overview of Variables
- Race/Ethnicity and Language(s) Spoken at Home
- Income/Poverty
- Educational Attainment
- Age
- Religion
- Gender
- Disability
- Foreign Born Status
- Veteran Status
- Type of Household and Mobility
- Self-Employed and Unemployed
Note: We will add more variables as they are released by the Census Bureau.
Most of the data listed here are from the US Census, and they represent straightforward demographic categories. In addition, data on the unemployed and self-employed are included, because these groups tend to be more difficult to reach and are therefore often excluded from educational programming.
Basic demographic data on diversity are available from the American FactFinder: http://quickfacts.census.gov/ and other sources given below.
Here is an example (from the Lexington Herald Leader) showing a good way of presenting the data if you would like to do a comparison over time… (note: to calculate the change, it is necessary to also access the 1990 data)
Census 2000: Demographic Profile for Kentucky (example)
| Language spoken at home | Number | Change from 1990 |
KY 2000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English only | 3,627,757 | 279,284 | 8.3% | 
96.1 % |
| Language other than English | 148,473 | 61,991 | 71.7% | 
3.9 % |
| – – Speak English less than "very well" | 58,871 | 29,448 | 100.1% | 
1.6 % |
| – Spanish | 70,061 | 38,768 | 123.9% |  1.9 %
|
| – – Speak English less than "very well" | 30,842 | 19,952 | 183.2% |  0.8 % |
| – Other Indo-European languages | 51,025 | 11,709 | 29.8% | 
1.4 % |
| – – Speak English less than "very well" | 15,307 | 3,935 | 34.6% |
0.4%
|
| – Asian and Pacific Island languages | 21,031 | 8,737 | 71.1% |
0.6 % |
| – – Speak English less than "very well" | 10,794 | 4,659 | 75.9% | 0.3% |
Source: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/local/3359407.htm
| Grandparents as caregivers | Number | Change from 1990 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandparent
living in household with one or more own grandchildren under 18 years |
69,504 | . | |||
| Grandparent responsible for grandchildren | 35,818 | . | |||
DETAILED EXAMPLES OF THE DATA
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
You have the choice of mapping the data, or examining the data in the form of tables. Both methods are described here, and sample maps are presented along with illustrative tables for one county. For the data tables, you can choose either the QuickTables (data for a particular geography) or Geographic Comparison Tables (if you want to compare data for different geographies)
A note on Census Geography
The Census Bureau reports data for the following units of geography, which represent successively smaller places, and it provides powerful mapping resources to allow you to map your data at these levels:
- The United States (total)
- States
- Counties within States
- County - Census tract
- County - Subdivision and Place, etc.
- Counties within States
- States
Using the FactFinder it is possible to compare your county or unit of geography with other places in the same State or in the nation.
To access the data, go to (this is the American FactFinder, in the left-hand column, off the US Census Bureau's main page at www.census.gov):
You will have the choice of creating tables, or maps. Under the "Show Me" button, pick the variable of interest to you, and under the "For" button select the geographic unit. In general, maps are helpful for finding particular concentrations of certain variables within counties (such as concentrations of the poor, or families that do not speak English at home as the first language).
| Tables: | Maps: | |
 |
 |
Data content: This file presents data from the population and housing long form, also known as the "Sample Data" because they are obtained from questions asked of a sample (generally 1-in-6) of persons and housing units. Data are provided on the following Census 2000 subjects not previously released in Summary Files 1 and 2:
Types of Data available:
|
Population Ability
to speak English |
Housing
Heating
Fuel |
Subjects listed below are included in Summary File 3 tables and are previously released subjects covered in Summary Files 1 and 2:
- Age
- Hispanic or Latino origin
- Household relationship
- Race
- Sex
- Tenure
- Vacancy status
Here is an example of a county map that is available from the American FactFinder: Centre County, Pennsylvania
 |
 |
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTGeoSearchByListServlet?_lang=en&_ts=51981982750
Other Maps are available at the following sites
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/descriptwindows/census_blockmaps.htm
Census 2000 Block Maps
"These large scale, large format (36" x 33") maps depict the smallest geographic entities for which the Census Bureau presents data, census blocks. Census 2000 Block maps were produced for American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Homeland areas, counties, county subdivisions, places and consolidated cities. The maps show the boundaries, names, and codes for American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Homeland areas, counties, county subdivisions, places, census tracts and blocks. Base feature detail, such as roads, railroads, and water features based on Census 2000 TIGER are also shown." Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, Created: Dec-18-2001, Last revised: March 08 2002
To see the Census Block map for Centre County, PA go to:
http://ftp2.census.gov/geo/maps/blk2000/st42_Pennsylvania/County/42027_Centre/CBC42027_000.pdf
Census Tract Outline Maps (Census 2000)
are available here: http://ftp2.census.gov/plmap/pl_trt/ n Description: These maps show the boundaries and numbers of the census tracts as well as the named features underlying the boundaries. They also show the boundaries, names and codes for American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian home land areas, counties, county subdivisions, and places. The scale of the maps will be optimized to keep the number of map sheets for each area to a minimum, but the scale and number of sheets will vary by the area size of the county and the complexity of the census tracts.
On-Line Mapping Resources
American
Fact Finder:
The data dissemination tool for accessing and mapping Census 2000
and other census data.
TIGER Mapping
Services:
Maps based on 1998 TIGER/Line® files, and 1990 Decennial Census
data.
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/maps/CP_OnLineMapping.htm
The following example uses the American Fact Finder Mapping Resource to show the average Household size of Hispanic or Latino homes in Centre county at the County-subdivision level.
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