4-year college degree: People in this group have finished a bachelor’s degree and don’t have any other professional degrees. This is reported for people who are 25 years and older.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL): The Katz Index of Independence of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is a tool that is used to check how people handle daily tasks like bathing and dressing. In the American Community Survey, if someone finds certain activities from the Katz Index difficult, it shows a self-care disability. (See the definition of “Self-care disability” for more information.)
Ambulatory disability (ACS): An ambulatory disability is when a person responds “yes” when asked in the American Community Survey if they have “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs”. This question is only asked of people ages five years or older.
American Community Survey (ACS): The American Community Survey (ACS) is a big survey done by the US Census Bureau every year. It gives accurate information about communities in the US. The survey creates yearly and multiyear estimates of population and housing data for small areas. This includes specific neighborhoods and groups of people. They collect this information by sending questionnaires by mail to some addresses. You can find more details on the U.S. Census Bureau website (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs).
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS): The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a health survey done in each state. It gathers information about people’s health habits, and how people get healthcare to prevent health problems or to treat long-term diseases and injuries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started BRFSS in 1984. Every month all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam collect this BRFSS data. More than 400,000 adults are interviewed each year, making it the largest health survey over the phone in the world. State leaders use data from the BRFSS to learn about new health issues in their states, set health goals, and develop and review public health rules and programs.
Beneficiary/Beneficiaries (SSA): A beneficiary is an individual who receives benefits, or monthly payments, from the Social Security Administration for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs.
Binge drinking (BRFSS): People were asked “[c]onsidering all types of alcoholic beverages, how many times during the past 30 days did you have [5, if male respondent] [4, if female respondent] or more drinks on occasion?” If someone said “yes” that they did this at least once, it means they engaged in binge drinking.
Building type (ACS): The ACS asks people about different types of buildings that people live in, like houses (homes not attached to other buildings), apartments, and other types (such as mobile homes, trailers, boats, RVs, vans, etc.).
Civilian/Civilians: A civilian is a person who is not in active-duty military. This includes individuals who are civilians, veterans (those who have completed their active-duty status), and reservists or National Guard members who are not currently activated for active duty.
Complete kitchen (ACS): The ACS considers a kitchen complete if it has a stove, a refrigerator, and a sink with a faucet. If it is missing one or more of these things, then the household is considered to not have a complete kitchen.
Complete plumbing (ACS): The ACS considers plumbing facilities complete if it has hot and cold running water and a bathtub or shower. If it is missing one or more of these things, then the household is considered to not have complete plumbing.
Cognitive disability (ACS): In the American Community Survey, people who said “yes” when asked, if due to a physical, mental, or emotional issue, they had trouble remembering, concentrating, or making decisions. This question is only asked of people ages five years or older.
Disability rating: The disability rating scale is a tool that keeps track of how much someone is affected by their impairment, disability, or difficulty. The higher the rating, the more severe the disability. This rating is used to decide if someone qualifies for help and services, and if they can work or go back to work.
Disability status (ACS, BRFSS): The ACS and BRFSS use six questions to find out if someone has a disability. Each question (listed below) has a "yes" or "no" answer. If someone says "yes" to any of these questions, it means they have a disability. The questions are about vision, hearing, thinking, moving, self-care, and living independently. Questions about thinking, moving, and self-care are not used to identify disability in people under five years old. The question about living independently is not used for people under 15 years old.
The six disability questions in the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) are the following:
Hearing disability: Is this person deaf or does he/she have serious difficulty hearing?
Vision disability: Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses?
Cognitive disability: [If person 5 years old or over] Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions?
Ambulatory disability: [If person 5 years old or over] Does this person have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?
Self-care disability: [If person 5 years old or over] Does this person have difficulty dressing or bathing?
Independent living disability: [If person 15 years old or over]Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this person have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping?
Disability type: See “disability status” and specific disability terms (vision disability, hearing disability, ambulatory disability, cognitive disability, independent living disability, and self-care disability) for more information.
Disabled worker(s) (SSA): A worker with a disability who is not yet old enough to receive their full Social Security Retirement benefit, so they get a Social Security Disability Insurance benefit instead.
Earned/Earnings (ACS): The term “earnings” means the income you get from jobs like wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or tips, before any deductions are made. Deductions can include taxes, bonds, dues, or other items. Earnings are reported every year for the last 12 months. The ACS takes place all year to collect information on various aspects of communities and households.
Earnings gap: An earnings gap is the difference in the percentage of earnings between two groups, often comparing people with disabilities and those without disabilities.
Educational attainment (ACS): All people who are 18 years or older are categorized based on the highest level of education they have completed. The categories include:
Finished 12th grade without getting a high school diploma.
Graduated from high school with a diploma or a General Educational Diploma (G.E.D.) and didn't go to college.
Completed some college credits, but less than a year's worth.
Spent one or more years in college but didn't get a degree.
Has an associate degree, which means finishing a two-year program in a specific job field or academic area. The course work may or may not count toward a bachelor’s degree.
Has a bachelor’s degree or more, including those who got a bachelor’s degree and took extra courses but didn't get a master’s or PhD.
Master’s degrees, like traditional MA and MS degrees, and degrees in specific fields like MSW and MBA.
Professional degrees include MD, DDS, DVM, LLB, and JD.
Doctorate degrees, including PhD.
If someone finished school in a foreign or ungraded system, it is reported as the equivalent level in the regular American school system. Certificates or diplomas from trade, technical, or business schools are not counted. Also, honorary degrees given for a person’s achievements are not counted.
Employed/Employed persons: People aged 18-64 are considered employed/an employed person if during the week being looked at, they:
Are civilians who are noninstitutionalized (see the definitions of “civilian” and “noninstitutionalized population” for more information);
They did at least one hour of paid work, ran their own business, worked on their farm, or worked for a family member for 15 hours or more without pay; and
They had jobs or businesses but were on leave for reasons like vacation, sickness, bad weather, childcare, maternity or paternity leave, disputes at work, training, or other family or personal reasons, whether they got paid or not or were looking for other jobs.
Each person with a job is counted only once, even if they have more than one job. People who work at their own home (like painting or fixing things) or volunteer for religious, charitable, and other groups are not included.
Employed/Employed persons (ACS): The American Community survey considers people as employed if they said they worked in the past week. (See the definition of “employed status” for more information.)
Employment/Employment Status (ACS): People were asked many questions designed to determine their employment status. Based on the answers, individuals were classified into one of five groups:
Those who worked at any time during the past week.
People who were temporarily not working but were ready to work if needed.
People who did not work during the past week but who had jobs or businesses they were temporarily away from (not including layoffs).
People who did not work last week, but who were actively trying to find a job in the last four weeks and were ready for work if needed.
People not in the labor force (didn’t have any job and were not looking for a job).
Employment-to-population ratio (ACS): The percentage of people who are employed compared to the total number of people who are civilians and are noninstitutionalized (see the definitions of “civilian” and “noninstitutionalized population” for more information).
Federal fiscal year: The fiscal year for the federal government goes from October 1 through September 30. A fiscal year is a 12-month period an organization uses for financial planning and reporting.
Full-time, full-year (ACS): A person is called a full-time, full-year worker, if they worked 35 hours or more per week for 50 to 52 weeks in the last 12 months.
Hearing disability (ACS): In the American Community Survey, people who said “yes” when asked, if they are “deaf or … have serious difficulty hearing”. This question is asked of people of all ages.
Health insurance coverage (ACS): In the American Community Survey, health insurance includes both private plans and public coverage. To understand how many people are covered and the types of insurance(s) people may have, respondents are asked to mark “yes” or “no” for the following eight types of insurance listed:
Insurance from current or former employer or union (either for themselves or another family member);
Insurance bought directly from an insurance company (either by themselves or another family member);
Medicare, for people 65 and older, or people with certain disabilities;
Medicaid, Medical Assistance, or any government-assistance plan for those with low incomes or a disability;
TRICARE or other military health care;
Veterans Affairs (VA) (including those who have ever used or enrolled for VA health care);
Indian Health Service; and/or
Any other type of health insurance or health coverage plan.
Health insurance coverage (BRFSS): In the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, people are seen as having health insurance if they say 'yes' to having any kind of health care coverage. This includes health insurance, prepaid plans like HMOs, or government plans such as Medicare or Indian Health Service.
Health insurance coverage gap: A health insurance coverage gap is the difference in the percentage of people with health insurance between two groups, often comparing people with disabilities and those without disabilities.
Housing cost burden (ACS): People have a housing cost burden if they spend more than 30 percent of their household income on housing costs.
Income (ACS): The ACS asks about income in eight different ways:
Money from jobs like wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or tips from all jobs (before deductions for taxes, bonds, dues, or other items).
Money earned from running your own business (after taking out business expenses).
Money from things like interest, dividends, rental income, royalties, or income from estates and trusts.
Social Security or Railroad Retirement income.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Any help from the government or the state or local welfare office.
Money from retirement, survivor, or disability pensions (not including Social Security).
Other regular income like Veterans Affairs (VA) payments, unemployment compensation, child support or alimony.
Adding up all these types of income for everyone in the household helps determine if the family is in poverty. (See the definition of “poverty” for more information.)
Independent living disability (ACS): In the American Community Survey, people who said “yes” when asked if, because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, they have difficulty “doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping.” This question is only asked of people ages 15 years or older.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes sure kids with disabilities all over the country get the educational help they need. IDEA tells states and public agencies how to offer early intervention, special education, and other services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Babies and toddlers with disabilities (from birth to two years) and their families get early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages three to 21) get special education and related services under IDEA Part B.
Industry: Industry is the kind of business a person's workplace does. Examples of industries include automotive, health, mining, and transportation. Industries are grouped using a system called the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), created by the Office of Management and Budget. This system is the standard used by North America and the United States' Federal statistical agencies to organize businesses when studying the economy.
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ACS): To decide if someone has an independent living disability, the American Community Survey picked specific tasks from the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scales to use as a reference point. Chosen activities include trouble doing errands like going to the doctor or shopping. These activities are identified by asking a separate question about independent living disability. (See the definition of “independent living disability” for more information).
Labor force: Everyone who is considered either employed or unemployed. Those who are not in the labor force do not have a job and are not looking for a job.
Less than a high school education: A person has “less than a high school education” if they have not finished high school and haven’t gotten a high school diploma, General Equivalency Degree (GED), or alternative credential.
Living in the community: A person lives in the community if they are not living in places like prisons, nursing homes, or hospitals. If a person lives in a college dormitory they are living in the community.
ME/Margin of error: The margin of error is a number that tells us how accurate an estimate is. A certain number of people from the whole population are randomly chosen to participate in the survey. This means the people in the survey might not be exactly like everyone in the whole group. So, the survey results might not show everything that’s happening in reality. The margin of error helps us understand a range of possible values for the actual population, without needing to ask every single person in the whole population.
Median earnings: The median is the middle value in a group of numbers. It splits the higher values from the lower ones. Median earnings are the amount that separates the income distribution into two equal parts. Half of the people earn more, and half earn less than this amount.
Medicaid: Medicaid is a program that each state is federally required to run. It provides health insurance to specific groups of people. States set the rules for who can get it, but it’s usually for individuals, families, kids, and pregnant women with low income. In some states, other groups, like people with disabilities, can also get Medicaid.
Medicare: Medicare is a government program that gives health care services to people who are 65 or older, people under 65 with disabilities, and people of any age with end-stage renal failure. There are three parts to Medicare: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), and Prescription Drug Coverage (added since January 1, 2006). People pay into Part A while they work, and then it helps cover hospital care when they need it. Those eligible for Medicare can choose to buy Part B, which covers more than just hospital care.
Metropolitan (Urban): Counties are labeled metropolitan if they have a central city with at least 50,000 people or if a big part of the population travels into a nearby central city for work.
Micropolitan: Micropolitan counties are nonmetropolitan counties that have a small city or town at the center with a population ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 people.
More than a 4-year college degree: People in this group have completed a master's, professional, or doctoral degree. This is reported for people who are 25 years and older.
Multidimensional deprivation index: The multidimensional deprivation index, as defined by Brian Glassman, is a mix of factors like not having enough income (based on the official U.S. Census poverty measure), education, health, economic security, the quality of housing, and the quality of the neighborhood. Brian Glassman created a report called "Multidimensional Deprivation in the United States: 2017," which you can find in the American Community Survey Reports, ACS-40, by the U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2019.
Noncore: Noncore counties are rural areas that don't have a big city or town at the center, and the population in that central area is less than 10,000 people.
Nonmetropolitan (Rural): Nonmetropolitan counties are rural areas and can be split into two types: micropolitan and noncore counties. (See the definitions of “micropolitan” and “noncore” for more information.)
Noninstitutionalized population: This means people who live in the community and not places like jails, prisons, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. People who live in college dormitories are considered as living in the community.
Obese/Obesity (BRFSS): Obesity is when a person has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.
Occupation: The job a person does is called their occupation. Examples of occupations include animal scientists, computer programmers, medical assistants, and telemarketers. Occupations are grouped using a system called the Standard Occupational (SOC) Manual, created by the Office of Management and Budget. This system is the standard used by United States' Federal statistical agencies to organize work when studying the economy.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States. OMB helps to create the President's budget plan, decides where money should go, and checks how well programs, policies, and procedures are working. The definitions of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties, including micropolitan and noncore, come from OMB county classifications. You can find more details about these terms in the glossary.
Office of Special Education Programs: The Office of Special Education Programs is part of the United States Department of Education. Their mission is to make education better for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities from birth to 21 years old. They provide leadership and financial help to support this mission at the state and federal levels. Their goals include:
“Fostering and supporting research and the development of knowledge and innovations to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities; and
Evaluating, monitoring, and reporting on the implementation of federal policy and programs and the effectiveness of early intervention and educational efforts for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities.”
Only a high school education: People in this group have completed high school or earned a General Equivalency Degree (GED), but don't have any additional education. This is reported for people who are 25 years and older.
Overcrowded (ACS): A place to live is thought of as overcrowded if there are more than two people for each bedroom.
Participation in the labor force: See the definition of “labor force” for more information.
Prevalence: The part of the population with a specific status or condition. Prevalence is often shown as a percentage or the number of people for each unit of the population.
Projected population: Population projections are predictions of how many people there will be in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, these projections are usually based on an estimated population that matches the most recent census and are made using the cohort-component method.
Population: Population is the complete count of people living in a specific geographic area, including individuals of all races, classes, and groups.
Poor housing quality (ACS): A household has poor housing quality if it meets at least two out of four conditions: not having a complete kitchen, lacking complete plumbing, being overcrowded, or facing a cost burden.
Poverty (ACS): The Office of Management and Budget in Statistical Policy, Directive 14 makes income thresholds, called poverty lines, based on the prices of a standard set of goods and services that families need. Different income thresholds are created based on family size and age of people (like the number of people under age 18 or the number of people over age 65 and older). In the ACS, details about income, family size, and age are used to figure out if someone’s family income is below the poverty line. (See the definition of “income” for more information.)
Poverty rate (ACS): The percentage of people who meet the government's definition of poverty. This definition is based on how much income a household makes and how many people are in it.
Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) Files: The ACS PUMS files have information about households and individuals. The files include responses to the ACS questionnaire and other variables (such as sample weights). Data are edited to keep sensitive information private to protect respondents’ identities.
Race (ACS): In the American Community Survey, individuals can choose from six categories to identify their race: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Some Other Race. These categories reflect a social understanding of race in the country and are not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. It is also recognized that the race item includes both racial and national origin or sociocultural groups. People can choose to report more than one race if they want to show their racial mixture, like saying they are both "American Indian" and "White." Additionally, people who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish can be of any race.
Rehabilitation Services Administration: The Rehabilitation Services Administration is part of the United States Department of Education. Their job is to assist individuals with disabilities in getting jobs and living more independently. You can find information provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration on their website in the 'Ad Hoc Query' section: http://rsa.ed.gov.
Resident population: The resident population is the total number of people who live in the United States, including civilians and members of the Armed Forces, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Sample size: The number of people (participants) or units in a survey.
Sampling variability: Because the survey only looks at a sample of the population, the results may be different than what you would get if you surveyed everyone in the population. Sampling variability tells us that there is a difference between the sample and the population. For example, imagine you have ten people and want to know the average height of the group, but you can only ask three people at a time their height. So, the sample size is three. If you keep asking three different people their height, you will eventually get an average that is close to the real height of the entire group. Sampling variability is the measure of how much the samples vary.
Self-care disability (ACS): In the American Community Survey, people who said “yes” when asked, if they “have difficulty dressing or bathing”. This question is only asked of people ages five years or older.
Service-connected disability rating (ACS): In the American Community Survey, the Veterans Affairs (VA) service-connected disability rating is a measure for veterans. It shows how much a veteran is affected by their disability, on a scale from zero to 100 percent, in increments of 10 percent.
Sex (male or female) (ACS): In 2020, the ACS data sources we used only have two categories. As federal data sources with disability measures grow and include new measures related to gender identity, we will include them in future editions of the Compendium.
Smoking (BRFSS): People who received the BRFSS were asked about smoking: "Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your entire life?" and "Do you now smoke cigarettes every day, some days, or not at all?" If someone said they smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life and, at the time of the survey, smoked either every day or some days, they were considered a current smoker (in other words, smoking).
Social Security Administration (SSA): The Social Security Administration is a independent agency in the U.S. government that oversees services for people who qualify for social security programs. This includes benefits related to employment, retirement, survivorship, and disability. Individuals earn these benefits by paying Social Security taxes on their earnings.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): A monthly benefit is money paid every month to workers with disabilities and certain family members if the worker meets specific criteria, including proof of disability and a sufficient work history.
Special Education: Specially designed instruction, provided for free to parents, is tailored to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. This instruction can take place in various settings, including classrooms, homes, hospitals, and institutions, and covers physical education. It can also include services like speech-language pathology, travel training, and vocational education, depending on state standards.
Successfully rehabilitated: If someone is successfully rehabilitated, that means they’ve reached goals in a Vocational Rehabilitation program. Goals include training in job skills, getting a job (going back to work), technical assistance, and help with transportation. (See the definition of “Vocational Rehabilitation” for more information.)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): The Social Security Administration pays benefits to disabled adults and children with limited income and resources. Supplemental Security Income benefits are also paid to people who are 65 and older and don't have disabilities, but they must meet certain financial limits.
Unemployment rate (ACS): The percentage of people in the labor force who do not have jobs and are actively looking for work. (See the definition of “labor force” for more information).
U.S. Census Bureau: An agency within the United States Federal Statistical System that is responsible for gathering information about the American people and the economy. Their main job is to conduct the United States Census every ten years.
Validity: Validity tells you how accurately a method measures something. If a method measures what it claims to measure, and the results closely correspond to the real world, then it can be considered valid.
Veteran(s): Someone who used to be in the military or armed forces.
Vision disability (ACS): In the American Community Survey, people who said "yes" when asked if they were "blind or … have serious difficulty seeing even with glasses." This question is only asked of people of all ages.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR): Employment services that help people with mental or physical disabilities find and keep jobs. These services help people with disabilities learn the skills, resources, and attitudes they need for interviews, getting a job, and staying employed. The services can also assist someone in retraining for work if they had to stop working due to an injury or mental disorder.
Work experience (ACS): In the American Community Survey, work done in the past year is counted. If someone 16 years old or older worked 35 hours or more each week, they are considered as "Usually worked full time." If they usually worked one to 34 hours, they are called "Usually worked part time." People who didn't report any regular hours in the past 12 months are classified as "did not work."