Webinar Nov. 30 to focus on American Community Survey 5-year statistics to be released Dec. 3

The U.S. Census Bureau is hosting a webinar on Nov. 30 in advance of the Dec. 3 release of 2014 American Community Survey five-year statistics, which are based on data collected from 2010 to 2014. The survey is the only source of local estimates for 40 topics of statistics on people and housing for every community in the U.S., including ancestry, language, education, commuting, employment, mortgage status, rent, income, poverty and health insurance, the Census says.

"The webinar will show participants how to access the data, review block group-level data and provide a demonstration of Census Business Builder, a Web application that allows users to access both American Community Survey and economic statistics in map form," states the Census Bureau.. "Statistics will be available for all geographies down to the block group level regardless of population size." Embargo subscribers will have access to statistics beginning Dec. 1. (Read more)

St. Paddy's Day question: How Irish is your county?

Even those who claim no Irish ancestry wear green on March 17, and join in the day's celebrations, promoting the saying, "Everyone's Irish on Saint Patrick's Day." But just how Irish is your county? Here's a map from Jed Kolko, chief economist for Trulia Trends, a real-estate data site. (Click on map for larger version; click here for interactive version that can show specific percentages for each county.)

The data come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, its year-round poll of Americans, which asks them their "primary ancestry." That is claimed by 22 million Americans, or 7.2 percent of the population. "Another 13.5 million Americans claim at least some Irish ancestry, bringing the total to 35.5 million Americans — 11.6 percent of the population — with at least partial Irish ancestry," Kolko writes.