Census Bureau webinar demos tools to track housing changes and address counts

Krystal Jimerson, a training specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, opened a recorded webinar and introduced presenters who demonstrated how Census data and tools can help local planners, researchers and residents find housing data for specific geographies.

Ileana Serrano, a Data Dissemination Specialist, outlined the role of decennial census counts and the American Community Survey (ACS). "Decennial data is the official comprehensive population and housing count collected by the U.S. Census Bureau every ten years," Serrano said, noting decennial use for apportionment and redistricting. She described the ACS as an annual survey that provides detailed social, economic and housing characteristics and explained that Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files allow users to build custom tables.

The presenters demonstrated data.census.gov as the primary portal for accessing decennial, ACS and other Census products. Serrano walked through creating block-level housing unit lists (example geography: Jasper County, South Carolina), switching between 2010 and 2020 redistricting products, transposing large tables for readability, and using the mapping feature to highlight occupied and vacant housing units. She showed how to download tables (Excel) and locate table notes and data tabs for spreadsheet use.

Joli Golden, a Data Dissemination Specialist covering New York City, introduced two geography-team web tools updated semiannually: the Housing Unit Change Viewer and the Current Census Address Count Listing Files Viewer. "Since 2020, this vital information from the Postal Service has added more than 11 million addresses to our census address count file," Golden said, explaining the address count file incorporates Postal Service delivery-sequence updates, ACS outreach and administrative records. She also noted that individual addresses are withheld under U.S. Title 13 and described LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses) as the local-government process to submit address updates for inclusion.

Using the Housing Unit Change Viewer, Golden demonstrated a Kings County (Brooklyn) block where the tool reported a large numeric increase in housing units: "443 units increased from 2020 to 2025, basically went from 12 to 455 units," she said, and used the map to inspect parcel imagery and parking on the parcel. She cautioned that some reported decreases reflect reclassifications (for example, a Manhattan block near Columbia University was shown with a decrease in housing units and an increase from 1 to 3 group-quarters units between 2020 and 2023).

The Address Count Listing Files Viewer offers a layered view (including AIAN/ANRC and minor civil-division layers) and supports adding external geographic services; Golden said the viewer uses ESRI ARC geocoding results rather than the protected Master Address File and showed a Miami Beach apartment complex example with land and water statistics.

Presenters also demonstrated ACS comparative tables (CP04) that compare two five-year periods (for example, 2020–2024 vs. 2015–2019) and explained that comparative tables include statistical-significance indicators; Serrano recommended using the Census statistical testing tool for custom comparisons.

The webinar closed with references to short tutorial videos called Data Gems, an invitation to the GeoForum conference, and contact information for follow-up training (census.askdata@census.gov and 1-844-Ask-Data). Krystal Jimerson reminded attendees that the recording and supplemental materials will be posted on census.gov/academy within 30 business days and asked participants to complete the exit evaluation.