The 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates are officially out.
I build dashboards for work, but last night I was also on baby duty. At 7:00 a.m., I ended up refreshing pages and skimming tables with one eye open.
What the ACS 5-year file is (and isn’t)
The ACS 5-year estimates combine survey responses across 2020–2024. That makes them one of the best sources we have for small-area data, but it also means they move slowly.
I treat it like a time-lapse, not breaking news. If you are comparing places, focus on big differences. Tiny changes are often just noise.
What I look at first
When a new ACS vintage lands, I usually start with a few “pressure points”: