For the first time ever  the U.S. Census Bureau will begin releasing data each year for municipal areas (opens 28KB Excel file) with populations greater than 20,000. This means that data will be available for 79 municipalities (1MB PDF) in metropolitan Chicago, which includes the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. Data based on these multi-year estimates will also be available for the 13 municipalities with populations greater than 65,000 and for all seven counties in the region.

The new data, released on December 9, 2008, are estimates from information gathered each day by the Census Bureau during years 2005 through 2007. These multi-year 2005-2007 data are like a video clip of the population describing population characteristics. Much of the Census 2000 data, on the other hand, are actual population counts for a very for a specific point in time, making them more like snapshots than rolling images.

Subjects covered in the newest data release span a rich variety of demographic, social, housing and financial characteristics.   

Benefits of the new annual data release program include:
• Data will be available every year instead of every 10 years.
• Data used in local public service budgets, construction projects and business plans can be updated annually.
• Over time, data can be used to tease out trends that impact communities, such as changes in population (age, race, ethnicity), how long it takes residents to travel to work, how many children are enrolled in school, and median monthly mortgage or home rental costs. 

The American Community Survey website includes highlights about the data release, links to selecting, viewing and downloading the data, and a series of handbooks collected as “ACS Compass Products.” The user-friendly, well organized handbooks help users quickly find answers to common questions about the data.  Four handbooks customized to specific audiences are available to date:
• What General Data Users Need to Know (see page 12 for step by step instructions on accessing ACS data)
• What the Media Need to Know
• What the Business Community Needs to Know
• What Congress Needs to Know

Slideshows about the ACS on these topics are also available:
- An Overview of the American Community Survey
- Tings that May Affect the Estimates from the American Community Survey
- Understanding Multiyear Estimates from the American Community Survey
- Data Products from the American Community Survey
- Geographic Areas and Concepts for the American Community Survey