U.S. Census Bureau

Bike The Drive

More People are Riding Bikes; After That It Gets Confusing

A pair of articles explores the implications of data released in May by the U.S. Census about the increasing use of bikes among commuters. The articles, however, don't agree about the implications of the data for low income and minority citizens.

July 18, 2014 - Vox

Bike Commuter

U.S. Census: Bikes Most Increased Commute Mode Since 2000

Many U.S. cities are seeing an increase in bicycle commuters, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released last week. Of all commute modes, biking increased the most from 2000 to 2012. Walking, however, held steady.

May 14, 2014 - U.S. Census Bureau

New Statistics Reveal Post-Recession Paradigms of Population Growth

Governing takes a closer look at the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent population estimates to reveal the data behind the country’s shifted migration patterns and present some ideas about what’s driving the new migration paradigms.

February 5, 2014 - Governing

U.S. Population Growth Slows to Lowest Rate in Seven Decades

New data released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the country's population grew by only 2.3 million residents last year. Growth was strongest in the South and West, but North Dakota and D.C. saw the biggest percentage gains.

December 31, 2013 - The New York Times

U.S. Census Bureau Launches New Interactive Mapping Tool

Christmas has come early for those who love to dig into Census data and interactive visualizations. The U.S. Census Bureau has launched a new interactive tool that maps eight statistics from the American Community Survey at the neighborhood level.

December 18, 2013 - U.S. Census Bureau

Recovering Housing Market Gets Smart

As the housing market recovers, are we back to the McMansion-binges of the 2000s? Or, are we growing just a little bit smarter?

December 2, 2013 - Shane Phillips

Looking for Your Ideal Community? Try This New Census App

Dwellr is a new app from the Census Bureau that matches the top 25 U.S. cities and towns to your lifestyle preferences. And unlike other recent federal technology rollouts, this one seems to work pretty well.

December 1, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Census.gov shutdown message

Where to Find Federal Data During the Shutdown

When the federal government shut down last week it took many agency websites along with it, depriving planners around the U.S. of resources they use daily. The blog Data Insights has put together a list of alternative sources for federal data.

October 8, 2013 - Data Insights

How Can We Hype Downtown's Resurgence If We Can't Define It?

The U.S. Census Bureau uses a relatively crude definition of downtowns, complicating comparison between metros and opening up their findings to criticism. A new method of measuring downtowns via heat maps of job density aims to address this problem.

October 8, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Portland Cycling

Will Portland Lose its Status as America's Bike Commuting Champion?

While bike commuting is gaining nationwide, it's actually dropping in Portland which has held the enviable title of tops in bike commuting for large cities since 2005. Minneapolis and Seattle, #2 and #3 respectively, are gaining, warns BikePortland.

September 26, 2013 - BikePortland

New Data Shows Substantial Bump in Bicycle Commuting

Have you noticed more cyclists on the streets around you during your commute to work? New data from the U.S Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) confirms that all those investments in bike infrastructure are paying off.

September 20, 2013 - The League of American Bicyclists

Even the Good News Looks Bad in the Census Bureau's New Poverty Report

For the first time since the start of the Great Recession, America's median household incomes and poverty levels didn't worsen. However, stagnant incomes weigh heavily on the majority of Americans, while the top earners continue to do well.

September 17, 2013 - The New York Times

Big Houses Return

Homeowners have been downsizing their homes in the last five years, but now 84 percent of homeowners want to stay put or move into a larger home. This change in trend can be attributed to growing families and their need for more living space.

December 22, 2012 - CNBC

A Plural America Within Sight

Within three decades, there will no longer be a majority racial or ethnic group in the Unites States according to new Census Bureau projections released this week. Among the other findings: the country is growing slower than expected.

December 13, 2012 - The New York Times

A More Accurate Metric Captures America's Densest Metros

If you were confused by recent census data that named four California metros, including Delano (pop 53,819), as the most dense in America, a new report that looks at "population-weighted density" may deliver more satisfying results.

October 15, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

The Fallacy Behind the Downtown Growth Story

Wendell Cox delves into the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau that have prompted some to herald a return to America's downtowns, and argues that reports of such population growth are vastly overblown.

October 2, 2012 - New Geography

Data Documents Divine Decade for Downtowns

Nate Berg looks at new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau that puts hard numbers behind what people across the country have observed: America's downtowns are booming again.

September 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Is Poverty in America Rising or Falling?

New census data released last week made national headlines for its grim news on America's historically high levels of poverty. However, a new paper reads between the lines, and concludes that the country is making progress in reducing poverty.

September 16, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

U.S. City Growth May Not Be Overtaking Suburban Growth

Urbanists got excited when new population data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggested bigger growth in cities compared to their suburbs. Eric Jaffe interviews Columbia professor David King on why this isn't necessarily true.

July 19, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Reasons and Options for Shrinking Cities

As cities like Detroit show major population losses in the enumeration of the 2010 Census, experts discuss why cities are shrinking on this episode of the Diane Rehm Show.

March 30, 2011 - The Diane Rehm Show

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