Census Bureau: Statistics on Race, Hispanic Origin, Ancestry and Tribal Groups

Today the U.S. Census Bureau released detailed statistics of social, economic, housing and demographic characteristics for hundreds of race, tribal, Hispanic origin and ancestry populations. These tables from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey contain the most detail for these populations and are available at numerous geographic levels.

The tables released today are:

• The 2011-2015 American Community Survey American Indian and Alaska Native Tables.
• The 2011-2015 American Community Survey Selected Population Tables.

This is the second iteration of these tables. The first set of tables were based on 2006-2010 American Community Survey statistics.

Statistics released today show that 2.6 million residents identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone in the United States in 2011-2015. Of this population, 13.8 percent of those age 25 and over had a bachelor’s degree or higher, with 4.6 percent having a graduate or professional degree. Additionally, 748,647 American Indian and Alaska Native residents age 3 and over were enrolled in school, of which 43.5 percent were enrolled in elementary school (grades 1-8).

Other highlights include:

• Of those age 5 and over, 26.9 percent spoke a language other than English at home.
• Of those age 16 and over, 58.6 percent were in the labor force.
• Of the civilian population age 18 and over, 7.9 percent were veterans.
• Of grandparents living with their own grandchildren under age 18, 52.3 percent were responsible for their care.
• Of American Indian and Alaska Native housing units, 5.3 percent had no telephone service available.
• The median household income was $37,408 (in 2015 inflation-adjusted dollars).

Additional topics include fertility, industry and occupation, and health insurance. Statistics were published for 1,119 detailed tribes and for particular geographic areas if a tribe had a population of at least 50 people that completed the survey. At the national level, each tribal population estimate had to number at least 100 persons for the data to be published. Alaska Native Regional Corporations, American Indian and Alaska Native Areas, and Hawaiian Home Lands were included.

Also included in this release are statistics for 416 race, Hispanic origin, ancestry and tribal groups that had a national population estimate of at least 7,000. Statistics are published for an individual group in a particular geographic area if it had at least 50 people that completed the survey in 2011-2015. Census tracts are the lowest geographic level available for groups meeting both thresholds.

Some examples of included groups are Bhutanese, Fijian, Paraguayan, Algerian, Choctaw tribal grouping and Tsimshian tribal grouping. Additionally, this release includes data for over 20 ancestry groups that were not available in the 2006-2010 release, such as New Zealander, Romani, Saudi Arabian, Tunisian and Ugandan. To see a complete list of the available population groups, visit the Race/Ethnicity and American Indian and Alaska Native Documentation.

Tables are included on topics such as educational attainment, fertility, nativity, income, poverty and homeownership.

These tables and more are available in American FactFinder. To learn more about the tables and how to navigate American FactFinder, take a look at the prerelease webinar.

For more information, go to census.gov.

The American Community Survey helps local officials, community leaders and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed information about the American people and workforce. The annual five-year American Community survey data sets along with the tables released today are the only sources of data for small area geographies. The 2011-2015 American Community Survey statistics on race, tribal and Hispanic population group totals are based on a sample of the U.S. population aggregated over a five-year period. These estimates will differ from race, tribal and Hispanic population group totals from the 2010 Census, which reflect a 100 percent count of the U.S. population as of April 1, 2010, and from the population estimates data products, which reflects updated estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, cities and towns.