The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It collects information about the social, economic, housing, and demographic characteristics of our nation's population. Unlike the decennial census, which is a short survey conducted every 10 years that is used to get an official count of the entire U.S. population, the ACS produces data annually and asks many more questions that shed light on the populations’ needs and experiences across key areas of life, such as health, education, housing, employment, and economic security The Census Bureau contacts over 3.5 million households each year from across the country to participate in the ACS.

Although lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people complete the ACS every year, the survey does not currently ask questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, or variations in sex characteristics. This means we don’t have ACS data about single LGBQ+ adults, LGBTQI+ youth, transgender people, or intersex people.  Without questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics, we cannot use the ACS to better enforce civil rights laws and better understand the specific health, housing, and economic needs of LGBTQI+ people.

That may be changing! In September 2023, the Census Bureau announced that it will conduct the 2024 ACS Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Test to evaluate how to ask questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on the ACS. 

The resources on this page are designed to help LGBTQI+ advocates understand the importance of the ACS, what privacy protections exist, how the ACS data could be used to advance LGBTQI+ equity, and more about the process ahead. These documents will be updated in real time and more may be added, so check back.