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2005 Community Survey Offers Expanded, Enhanced Demographic Data

September 12, 2006

Among the 15 largest cities in the U.S., the population with the highest median age can be found in San Francisco, New York and Philadelphia, according to the 2005 Annual Community Survey, recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, through the American FactFinder. The younger set are more apt to reside in Phoenix, Dallas and Columbus, Ohio, which showed the lowest median age.

San Francisco also emerged at the top of the list of educated cities; more than 50 percent of its residents reported having at least a bachelor’s degree or more. Two other California cities - San Diego and San Jose - also showed high rates of college educated residents, as did New York City.

Among smaller cities, Boynton Beach, Florida showed the highest median age. Bloomington, Indiana, which came in with the lowest median age, also came in with the highest rate of college-educated population, with over 53 percent of its residents having earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The 2005 Annual Community Survey (ACS) estimates includes a breakdown of population by demographic, social and economic characteristics for cities with a population of 65,000 or greater. For many communities across the country, the 2005 data is the first updated population estimates since the 2000 Census.

This year’s Survey includes expanded geographic coverage, including data for Puerto Rico. Data is available in user-created tables, for easy comparison of states, counties, or municipaities, and can also be downloaded into spreadsheet format for further manipulation.

Data collected from the ACS is used in determining how the federal administration allocates funds for state and local government. Housing data, along with Race, Ancestry and Ethnic data are scheduled for release this fall.

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