Vol. 52, No.2 , Fall/Winter 2014 - "Census Geography"
REPORT FROM THE FIELD: 2010 CENSUS OF AMERICAN SAMOA
(pp. 7 - 23)
Douglas M. Lee
Office of the Associate Director for Field Operations
U.S. Bureau of the Census
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to document the process of conducting the 2010 Census in American Samoa. Conducting a census in American Samoa is very different from the way the census is conducted in United States. American Samoa is unique in its culture and geography and provides many challenges for conducting a census. Because American Samoa does not have street addresses the method used to conduct a census is via the list/enumerate method. I was the Census Advisor to American Samoa for the 2010 Census and this article provides insight into how the 2010 Census was completed.
(pp. 24 - 41)
Alison E. Feeney and Terri A. Hoover
Department of Geography and Earth Science
Shippensburg University
Shippensburg, New York
Abstract
This study examined the location of secondhand retail within 20 miles of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A total of 121 clothing locations were identified, with 41% of the retail locations selling secondhand goods. Retail types were categorized into one of six groups (malls, single standing boutiques, discount outlets, supersized discount department stores, consignment shops, and thrift stores) and mapped in a GIS with 2010 United States Census demographic data. While secondhand retail has filled the vacancy of downtown smaller cities, it is highly integrated with all other types of retail in Harrisburg’s main shopping district. Economically, the same number of consignment shops and thrift stores are located in high median income census tracts that are found in the lowest median income tracts. Accessibility of secondhand retail was found to be located in close proximity to higher densities of families, higher populations of female head of households, and younger median age groups.
RECENT TRENDS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PENNSYLVANIA’S POPULATION BY RACE: A GRAPHIC REVIEW
(pp. 42 - 62)
George A. Schnell
Department of Geography
State University of New York, New Paltz
New Paltz, New York
Abstract
Significant changes have occurred since 1980 in Pennsylvania’s population, especially among some of its racial minorities. Although the number of white inhabitants has declined slightly, both statewide and in many counties, and black residents have increased in number only slightly and remained relatively stable in their highly urban-metropolitan pattern of residential distribution, other non-white populations (mostly Asian) have increased significantly. With its rapid growth, this still relatively small cluster of mostly Asian peoples has spread somewhat into traditionally white areas of the state, suggesting class differences with the black population, which is essentially urban-metropolitan. This paper presents a review of recent population trends in Pennsylvania, focusing on racial comparisons and distributions at county, metropolitan, and municipality levels. Much of the discussion is accompanied by maps and tables to provide visual evidence and data, as well as to heighten its utility for those interested in further pursuing the topic.
(pp. 63 - 78)
H. Jason Combs, Kaitlyn Taylor and Paul Burger
Department of Geography
University of Nebraska-Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska
Abstract
Politicians and scholars alike have evaluated and studied voting patterns at various geographical levels for decades. Projects have examined voting patterns for presidential elections, Congressional races, and even confirmation votes in the Senate. Our project builds on these previous studies by spatially examining voting trends in Kearney, Nebraska. A total of 2,110 ballots were completed by local elementary and middle school students and compared to the 11,909 votes cast for president in 2012 by the adult population. As anticipated, there was a strong positive correlation (r = +0.738) between the adult and student vote totals. Additionally, multiple socio-demographic variables, such as, employment, higher education, home ownership, and income help explain the voting patterns at the precinct-level in Kearney.