Census 2010

Geographic Programs - Descriptions and Schedules

• Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
• Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Program
• Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP)
• Tribal Statistical Areas Program (TSAP)
• Boundary Validation Program

2010 Census Geographic Programs

Geographic Programs - Descriptions and Schedules

The Census Bureau works with tribal, state, county, and local officials, as well as coordinating agencies such as regional planning commissions to implement a number of programs designed to review geographic information. The geographic information that is provided as part of these programs will frame all the 2010 Census tabulations and will be used for the American Community Survey (ACS) beyond 2010. The knowledge provided by our local partners allows the Census Bureau to meet many of the statistical and spatial data needs that are part of the agency's mission: to be the statistical source for a better understanding of our Nation. The descriptions below provide an overview of each geographic program and a milestone schedule. Related websites where you can find additional program information are listed after each program name. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Census Bureau Geography Division staff (e-mail addresses and phone numbers will be included following program descriptions).

Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

This annual survey collects boundary and area change information about legally defined geographic areas such as cities, towns, counties, municipios and barrios in Puerto Rico, federally recognized American Indian reservations, and Hawaiian home lands. The survey is mailed to designated contacts, and starting in 2008, the BAS will include each entity every year. The BAS also provides an opportunity for participants to review the names and geographic relationships for these areas. The BAS information enables reporting data for geographic areas from the decennial census, the American Community Survey (ACS), the Economic Census, the Population Estimates Program, and other Census Bureau surveys. Key dates associated with BAS are:

Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Program (additional details above)

This program offers tribal, state and local governments the opportunity to review and update the census address list for their community. The LUCA Program is made possible by the Census Address List Improvement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-430) which provides the opportunity for designated representatives who agree with the Census Bureau's confidentiality requirements to review the addresses contained in the Census Bureau's confidential Master Address File. Each participant's review period is 120 days, and occurs between late summer 2007 and April 1, 2008, depending on sign-up date. The Census Bureau regional office staff provides support for participants to facilitate accurate and timely submissions. Key dates associated with LUCA are:

Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP)

This program enables coordinating agencies such as Regional Planning Commissions and Councils of Governments to identify and propose changes to the boundaries for census tracts, block groups, census designated places, and census county divisions in accordance with Census Bureau criteria. These areas become a critical part of our geographic hierarchy for providing data at the subcounty level. Key dates associated with PSAP are:

Tribal Statistical Areas Program (TSAP)

This program enables federally recognized tribes (and designated state officials for state-based tribal statistical areas) to identify and propose changes to the boundaries for American Indian and Alaska Native statistical areas for the reporting of census data. This program provides for the delineation of Alaska Native village statistical areas (ANVSAs), Oklahoma tribal statistical areas (OTSAs), tribal designated statistical areas (SDTSAs), and all subreservation statistical areas: tribal subdivisions on OTSAs, tribal census tracts and tribal block groups on reservations and/or off-reservation trust lands for federally recognized American Indian tribes. Key dates associated with TSAP are:

Boundary Validation Program

This program provides the highest elected or appointed official of each local or tribal government a final opportunity to review the boundary for their jurisdiction before the 2010 Census data tabulation. The boundary validation follows the 2010 Boundary and Annexation Survey (which is typically mailed to a designated local or tribal contact rather than the highest elected official).

Seeing the Results

Explore http://factfinder.census.gov to see how data from all geographic programs are represented in American FactFinder (AFF). At http://www.census.gov/geo/www/index.html , access the Geographic Products Web Page, which will describe Census 2010 products such as maps and boundary files as they become available. Two important examples are:

2010 Census Block Maps

These are large-scale reference maps of the smallest geographic entities, census blocks. The Census Bureau will produce them for all American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian areas, counties, county subdivisions, and places. The maps show the boundaries, names, and codes for these entities and for census tracts and blocks. Also shown are detailed base features such as roads, railroads, lakes and streams.

TIGER Spatial Products

TIGER/Line files, issued 1988-2007, are a digital database describing geographic features and boundaries. Their use requires mapping or GIS software that can import TIGER/Line data. In 2007-08, the Census Bureau will begin releasing TIGER/Line data in shapefile format. Eventually, the Census Bureau will release TIGER spatial data in a format called Geographic Markup Language (TIGER/GML), and over the Web through a Web Feature Server (WFS) and a Web Map Server (WMS). For further information on TIGER spatial products, refer to www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/tgrshp.html

2010 LUCA Program

The Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) Program, is a decennial census geographic partnership program that will allow the U.S. Census Bureau to benefit from local knowledge in developing its Master Address file for the 2010 Decennial Census and as subsequent use for yearly ongoing household surveys. Tribal, state, and local governments can contribute to a complete enumeration of their communities by reviewing and updating the list of housing units and group quarters addresses that the Census Bureau will use to deliver 2010 Decennial Census questionnaires within their communities.

How can SACOG help?

SACOG is offering a secure workspace and non-networked computer to jurisdictions who would like to review the U.S. Census Bureau Master Address File (MAF) but cannot meet the requirements of U.S. Code Title 13. Jurisdictions can request assistance on a first requested, first served, basis to participate in LUCA at Options 1 or 2 levels and use the office and computer at SACOG to meet the requirements in the Title 13, Confidentiality Agreement guidelines. Jurisdictions requesting assistance should contact SACOG as soon as possible as staff will need to be specifically named as reviewers on the response those members file with the Census Bureau for their Title 13 Confidentiality Agreement. SACOG can provide assistance with geo-coding, boundary review, and address review and compilation.

SACOG is also providing shape files from our annual housing permit monitoring program. The files below contain shape files for the demolition and added housing units for each county that have been formatted for the LUCA program. In place of putting a Apartment/Unit number in the file records we have put in the number of units. Jurisdictions wanting to add these addresses for adding to the Census MAF should remove all the ones for single units and add duplicate records with actual unit numbers for multi-family units. Other fields in the files that are blank are provided for the Census Bureau's geo-coding software.

El_DoradoPermits2001-2006.zip SacramentoPermits2001-2006.zip YoloPermits2001-2006.zip

PlacerPermits2001-2006.zip SutterPermits2001-2006.zip YubaPermits2001-2006.zip

Why is the LUCA program important to your community?

An accurate population count starts with an up-to-date and accurate address list. Having a housing unit or group quarters address listed on the Master Address File ensures that the people residing at the address will be enumerated. A February 2003 Government Accountability Office report indicated that in fiscal year 2000, about $283 billion in federal grant money was distributed to state and local governments by formula; states received their share of this money based in part on factors such as annual population estimates derived from the 1990 decennial census. When the population estimates were updated to reflect the 2000 census results, an additional $388 million in federal grant funding went predominately to the 23 states that had above-average estimate revisions. A complete count is vital to cities and town nationwide.

To view the main U.S. Census Bureau LUCA Webpage please visit:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/luca2010/luca.html

Additional Resources for Specific LUCA Questions

For additional local information please contact either:

Joe Concannon (916) 340-6234 jconcannon@sacog.org
Or
Tina Glover (916) 340-6207 tglover@sacog.org