# Difference between poverty measure in ACS 2011 five-year estimates versus 2012 five-year estimates?

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/difference-between-poverty-measure-in-acs-2011-five-year-estimates-versus-2012-five-year-estimates/4837>\
**Category:** NHGIS\
**Created:** [August 29, 2022, 9:23pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/difference-between-poverty-measure-in-acs-2011-five-year-estimates-versus-2012-five-year-estimates/4837 "2022-08-29T21:23:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jaclyn\_Butler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jaclyn\_Butler](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Jaclyn_Butler)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2022, 9:23pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/difference-between-poverty-measure-in-acs-2011-five-year-estimates-versus-2012-five-year-estimates/4837/1 "2022-08-29T21:23:01Z")

</div>

I am trying to conduct a time-series analysis on county-level poverty for 1990, 2000, and 2007-2011 and 2015-2019. However, even when I select the 2011 five-year estimates, I am directed toward 2012 five-year estimates in the time-series options. Given that the year 2011 is included in both sets of five-year estimates, I am not sure how or why the poverty measure would be different. Could someone please explain?

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JonathanSchroeder](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/jonathanschroeder/32/70_2.png) [@JonathanSchroeder](https://forum.ipums.org/u/JonathanSchroeder)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/difference-between-poverty-measure-in-acs-2011-five-year-estimates-versus-2012-five-year-estimates/4837/2 "2022-08-31T14:43:33Z")

</div>

Currently, with few exceptions, NHGIS time series include ACS data only from the 2008-2012 and 2015-2019 5-year periods. We plan to extend the time series to include all 5-year periods, but there’s not a timeline set for that yet. Until then, you can still get the 2007-2011 5-year data via NHGIS “source tables.”

To understand why 2011 5-year estimates differ from 2012 5-year estimates, I recommend reading a little more on what 5-year estimates represent. One good resource is [this opening chapter](https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2020/acs/acs_general_handbook_2020_ch01.pdf) from the ACS Handbook for Data Users.

In short, “5-year estimates represent data collected over a period of 60 months.” The 2011 5-year estimates describe characteristics for the full 60-month span from January 2007 through December 2011. These differ from the 2012 5-year estimates because they include the 12 months of 2007 and exclude the 12 months of 2012.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jaclyn\_Butler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jaclyn\_Butler](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Jaclyn_Butler)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:43am UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/difference-between-poverty-measure-in-acs-2011-five-year-estimates-versus-2012-five-year-estimates/4837/3 "2022-09-08T00:43:27Z")

</div>

Thank you!

![image001.png](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/uploads/ipums/original/1X/d01be3595ae38befee737bff9790e6f19eb8370f.png)