The Alabama State Data Center (ASDC), housed in the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) is hosting a Census data conference this fall on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm CST. Anyone interested in learning more about Census data is welcome to join.

The virtual conference will include presentations on the latest updates from Data.Census.gov, the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), how to access PUMS data and make custom tables using the Census Bureau’s MDAT tool, an update on the urban and rural classification, and an overview of local geographic news. The speakers will be joining us from the Census headquarters as well as from our regional office in Atlanta. 

Click here to register for the conference.

Alabama State Data Center Fall 2022 Conference
Wednesday, November 9, 2022: 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

8:30 am – Welcome and Introductions | Susannah Robichaux, ASDC Lead / Socioeconomic Analyst, The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research; and Devon Reed, Customer Liaison and Marketing Services Office, Data Users Branch, U.S. Census Bureau.

8:35 am – Data.Census.Gov Updates | Data.census.gov is the Census Bureau’s primary data search tool. This new platform allows users to spend less time searching for data and content by accessing available data from one centralized place. Since the platform is driven by user feedback, enhancements and upgrades to the tool are being implemented regularly. This webinar will feature how-to training for the tool, an overview of its latest functions, and upcoming enhancements and data releases.

9:30 am – Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) | Are you a data user that can’t find what you are looking for in the pre-tabulated ACS data products? Then the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) may be what you are looking for. The PUMS files are a set of untabulated records about individual people or housing units, which allow data users to create custom estimates and tables free of charge. This presentation will provide an overview of PUMS files and their usage.

10:15 am – Microdata Access Tool (MDAT) | The Microdata Access Tool (MDAT), available through data.census.gov, allows users to create custom tabulations with various available Public Use Microdata sets and vintages. This webinar will cover the basics of using the MDAT tool, including how to access microdata, and a demonstration on how to access data, and create custom tabulations, for topics like sex, age, race and ethnicity, income and poverty, and more.

11:15 am – Urban and Rural Classification and Criteria | This webinar will offer a review of the 2010 Urban and Rural classifications as well as the 2020 criteria by discussing changes in approaches to interpreting and understanding the growth of urban areas, improved technology making it easier to manage large amounts of data, and increased spatial resolution of statistical and geospatial data.

12:00 pm – Geographic Partnership Updates | William Curry will present the various geographic updates which include Count Question Resolution Program, the 2020 Post Census Group Quarters Review, and the 2023 Boundary and Annexation Survey.

Reach out to Susannah Robichaux, CBER socioeconomic analyst and lead for the ASDC, with any questions at scrobichaux@cba.ua.edu.