Finding fresh data for news stories used to be difficult. With the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), data are now available on a wide range of topics, whenever they are needed. The ACS provides journalists with data they can use to strengthen news coverage and feature stories with up-to-date social, economic, housing, and demographic information about America’s communities. The ACS has become a valuable resource for data-driven journalism—where the goal is to tell compelling stories that are grounded in data.

This guide provides a brief overview of how journalists are using ACS data to make comparisons across geographic areas and population subgroups, support anecdotal evidence by providing a broader context, report on trends and reversals, and conduct research. It also describes some important considerations when working with ACS data—particularly estimates for small geographic areas and small population groups.

For quick information on ACS data to jumpstart data-driven stories, check out this fact sheet!