Examples of Tabulating Data from The American Community Survey (2006)

  1. Childhood poverty, example one

In 2006, which state had the highest rate of childhood poverty? Which state had the lowest rate of childhood poverty?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006 & poverty>0 & age<18

Row: statefip

Col: poverty<100

For: blank

Weight: default

Options: Percent by row then sort on “true” column

  1. Childhood poverty, example two

We often focus upon childhood poverty, but a substantial share of children now live in households where two parents both hold high-paying jobs. Let’s assume that a family may be called prosperous if their pre-tax cash income is five times or more the poverty line.

In 2006, which metropolitan area had the highest rate of childhood prosperity? Which metropolitan area had the lowest rate of childhood prosperity?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Selection: y2k-2006 & poverty>0 & age<18

Row: metaread

Col: poverty/100

For: blank

Weight: default

Option: Percent by row then sort on the “Poverty: 500..501” column.

  1. Poverty among older Americans, example three

Which state or metropolitan area has the highest rate of poverty among its population age 65 and over? Which state or metropolitan area has the lowest rate?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Selection: y2k-2006 & poverty>0 & age>64

Row: metaread (or statefip)

Col: poverty<100

For: blank

Weight: default

Option: Percent by row then sort on “true” column

  1. Poverty among older Americans, example four

Consider just two racial groups, whites and blacks. Which state (metropolitan area) has the lowest rate of poverty among their population age 65 and over?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006 & poverty>0 & age>64 & race<3

Row: metarea (or statefip)

Col: poverty<100

For: race

Weight: default

Option: Percent by row then sort on “false” column

  1. Foreign born. Example one

Which state (or metropolitan area) in 2006 had the highest (lowest) percent of population born outside the United States and its colonies?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Seclection: y2k=2006

Row: statefip (or metarea)

Col: bpl>115

For: blank

Weight: default

Option: Percent by Row then sort on “true” column

  1. Foreign born: Example two

Which state (or metropolitan area) in 2006 had the highest (lowest) percent of population arriving from outside the United States and its colonies in this millenium?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006

Row: statefip (or metarea)

Col: yrimmig>0&yrimmig<919

For: blank

Weight: default

Option: Percent by Row then sort on “true” column

  1. Foreign born: Example three

Consider one populous state of metropolitan area of interest to you? How do the origins of immigrants to this state or metropolitan area in 2006 compare to the origins of immigrants in the rest of the United States? The example below compares the most interesting metropolitan area in the United States – Detroit – to the restof the nation.

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/selection: Y2k=2006 & bpl>115

Row: bpl

Col: metaread=2160

For: blank

Weight: default

Options: Percent by column

  1. The Presidential Campaign. Example one

If you were a fund raiser for John McCain, you might be interested in spending your time in metropolitan areas (states) where there are many households headed by a man who served in the military and had a household income of $75,000 or more in 2006. What would be the top five locations on your list of places to visit?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/selection: Y2k=2006 & sex=1 & relate=1 & vetstat=2

Row: metaread

Col: hhincome>74999

For: blank

Weight: default

Options: Percent by row than sort on “true” column

  1. The Presidential Campaign. Example two

If you were a fund raiser for Barack Obama, you might be interested in spending your time in metropolitan areas (states) where there are many households whose heads are either black or have a post-graduate degree and had incomes of $75,000 or more in 2006. Where would this fund raiser go?

Query type: Tabulation

Universe/selection: Y2k=2006 & relate=1 & (race=2 | educ99>14)

Row: metaread

Col: hhincome>74999

For: blank

Weight: default

Options: Sort on “true” column

  1. Average earnings by educational attainment

Consider men and women age 25 to 59 in 2006 who reported wage and salary earnings in 2006 and who worked full time in 2005. Once you control for their investments in education, do you find that women earned as much as men?

Query type: Summary statistics

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006 & age >24 & age<60 & incwage>0 &

wkswork1*uhrswork>1599

Row: educ99

Col: sex

For: blank

Weight: default

Describe exression: incwage

  1. Perhaps women typically work fewer weeks in the year than men even if they work 1600 or more hours during the year. Please repeat the analysis but use weekly rather than annual wage and salary earnings.

Query type: Summary statistics

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006 & age >24 & age<60 & incwage>0 &

Wkswork1*uhrswork>1599

Row: educ99

Col: sex

For: blank

Weight: default

Describe expression: incwage/wkswork1

L. Let’s go one step further. How do these men and women compare with regard to hourly wage and salary earnings?

Query type: Summary statistics

Universe/Selection: y2k=2006 & age >24 & age<60 & incwage>0 &

wkswork1*uhrswork>1599

Row: educ99

Col: sex

For: blank

Weight: default

Describe exression: incwage/(wkswork1*uhrswork)

  1. Consider men and women who were employed by state governments in 2006. Which state paid the highest wages to their employees and which state the lowest? Was the state with the highest (or lowest) paid male employees also the state with the highest (or lowest paid) female employees? This examples uses place of work, not place of residence, for geography.

Query type: summary statistics

Universe/selection: y2k=2006 & incwage>0 & empstat=1 & classwkd=27

Row: pwstate2

Col: blank

For: sex

Weight: default

Describe expression: incwage