U.S. Business
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau generates and provides general statistical information about the U.S. population. The Census Bureau and census data are important sources of information for marketers and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. The need for a national census arose during the Constitutional Convention in 1789, when delegates agreed to use population as the basis for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then, a census of the United States has been conducted every 10 years and is used as the basis for redistricting political representation both on national and state levels. As the U.S. economy has grown, the quantity of data collected has expanded over time. During the 1990s, a significant debate arose regarding whether to continue to collect information from all Americans or to use statistical sampling. Demographers recognize that census-taking typically undercounts homeless people, rural populations, and illegal residents in the country. Advocates for sampling argue it is less expensive and more accurate. Opponents point to the constitutional requirement for a census, and they won in a legal decision. The courts ruled a census rather than a sample will continue to be taken. For businesspeople, the U.S. Census and the Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) system are valuable sources of secondary data. Census data are quite detailed, including information about peoples’ INCOME, gender, household size, age, and ethnicity. Data are available free from the Census Bureau by city block or census tract. Many MARKET RESEARCH companies repackage census data for commercial customers. Census Bureau data are frequently used as a basis for MARKET SEGMENTATION and identifying TARGET MARKETS. Knowing which areas of a city or town have higher or lower income, more or fewer elderly consumers, and which ethic groups live in a community helps marketers determine where to locate new stores, prices to charge, and what PRODUCTs to provide. U.S. Census Bureau information is available on-line and in almost any library.
See also DEMOGRAPHICS.
Related links:Metropolitan statistical area Department of Commerce, U.S. Demographics Privacy North American Industry Classification System Target markets Lorenz curve
U.S. Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau generates and provides general statistical information about the U.S. population. The Census Bureau and census data are important sources of information for marketers and PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. The need for a national census arose during the Constitutional Convention in 1789, when delegates agreed to use population as the basis for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since then, a census of the United States has been conducted every 10 years and is used as the basis for redistricting political representation both on national and state levels. As the U.S. economy has grown, the quantity of data collected has expanded over time. During the 1990s, a significant debate arose regarding whether to continue to collect information from all Americans or to use statistical sampling. Demographers recognize that census-taking typically undercounts homeless people, rural populations, and illegal residents in the country. Advocates for sampling argue it is less expensive and more accurate. Opponents point to the constitutional requirement for a census, and they won in a legal decision. The courts ruled a census rather than a sample will continue to be taken. For businesspeople, the U.S. Census and the Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) system are valuable sources of secondary data. Census data are quite detailed, including information about peoples’ INCOME, gender, household size, age, and ethnicity. Data are available free from the Census Bureau by city block or census tract. Many MARKET RESEARCH companies repackage census data for commercial customers. Census Bureau data are frequently used as a basis for MARKET SEGMENTATION and identifying TARGET MARKETS. Knowing which areas of a city or town have higher or lower income, more or fewer elderly consumers, and which ethic groups live in a community helps marketers determine where to locate new stores, prices to charge, and what PRODUCTs to provide. U.S. Census Bureau information is available on-line and in almost any library.
See also DEMOGRAPHICS.
Related links for U.S. Census Bureau:
Related links: