The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2024 Planning Database (PDB), which includes updated Low Response Score (LRS) data and new operational information from the 2020 Census. The PDB compiles housing, demographic, socioeconomic, and operational data for block groups and census tracts, drawing from sources such as the 2020 Census Redistricting Data Summary File, the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File, and five-year estimates from the American Community Survey covering 2018 to 2022.
According to the Census Bureau, “The PDB was developed to aid survey and census planning but has a variety of uses. Among them: Identifying geographic areas for special outreach. Examining expected survey completion rates at different levels of geography. Linking the PDB and map data to create thematic maps. Generating reports, cross tabulations and simple analyses. Planning interviewer-administered surveys and censuses.”
The LRS is designed to estimate how likely people in specific areas are to respond to censuses or surveys. This year’s release introduces new predictors of low response such as contact strategy—whether residents are approached online first or given a choice—which are now included in the database.
The Census Bureau’s interactive tool, Response Outreach Area Mapper (ROAM), will also be updated with these new variables from the PDB.
For additional questions or comments about this release, interested parties can contact [email protected].
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