S T E P 5 : E X P L O R E D A T A O V E R T I M E .
The Census data portal offers additional data retrieval and display options that you may find helpful. One relevant feature is accessing older data, which allows you to assess how the situation in your county may have changed over the years concerning factors like food insecurity and social vulnerability. Figure 35 illustrates options for exploring data over time. When viewing any ACS table, the “Product” bar under the table name will display available data release years. Clicking on the bar then shows a drop-down menu that allows you to select any previous year that includes the same table. In our case, we could view the same food stamps subject table for any year between 2010 and 2019, the latest available ACS wave. If you select a different year, your table will update to show the re levant numbers for columns you’ve previously selected.
Figure 35: Subject table with results.
The “Excel” and “Download” buttons highlighted in Figure 35 allow you to download and further manipulate the data you’ve pulled. The “Excel” button allows you to download the data displayed on your screen as either a .csv or .xlsx file, both of which are compatible with Microsoft Office Excel. The “Download” button will export the same results. It also gives you the option to download data for multiple years simultaneously, saving you from having to download data for each year separately. Both data export features can be helpful if you are compiling a report, want to save your search results for later, or want to conduct further data analysis.
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