CAPCOG Releases County Demographic and Economic Overviews

On December 14, 2010 the U.S. Census Bureau released 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for the first time, making social, economic, housing and demographic statistics available for every community in the nation. The 5-year estimates represent the largest single-day release of data in census history, involving 11 billion pieces of information and 670,000 distinct geographic areas. Importantly, the 5-year estimates provide the first new U.S. Census Bureau statistics for the entire CAPCOG region since 2000.

CAPCOG just completed an initial analysis of 9 critical demographic and economic elements: population growth; age distribution; racial and ethnic composition; educational attainment; unemployment; median household income; mode of commute; housing type; and household type.

POPULATION: During the past decade, the population of the CAPCOG region grew four times faster than the national average.

AGE DISTRIBUTION: At the same time, residents 45 and older were the fastest growing population in the CAPCOG region during the past decade.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION: While Hispanics represented the vast majority of non-white population growth during the past decade, Asians are the region’s fastest growing racial/ethnic group.

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Today, more than 84 percent of all residents are high school graduates; more than 37 percent possess a bachelor degree; and close to 12 percent hold a professional degree.

UNEMPLOYMENT: At 6.9 percent, the region’s 2009 unemployment rate was 25% below the national average.

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: Although median household income in the Austin metropolitan region exceeds that of Texas and U.S., the region suffered a more severe decline in income than both the state and national average.

TRANSPORTATION: Telecommuting has allowed the region’s workforce to become less auto-dependent; since 2000, the proportion of individuals working from home has jumped 50 percent.

HOUSING: An additional 26 percent of the CAPCOG region’s housing stock consists of multi-family units.

HOUSEHOLD TYPE: Currently, less than 63 percent of all households in the region are families, a 2 percent decline since 2000.

CAPCOG has also created individual county profiles of the 5-Year ACS estimate data. To access these publications, please visit http://www.capcog.org/information-clearinghouse/publications/#capcog-county-profiles-american-community-survey-5-year-estimates. Also, in the coming weeks we’ll be exploring the new data in greater detail.