WHAT IT IS Our 2011 CensusPlus dataset includes more than a thousand popular variables that analysts and marketers rely on from the Census, plus valuable additional variables from the National Household Survey (NHS). Due to changes in methodology, Statistics Canada is not officially releasing dissemination area (DA) data from the 2011 NHS, which replaced the long-form census. CensusPlus offers enhanced data for the most important NHS themes for all DAs in Canada, fills in missing values and eliminates random rounding in both NHS and Census data. The result is a comprehensive set of demographic variables available for any geographic level—be it standard census and postal geographies or custom client trade areas.
HOW IT'S USED The advantage of EA’s CensusPlus is that it provides extensive socioeconomic and demographic profiles of Canadian consumers for small and custom areas for the census year 2011—including DAs. Analysts use these data to enhance their customer databases, target markets for direct mail, analyze trade areas, build statistical models and make varied business decisions. In addition, the income data in CensusPlus are essential to both businesses and not-for-profits. With detailed multicultural data, CensusPlus also helps users understand their ethnic customers as well as the diversity within ethnic segments.
HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED EA developed a set of proprietary algorithms for adjusting Census and NHS data to make them more usable. These algorithms fill in missing values where data are suppressed by Statistics Canada, and they also correct for random rounding. As a result, there are no missing values in CensusPlus and the variables add up within thematic categories and across levels of geography. EA developed or implemented three additional processes for this release to produce DA-level NHS data that are reliable and consistent with the Census:
The NHS variables in CensusPlus were adjusted to match the Census household and household population universes. The 2011 Census universes are higher quality than those in the NHS because of the latter’s smaller sample size and voluntary nature.
EA did not use NHS income data. Instead, Canada Revenue Agency files were used along with 2006 Census and other sources to model 2011 CensusPlus income data. These data are consistent with the estimates produced in our sophisticated WealthScapes dataset.
We adjusted NHS immigration themes and visible minority data based on 2011 Census mother tongue counts, Citizenship and Immigration Canada statistics, and Statistics Canada’s published intercensal statistics.
