The yearly American Communities Survey (ACS) is a vital tool for understanding the US population. State and local governments use it. Businesses use it, and federal entities and mandates like the Department of Housing and Human Services (HUD) and Veterans' Affairs use it to ascertain how Americans live and work — and how to best support them. The data informs Title I funding for students from low-income families, the list goes on and on.
However, low response rates mean the one-year estimates for the 2020 ACS, scheduled for this fall, won't be released. That means it'll be challenging to understand how Americans live — and could affect how US governments distribute billions of dollars.
