Census

Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP)

The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) allows regional entities, such as South Texas Development Council, following Census Bureau guidelines and criteria, to review, update, and delineate new census tracts, block groups, census designated places (CDPs) and census county divisions (CCDs).

The goal of the PSAP is to define meaningful, relevant census tracts, block groups, CDPs and CCDs to obtain meaningful, relevant small area and place-level statistical data. The updated boundaries for census tracts, block groups, CDPs and CCDs will frame all the 2010 Census tabulations, and will be used for the American Community Survey (ACS) beyond 2010. Data tabulated to these PSAP geographic entities are used by various local, state, and federal agencies and organizations for planning and funding purposes, as well as the private sector, academia, and the public.

Due to a recognized need for localized knowledge and perspective, regional and local governments and organizations are best qualified to review and update the PSAP geographic entities. These governments and organizations know where area population changes are occurring and how area settlement patterns are changing, and therefore know how to best edit their census tract, block group, and CCD boundaries to accommodate these changes. These governments and organizations know where unincorporated communities are emerging and are changing, and therefore know where to delineate and edit CDPs. Furthermore, these governments and organizations know how to define these statistical entities so that resulting census statistical data meet the needs of their communities.

The knowledge provided by our local partners allows the Census Bureau to meet any of the statistical and spatial data needs that are part of the agency’s mission; to be the statistical source for a better understanding of our Nation.

Final criteria for 2010 PSAP geographic entities have been published and are available on the 2010 PSAP website at: www.census.gov

Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer

Population Growth of Texas Counties as a Percent of State Population
www.txsdc.utsa.edu