U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Jan 29, 2026
JAN. 29, 2026 — The percentage of adults age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased significantly in metropolitan statistical areas (metro areas), up from 34.2% during the 2015-2019 period to 37.8% during the 2020-2024 period, according to new American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The ACS provides a wide range of statistics about the nation’s people and housing and is the only source of local estimates for most of the 40-plus topics it covers. The release of 2020-2024 5-year estimates now allows users to compare four nonoverlapping sets of 5-year data: 2005-2009, 2010-2014, 2015-2019, and 2020-2024. The ability to analyze separate time periods is important for identifying trends for small communities and geographies, which is critical for planning future investments and services.
Over the next couple months, reports using the ACS data on the State Data Center website will be updated. During this time if you are needing updated data sooner, please feel free to contact the office directly.