American Community Survey

• Data Releases
  • 2011 Data Release
    • Product Changes
    • Release Schedule
    • ACS Briefs
  • Special Data Release
    • Groups and Geographies
    • Comparing with Decennial
  • 2010 Data Release
    • Product Changes
    • Release Schedule
    • ACS Briefs
  • 2009 Data Release
    • 5-Year Release Details
    • ACS Briefs
    • ACS Maps
    • Product Changes
    • Release Schedule
  • 2008 Data Release
    • Product Changes
    • Release Schedule
  • 2007 Data Release
    • Release Schedule
• Data Product Descriptions
• Documentation
  • User Notes
  • Errata
• Geography
  • Areas Published
  • Release Notes (2011)
    • 2010
    • 2009
  • Reference Maps
  • Other Mapping Resources
• Downloadable data via FTP
• Summary File
• Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
  • About PUMS
    • Pretabulated Data vs. Microdata
    • Confidentiality of PUMS
    • PUMS Record Format
    • Re-released Files
  • PUMS Data
  • PUMS Documentation
  • PUMS on DataFerrett
  • PUMS FAQs
• Custom Tabulations
  • Request Form

Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

 Print | Share this page | Connect with us

The American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files are a set of untabulated records about individual people or housing units. The Census Bureau produces the PUMS files so that data users can create custom tables that are not available through pretabulated (or summary) ACS data products.

Why Use PUMS?
PUMS files are perfect for people, such as students, who are looking for greater accessibility to inexpensive data for research projects. Social scientists often use the PUMS for regression analysis and modeling applications.

What's Available and How Can I Access PUMS?
The Census Bureau produces 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year ACS PUMS files. The 3-year and 5-year PUMS files are multiyear combinations of the 1-year PUMS file with appropriate adjustments to the weights and inflation adjustment factors. The PUMS files are accessible via American FactFinder, the Census Bureau's FTP site, and DataFerrett. Statistical software is needed to use the PUMS files from American FactFinder and the FTP site.

Need Help with PUMS?
Learn more about PUMS in the Compass Products What PUMS Data Users Need to Know handbook and Introduction to the PUMS training presentation.

Geographic Areas Available
Region, Division, State, and Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) are the only geographic areas identified in the ACS PUMS. Of these, Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) are the most detailed geographic areas available.

[PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Reader® available free from Adobe.    The letters PPT indicate a document is in the Microsoft® PowerPoint® Format (PPT). To view the file, you will need the Microsoft® PowerPoint® Viewer available for free from Microsoft®.    This symbol indicates a link to a non-government web site. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.