The decennial census will be released at the end of the month, and in preparation for that I’ve been building tables and interactive maps based on the American Community Survey, which is conducted yearly, but with a smaller sample of the population, and with a much more extensive questionnaire.
The first article I produced mapped out the median home values by census tract in Cobb County.
This article focuses on median household income from the 2019 five-year American Community Survey.
After an explanation of where the numbers come from, you’ll be presented with an interactive Cobb County map and two tables. I also explain how to quickly determine your census tract so you can see how home values in your tract compare with other parts of the county.
If you want to skip the explanation, and dive straight into the numbers for Cobb County, scroll down to the section beginning with the header “Cobb County median household income by census tract”. The values come from surveys completed in 2019. Those figures will be updated again in September.
The 2020 decennial census will be released on April 31 by the United States Census Bureau.
But the much-publicized decennial census, containing just nine questions and distributed to all households in the U.S., is not the only survey the Census Bureau conducts.
The American Community Survey, while it doesn’t survey the entire population, has a much more extensive questionnaire, and is conducted throughout each year, with the results released at one and five-year intervals..
In preparation for reporting on the decennial census, I began learning a statistical programming language called “R,” did a lot of reading on the Census Bureau website, and gathered data on media household income from the American Community Survey.
What is the American Community Survey?
The American Community Survey is both more frequent and more comprehensive than the decennial census. Here’s a description of the ACS from the U.S. Census website. The ACS is:
- Conducted every month, every year
- Sent to a sample of addresses (about 3.5 million) in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
- Asks about topics not on the 2020 Census, such as education, employment, internet access, and transportation
- Provides current information to communities every year. It also provides local and national leaders with the information they need for programs, economic development, emergency management, and understanding local issues and conditions.
The decennial census, on the other hand, is:
- Conducted every ten years
- Counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories
- Asks a shorter set of questions, such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, and owner/renter status
- Provides an official count of the population, which determines congressional representation. Also provides critical data that lawmakers and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for communities.
Cobb County median household income by census tract
The interactive map and the two tables below show the median household incomes by census tract. The first table is sorted by household income, the second table by census tract id.
Finally, I’ve included instructions for rapidly determining what census tract you are in, or the census tract of any address.
The map below works like most interactive maps. You can click on any part off the map to get a census tract label along with the median household income for that tract. You can zoom in and read street names (although the color-coding makes in a strain to read some of the streets). And you can drag the map around with your mouse controls.
| Median Household Income sorted by income | |
| Census Tract | Median Home Price |
| 312.12 | $184,000.00 |
| 303.36 | $180,536.00 |
| 303.37 | $169,188.00 |
| 303.4 | $160,750.00 |
| 303.26 | $156,037.00 |
| 303.35 | $153,889.00 |
| 303.18 | $150,164.00 |
| 312.09 | $149,583.00 |
| 302.18 | $147,696.00 |
| 302.36 | $145,938.00 |
| 303.33 | $140,345.00 |
| 303.28 | $136,076.00 |
| 303.32 | $133,646.00 |
| 302.39 | $131,750.00 |
| 303.43 | $127,375.00 |
| 303.3 | $126,546.00 |
| 303.34 | $123,966.00 |
| 303.42 | $123,281.00 |
| 302.19 | $121,469.00 |
| 303.41 | $121,167.00 |
| 304.09 | $120,156.00 |
| 302.34 | $118,810.00 |
| 313.13 | $117,366.00 |
| 303.31 | $115,375.00 |
| 303.27 | $115,223.00 |
| 302.38 | $113,047.00 |
| 302.22 | $111,122.00 |
| 302.09 | $110,000.00 |
| 302.31 | $109,602.00 |
| 303.14 | $109,192.00 |
| 302.32 | $108,375.00 |
| 303.29 | $107,072.00 |
| 302.35 | $105,819.00 |
| 303.22 | $103,639.00 |
| 302.33 | $102,868.00 |
| 311.12 | $101,548.00 |
| 303.24 | $101,250.00 |
| 301.07 | $100,857.00 |
| 303.19 | $98,938.00 |
| 305.02 | $96,667.00 |
| 303.2 | $95,114.00 |
| 303.13 | $94,408.00 |
| 306.02 | $92,684.00 |
| 302.2 | $91,838.00 |
| 311.17 | $90,967.00 |
| 302.14 | $90,469.00 |
| 301.03 | $89,863.00 |
| 301.01 | $89,819.00 |
| 312.05 | $87,910.00 |
| 313.12 | $86,808.00 |
| 311.11 | $86,115.00 |
| 302.26 | $85,264.00 |
| 303.11 | $85,197.00 |
| 311.18 | $84,936.00 |
| 305.07 | $84,545.00 |
| 302.24 | $84,429.00 |
| 313.07 | $84,342.00 |
| 305.04 | $83,611.00 |
| 312.11 | $82,330.00 |
| 315.09 | $81,583.00 |
| 302.3 | $79,243.00 |
| 312.06 | $79,192.00 |
| 312.07 | $78,977.00 |
| 313.06 | $78,824.00 |
| 303.1 | $78,692.00 |
| 314.04 | $78,671.00 |
| 309.01 | $78,655.00 |
| 304.08 | $77,577.00 |
| 302.23 | $76,559.00 |
| 311.06 | $76,182.00 |
| 303.39 | $75,532.00 |
| 302.15 | $75,463.00 |
| 311.15 | $75,123.00 |
| 304.07 | $74,196.00 |
| 312.08 | $73,611.00 |
| 315.05 | $72,940.00 |
| 315.08 | $72,361.00 |
| 303.45 | $71,676.00 |
| 310.05 | $70,771.00 |
| 303.12 | $70,437.00 |
| 309.05 | $69,261.00 |
| 315.07 | $68,688.00 |
| 304.1 | $67,993.00 |
| 302.29 | $67,768.00 |
| 306.01 | $66,991.00 |
| 311.1 | $66,154.00 |
| 302.27 | $65,673.00 |
| 315.03 | $65,530.00 |
| 305.06 | $65,259.00 |
| 301.06 | $64,326.00 |
| 309.02 | $63,838.00 |
| 311.01 | $59,093.00 |
| 314.09 | $58,739.00 |
| 314.05 | $58,530.00 |
| 314.08 | $57,975.00 |
| 311.08 | $57,610.00 |
| 315.06 | $56,458.00 |
| 311.14 | $56,370.00 |
| 308 | $54,205.00 |
| 313.08 | $53,227.00 |
| 313.09 | $52,960.00 |
| 301.04 | $52,119.00 |
| 305.05 | $51,744.00 |
| 304.13 | $50,325.00 |
| 302.28 | $50,172.00 |
| 311.16 | $50,054.00 |
| 304.05 | $49,406.00 |
| 303.44 | $49,206.00 |
| 304.12 | $46,094.00 |
| 311.13 | $45,917.00 |
| 314.06 | $45,363.00 |
| 307 | $45,298.00 |
| 304.14 | $44,578.00 |
| 310.04 | $44,507.00 |
| 313.11 | $44,250.00 |
| 309.04 | $43,158.00 |
| 304.11 | $38,994.00 |
| 313.1 | $38,231.00 |
| 310.02 | $36,536.00 |
| 310.01 | $29,016.00 |
| Median Household Income sorted by census tract | |
| Census Tract | Median Home Price |
| 301.01 | $89,819.00 |
| 301.03 | $89,863.00 |
| 301.04 | $52,119.00 |
| 301.06 | $64,326.00 |
| 301.07 | $100,857.00 |
| 302.09 | $110,000.00 |
| 302.14 | $90,469.00 |
| 302.15 | $75,463.00 |
| 302.18 | $147,696.00 |
| 302.19 | $121,469.00 |
| 302.2 | $91,838.00 |
| 302.22 | $111,122.00 |
| 302.23 | $76,559.00 |
| 302.24 | $84,429.00 |
| 302.26 | $85,264.00 |
| 302.27 | $65,673.00 |
| 302.28 | $50,172.00 |
| 302.29 | $67,768.00 |
| 302.3 | $79,243.00 |
| 302.31 | $109,602.00 |
| 302.32 | $108,375.00 |
| 302.33 | $102,868.00 |
| 302.34 | $118,810.00 |
| 302.35 | $105,819.00 |
| 302.36 | $145,938.00 |
| 302.38 | $113,047.00 |
| 302.39 | $131,750.00 |
| 303.1 | $78,692.00 |
| 303.11 | $85,197.00 |
| 303.12 | $70,437.00 |
| 303.13 | $94,408.00 |
| 303.14 | $109,192.00 |
| 303.18 | $150,164.00 |
| 303.19 | $98,938.00 |
| 303.2 | $95,114.00 |
| 303.22 | $103,639.00 |
| 303.24 | $101,250.00 |
| 303.26 | $156,037.00 |
| 303.27 | $115,223.00 |
| 303.28 | $136,076.00 |
| 303.29 | $107,072.00 |
| 303.3 | $126,546.00 |
| 303.31 | $115,375.00 |
| 303.32 | $133,646.00 |
| 303.33 | $140,345.00 |
| 303.34 | $123,966.00 |
| 303.35 | $153,889.00 |
| 303.36 | $180,536.00 |
| 303.37 | $169,188.00 |
| 303.39 | $75,532.00 |
| 303.4 | $160,750.00 |
| 303.41 | $121,167.00 |
| 303.42 | $123,281.00 |
| 303.43 | $127,375.00 |
| 303.44 | $49,206.00 |
| 303.45 | $71,676.00 |
| 304.05 | $49,406.00 |
| 304.07 | $74,196.00 |
| 304.08 | $77,577.00 |
| 304.09 | $120,156.00 |
| 304.1 | $67,993.00 |
| 304.11 | $38,994.00 |
| 304.12 | $46,094.00 |
| 304.13 | $50,325.00 |
| 304.14 | $44,578.00 |
| 305.02 | $96,667.00 |
| 305.04 | $83,611.00 |
| 305.05 | $51,744.00 |
| 305.06 | $65,259.00 |
| 305.07 | $84,545.00 |
| 306.01 | $66,991.00 |
| 306.02 | $92,684.00 |
| 307 | $45,298.00 |
| 308 | $54,205.00 |
| 309.01 | $78,655.00 |
| 309.02 | $63,838.00 |
| 309.04 | $43,158.00 |
| 309.05 | $69,261.00 |
| 310.01 | $29,016.00 |
| 310.02 | $36,536.00 |
| 310.04 | $44,507.00 |
| 310.05 | $70,771.00 |
| 311.01 | $59,093.00 |
| 311.06 | $76,182.00 |
| 311.08 | $57,610.00 |
| 311.1 | $66,154.00 |
| 311.11 | $86,115.00 |
| 311.12 | $101,548.00 |
| 311.13 | $45,917.00 |
| 311.14 | $56,370.00 |
| 311.15 | $75,123.00 |
| 311.16 | $50,054.00 |
| 311.17 | $90,967.00 |
| 311.18 | $84,936.00 |
| 312.05 | $87,910.00 |
| 312.06 | $79,192.00 |
| 312.07 | $78,977.00 |
| 312.08 | $73,611.00 |
| 312.09 | $149,583.00 |
| 312.11 | $82,330.00 |
| 312.12 | $184,000.00 |
| 313.06 | $78,824.00 |
| 313.07 | $84,342.00 |
| 313.08 | $53,227.00 |
| 313.09 | $52,960.00 |
| 313.1 | $38,231.00 |
| 313.11 | $44,250.00 |
| 313.12 | $86,808.00 |
| 313.13 | $117,366.00 |
| 314.04 | $78,671.00 |
| 314.05 | $58,530.00 |
| 314.06 | $45,363.00 |
| 314.08 | $57,975.00 |
| 314.09 | $58,739.00 |
| 315.03 | $65,530.00 |
| 315.05 | $72,940.00 |
| 315.06 | $56,458.00 |
| 315.07 | $68,688.00 |
| 315.08 | $72,361.00 |
| 315.09 | $81,583.00 |
How do you find your own census tract?
Finding the census tract for your address or any other address is easy by following this link to the FFIEC Geomap website.
There is a search bar at the top where you can enter a Cobb County address. You’ll notice in the screenshot below that I entered the address of the Cobb County government building in Marietta. It produces a map, and a little box on the upper left that has an entry called the Tract Code. That is where you’ll find the census tract you searched for.
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