Using the New American FactFinder
Michelle JilesU.S. Census Bureau
Webinar for DOT/FHWAOctober 11, 2011
Overview
I. Introduction
II. Searching in the new AFFII
III. Retrieving and Modifying Tables
IV. Example using Decennial Census Data
V. Resources and Q&A
204/20/23
Introduction
• A new American FactFinder (AFF) was introduced with the 2010 Decennial Census and 2010 ACS data
- Why a new system
- Data prior to 2010
• The American Community Survey (ACS) replaces the Decennial Census Long Form
3
General Navigation
• From the main page two ways to search
• Quick Start– Center text entry
• Topics– Left side navigation
4
Quick Start
Quick Start – Topic Search
Quick Start - Topic Search Results
Quick Start Relevancy Rankings
• Rules that return results– Exact and “fuzzy” matches
• Ex. “Kids” returns tables on children
– Searches in title, universe, stub– Results order determined by product type and
number of times text appears in table– Can enter multiple search terms
Quick Start – Table ID Search
Quick Start – Table ID Search
Quick Start – Table ID Search
Topics Search
Topics Search
• Use this search to find certain types of data or data from a specific year or dataset
• Each topic has a drop-down menu that allows you to narrow your search
Topics Search
• Topics list for ACS:– People – population topics– Housing – housing topics– Year – survey year– Product type – profile, detailed table, subject
table…– Program – survey (ACS, Census, Econ
surveys)– Dataset – 1, 3, 5-year
Number of Tables
Topics Search
Topics Search
Topics Search
Topics Search
• When searching for a table:
– Topics Search is the closest to the legacy system logic
– Searching through the Topic search will return different results then using the Quick Start
Geography Search
Filter Options
Geo Name
Search Issues
• Refining too much/not enough
• Selecting a search/topic combination that does not exist in the dataset
• Not clearing out old selections when starting a new search
Retrieving Tables
Table Options
Modifying Tables
Table Tools
Table Tools
Table Tools
Transposed Table
Live Demonstration and Q&A
AFF Resources
• General assistance with AFF
301-763-INFO (4636) or 800-923-8282 • FAQs
https://ask.census.gov/app/answers/list/search/1/kw/znewaff
• ONLINE TUTORIALS
http://factfinder2.census.gov/help/en/american_factfinder_help.htm#
For more Information
• Visit the ACS/PRCS website:• http://www.census.gov/acs/www
• (Can also sign-up for email updates)
• Contact by telephone:• 1-800-923-8282
• Contact by email:• [email protected]
• Michelle Jiles• [email protected]
33