by Beth Jarosz, Chris Dick, Meeta Anand, and Mark Mather
Did you know that there are revisions planned for the largest annual survey in the nation–including significant changes to how the country collects data on race and ethnicity?
The U.S. Census Bureau has been fielding the American Community Survey (ACS) and its companion, the Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS), for more than two decades. To stay current, the Census Bureau periodically adjusts questions, fielding methods, and other survey details. As just one example, the word “smartphone” didn't appear on the survey until 2019.
Each time a survey or form is changed, the public has an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes. And providing input is important even when–as in this case–the proposed changes are generally aligned with what data users hoped to see.
Why is the ACS Important?
The ACS is the only nationally-representative snapshot of the U.S. population that provides annual data–on demographic, economic, housing, and social characteristics–at a neighborhood level for every single community in the country. Because the ACS includes a wide variety of topics across every community, it helps illuminate trends by age group, family structure, geography, income, race and ethnicity, sex, and many other characteristics.
This comprehensive information makes the ACS a go-to resource for business people, community advocates, journalists, health professionals, policymakers, researchers, and many others. The ACS helps cities plan for housing, helps regions plan for transportation, helps hospitals understand their patients, helps businesses understand their customers. In addition, the ACS is a continuous survey, so it can be helpful in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters, economic crises, and public health emergencies.
What Changes Are Proposed?
In the Federal Register Notice on the changes*, the Census Bureau describes two updates:
Introducing an internet self-response option to the PRCS, bringing it in line with fielding for the ACS.
Updating questions on race and ethnicity to implement modernized standards (known as Statistical Policy Directive 15 or SPD 15) to reflect overwhelming input from the American public and more than a decade of research and testing. The modernized SPD 15 was announced in March of 2024 and provided agencies a period of five years to implement the revisions.
Both of these proposed changes reflect extensive research, testing, and public input.
(* Click here if you want to know: What is the Federal Register?)
Understanding the Race and Ethnicity Changes
The updated Statistical Policy Directive 15 (SPD-15) represents the most significant revision to federal race and ethnicity data standards in nearly three decades. These changes–which reflect decades of testing and multiple rounds of public input–address longstanding issues with how America counts its increasingly diverse population. These revisions to SPD-15 were already approved, and the change to the ACS now is to bring data collection in line with the modernized standards.
Why this matters: Research from the Census Bureau has consistently shown that current race and ethnicity questions lead to confusion and incomplete data. In the 2020 Census, studies found that many respondents—particularly those from Middle Eastern, North African, and Latino communities—struggled to accurately represent their identities within existing categories. The result was high rates of "Some Other Race" responses, which reached 15.1% in 2020, making it difficult to understand and serve these communities effectively.
The modernized SPD-15 standards combine race and ethnicity into a single, multi-select question (versus the previous two step approach to race and ethnicity) with more detailed and inclusive categories provided within each of the choices. This approach has been shown in Census Bureau testing to reduce confusion, improve data quality, and better capture the diversity of American identities. For example, the new standards create a distinct category for Middle Eastern and North African populations—communities that have long advocated for visibility in federal data collection. Additionally, this format allows for more opportunities for people with multi-ethnic or multi-racial backgrounds to have those identities reflected.
These improvements matter for everyone who relies on accurate demographic data—from researchers tracking health outcomes to community organizations seeking grants to local governments planning services.
What Happened to Gender Data?
You may already know that the Census Bureau had been exploring the feasibility of adding sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to the American Community Survey. SOGI questions were tested as part of the 2024 ACS Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Test, with the intent of including the questions in the ACS in 2027.
Unfortunately, research and data collection related to SOGI has been halted. In fact, results of the 2024 ACS Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Test have not yet been publicly released, prompting advocacy groups to file a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to obtain the data.
What Can I Do?
Anyone can submit a comment reflecting their thoughts on the proposed revisions to the ACS. Some people submit brief comments of just a sentence or two, and others submit multi-page documents with citations. Both types of comments are valuable–the most important thing is to make your voice heard.
Also, members of the public do not need to limit their comments to the proposed revisions. Comments may address updates that were planned but not implemented.
To submit your comments about the proposed revisions to the American Community Survey, start here. Comments must be received on or before February 17, 2026.
Now go submit those comments!