Frequently Asked Questions

What are the data sources used in the reports?
The following data sources are used to create the various reports:

• Bureau of the Census - 2010 Census and other related sources like American Community Survey, Current Population Reports, and numerous special Census reports.
• ZIP and County Business Patterns (US Department of Commerce-Economics and Statistics Administration-Bureau of the Census.)
• US Department of Justice-Federal Bureau of Investigation (2006)
• National Center for Education Statistics-Common Core of Data (CCD)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service-National Climatic Data Center.
• United States Department of the Interior-Geological Survey-Office of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Engineering.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics-Department of Labor.

How is "Total Population" determined?
"Total Population" is the sum of White Population + Black Population + Asian Population + AIAN (American Indian and Alaska Native) Population + Other Race Population + Two or More Races Population. Hispanic population refers, by Census definition, to ethnicity and not race. Hispanic people can be of any race.

Why don’t the Ethnicity statistics add up to 100%?
Ethnicity is not a required item in the U.S. Census, therefore, not all respondents identify their ethnicity. Race is a required item in the U.S. Census, therefore those statistics do add up to 100%.

What is "High Income Average"?
The "High Income Average" for an area is the average amount of income calculated for each of the households earning over $200,000.

Why can't I find my own town or city or place?
The demographic site includes all census cities (places, etc.) whose population was over 100 in the Census. If you cannot find your city, try choosing the closest ZIP Code.

Why isn't my ZIP Code here?
It probably is a brand new ZIP Code or a discontinued ZIP Code. Our ZIP Codes are always updated to the current year.

Why is the name of my ZIP Code different from the demographic site's?
All of the names in our products are developed directly from each source. We use the most current name directly from the Post Office.

What happens when there is a tie in rankings?
Tied observations are given the average of the ranks they would have received as if no ranks were tied. For example, if three teams are tied for first, they are also statistically tied for second and for third as well. Therefore, they would be ranked as a "2" ((1 + 2 + 3)/3 = 2).

What is the dominant profile featured on the top of each report?
Within its demographic system, EASI has identified 39 profiles. The profile appearing at the top of the report is the dominant one for that geographic region.

Is there one specific method of weighting variables in the Profile Analysis tool?
Weighting variables is more of an art than an exact science, thus there is no one method that is suggested. Rather, you should create a few reports and test a variety of weights. However, you want to be careful not to overweight any variable and risk skewing your results. Therefore, choose weights that are relatively similar like 1.0 and 1.2. Create your report and study the numbers to see if any variable is skewing the results, then make adjustments in your weights as needed.