Communities
Contents
Types of Communities:
Communities are often categorized in different ways, but common types include:
| • | Communities of Place: These are groups of people defined by a shared physical location. |
| o | Congressional Communities: subdivisions of Congressional Districts |
| o | Rural: Characterized by low population density. |
| o | Suburban: Residential areas located on the outskirts of cities, with more space and a lower population density than urban areas. |
| o | Urban: Densely populated areas like cities, with a diverse economy and a high concentration of buildings and infrastructure. |
The U.S. Census Bureau classifies all territory in the United States as either urban or rural. This classification is used to provide a consistent statistical definition for analyzing the distribution and characteristics of the population. The key distinction is based on population density and housing units.
Urban Areas
An urban area is a densely developed territory with a high concentration of residential, commercial, and other non-residential land uses. Following the 2020 Census, an area is classified as urban if it contains a core of census blocks that have at least 2,000 housing units or 5,000 people. This definition is based on data from the most recent Decennial Census.
| • | Urban areas are not the same as municipalities (cities or towns) because their boundaries are based on the actual pattern of dense settlement, which may cross official city or county lines. |
Rural Areas
The Census Bureau's definition of rural is simple and all-encompassing: it includes all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area. This means that rural areas are characterized by lower population and housing density and often include open country and small settlements.
| • | It's important to note that the Census Bureau's urban-rural classification is for statistical purposes only. Other federal agencies and organizations may have their own definitions for "rural" and "urban" to determine eligibility for funding or specific programs. |
Incorporated and Census Designated Places
The key difference between a Census Designated Place (CDP) and an incorporated place is their legal status and governance. The U.S. Census Bureau uses both to provide data for populated areas, but they are defined differently.
Incorporated Places
An incorporated place is a legally defined entity with an active, functioning government, such as a city, town, village, or borough. These places are chartered by the state and have legally defined boundaries. Their governments can provide municipal services like police and fire departments, public works, and local zoning. For the Census Bureau, an incorporated place is a formal, legal entity.
Census Designated Places (CDPs)
A CDP is a statistical entity created by the Census Bureau to represent a concentration of population that is identifiable by name but is not legally incorporated. CDPs do not have their own municipal government, and their boundaries are defined solely for statistical purposes, often in partnership with local officials. This allows the Census Bureau to collect and publish data for well-known unincorporated communities, making the data comparable to that of incorporated places.
Feature |
Incorporated Place |
Census Designated Place (CDP) |
Legal Status |
Legal entity with legally defined boundaries. |
Statistical entity with no legal standing. |
Governance |
Has an active, functioning municipal government. |
Does not have a municipal government; services are provided by the county or other higher-level government. |
Examples |
New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles |
Bethesda, Maryland; Paradise, Nevada; Columbia, Maryland |
Primary Purpose |
To provide governmental services to a population. |
To provide a statistical counterpart for data collection on unincorporated communities. |
Census Community Resilience Estimates
The U.S. Census Bureau's Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) program is a data tool designed to measure the social vulnerability of communities to disasters and other disruptive events, such as natural disasters, economic shocks, and public health crises. It's not a traditional census survey but rather an innovative data product that combines information from existing Census Bureau sources.
What the CRE is and how it works:
What it Measures:
The CRE provides an easily understood metric for how socially vulnerable every neighborhood in the United States is to the impacts of a disaster. It does this by measuring the capacity of individuals and households to "absorb, endure, and recover" from external stresses.
Key Components of Social Vulnerability:
The CRE uses a set of individual and household-level indicators to identify vulnerability. These factors, which are combined to create a resilience score, include:
| • | Poverty: An income-to-poverty ratio below 130% |
| • | Household Composition: Single or zero caregiver households (only one or no individuals ages 18-64) |
| • | Crowding: More than 0.75 persons per room in a housing unit |
| • | Communication Barriers: Lack of a high school diploma or limited English proficiency |
| • | Employment: No one in the household is employed full-time, year-round (with an exception for households where all residents are 65 or older) |
| • | Disability: A disability that poses a significant constraint to life activities |
| • | Health Insurance: No health insurance coverage |
| • | Age: Being 65 years or older |
| • | Vehicle Access: No access to a vehicle |
| • | Internet Access: No broadband internet access |
How the Data is Created:
The CRE is an "experimental data product" that uses a sophisticated statistical method called "small area estimation" to combine information from multiple sources:
| • | American Community Survey (ACS): The CRE uses detailed, individual and household-level data from the ACS to identify the components of social vulnerability. |
| • | Population Estimates Program (PEP): This program provides age, sex, and race/ethnicity data. |
| • | Decennial Census: Data from the decennial census is used to help produce population base estimates. |
By combining these datasets, the Census Bureau can produce highly granular estimates down to the census tract level, which is more precise than many other vulnerability indices.
How the Data is Used:
Government agencies, emergency managers, public health officials, and community planners use the CRE to:
| • | Target Resources: Identify communities that may need additional resources and support before, during, or after a disaster. |
| • | Plan Interventions: Develop more effective strategies for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. |
| • | Inform Policy: Support the development of policies aimed at reducing vulnerability and promoting long-term resilience. |
| • | Analyze Risks: Assess how social determinants of health influence community well-being and to study the effectiveness of resilience-building initiatives. |
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and state workforce agencies, produces monthly and annual data on employment, unemployment, and labor force for a wide range of geographic areas.
Here's a breakdown of what the LAUS program provides and how to interpret its data:
What LAUS Data Covers
The program provides estimates for:
| • | States |
| • | Census regions and divisions |
| • | Metropolitan areas and micropolitan areas |
| • | Counties |
| • | Cities with a population of 25,000 or more |
Key Concepts and Definitions
The concepts used in the LAUS program are consistent with the national labor force statistics derived from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is the source of the national unemployment rate. Key terms include:
| • | Civilian Labor Force: All non-institutionalized civilians aged 16 and older who are either employed or unemployed. |
| • | Employed Persons: Those who did any work for pay, worked in their own business, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family-owned business during the survey week. |
| • | Unemployed Persons: Those who had no employment during the survey week, were available for work (except for temporary illness), and had made specific efforts to find work within the prior four weeks. |
| • | Unemployment Rate: The number of unemployed people as a percentage of the civilian labor force. |
How LAUS Data is Generated
LAUS estimates are not based on a single survey but are instead derived from a combination of data sources and statistical models. These sources include:
| • | The Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly household survey. |
| • | The Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, which gathers data from employers. |
| • | State unemployment insurance (UI) claims data. |
| • | Data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). |
The BLS and state agencies use different methods to create these estimates, including "signal-plus-noise" models for states and larger areas, and a "Handbook method" for counties. All local area estimates are controlled to sum to the statewide and national totals.
Interpreting and Using the Data
| • | Unemployment vs. Jobs: It's crucial to understand the difference between employment data from LAUS and jobs data from other programs like CES. LAUS measures the number of employed persons by their place of residence, while CES measures the number of jobs by the location of the employing establishment. A person with multiple jobs is counted once in the LAUS data but multiple times in the CES data. |
| • | Seasonal Adjustment: The BLS often releases seasonally adjusted data, which uses statistical techniques to remove the influence of predictable seasonal events (like school schedules or holidays). This makes it easier to observe underlying trends in the data from month to month. |
| • | Data Revisions: LAUS data is subject to both monthly and annual revisions. Monthly revisions typically affect the previous month's data, while annual revisions can affect data from previous years to incorporate more complete information. |
| • | Use Cases: LAUS data is used for a variety of purposes, including: |
| o | Federal programs for fund allocation and eligibility determinations. |
| o | State and local governments for planning and budgeting. |
| o | Researchers, media, and private industry to analyze local labor market conditions. |