Per Capita Income is an estimate of the average income per person in a particular area. Every man, woman, and child living in a particular area is included in the calculation.

The Census considers the following to be counted as income:

• Wage or salary income (including bonuses and tips)
• Self-employment income
• Interest, dividends, net rental income, royalty income, income from estates and trusts
• Social Security or Railroad Retirement income
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Public assistance income
• Retirement, survivor, or disability income
• All other income (includes unemployment, Veteran's Administration payments, alimony, child support, contributions received periodically from people not living in the household, military family allotments, and other kinds of periodic income other than earnings)

The Census only uses the income of all people 15 years old and over.

Definitions taken from the U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Information – Income and Household Income, Per Capita Income, and Persons Below Poverty .

It can be important to understand per capita income because it can help to explain the characteristics of a community. Although this is an estimate, it can be used to compare one geographic area to other parts of the county, state or nation to describe economic conditions.

Every ten years the U.S. Census Bureau conducts its official population count of the United States. (It is referred to as the Decennial Census.) The most recent census was conducted in 2000. The U.S. Census Bureau collects this data in two ways. They first send out a mail-in census form. For those people who do not return their mail-in forms, the Census Bureau sends people to those homes to administer the form in person.

There are two census forms used during the Decennial Census. The first is the short-form, which is asked of every person and housing unit in the United States. On this form are a limited number of questions (Age, Hispanic or Latino origin, Household Relationship, Housing Tenure, Housing Vacancy Characteristics, Race, and Sex). The second is the long form, which is given to a sample of the population, usually about 1 in 6 households. The long form asks more detailed questions on population and housing. The information collected in the long-form is then estimated for the entire population.

The data from the short and long forms are made public through the U.S. Census Bureau website.

Source: U.S. Census – Decennial Census

The data presented on the Community Atlas come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Summary File 3, which has information collected through the long form. We chose to use data from the long-form since it provides more detailed questions and responses.

The Census Bureau uses a calculation to take the responses provided through the long-form, which samples about 1 in 6 households, to develop an estimate for the total population. For details on the methods used by the Census Bureau, please see their technical documentation for Summary File 3 located on the Census Bureau website. The Per Capita Income is an average obtained by dividing aggregate income by total population (including children) of an area.

The following data tables are used:

Per Capita Income: Summary File 3, P82. Per Capita Income in 1999 (Dollars)

For the Community Atlas, the per capita income was calculated for specific areas (neighborhoods and communities) by using the dasymeteric method. This is done by reapportioning the data we receive for one type of geographic boundary (e.g., Census tracts, Census block groups, zip codes, etc.) to the neighborhood and community boundaries. The method used for this process is a modified version of the dasymetric mapping technique outlined in the study entitled "Dasymetric Mapping Techniques for the San Francisco Bay" prepared by Rachel Sleeter of the U.S. Geological Survey website.

The basic steps taken for reapportioning the data:

• The land-cover classifications (Southwest Florida Water Management District, 1999) and hydrologic features (Hillsborough County Real Estate Department, 2004) were used to eliminate uninhabited areas from the data source boundaries (Census tracts, Census block groups, zip codes, etc.)
• Neighborhood and Community data values were generated by extracting data values from the data source boundaries (Census tracts, Census block groups, zip codes, etc.) based on the percentage of that boundary area that fell within the neighborhood or community boundary. Using only the inhabited area for this process instead of total area would allow for a more realistic representation when reapportioning the data to neighborhood or community.

• The data were collected in 2000. Hillsborough County has experienced tremendous growth in some areas of the county since that time. Therefore, the population estimates for certain areas are inaccurate because of the age of the data. We chose Census 2000 data to include on the Community Atlas because it is most appropriate for smaller geographic areas such as neighborhoods. More current population estimates are typically for a county or city as a whole, not communities or neighborhoods. If you choose to use this data, please keep in mind that it is an estimate.
• The data presented are from Summary File 3, which is an estimate for the entire population. Because it is an estimate, there might be disagreement over the methods used by the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate that estimate.
• The data has been reapportioned from the original boundaries provided to us in order to develop estimates for neighborhoods and communities. This has been done because not all data is reported for the same boundaries as the neighborhoods and communities on the Community Atlas. When using these data, view them as estimates for these neighborhoods and communities.
• Per Capita Income is calculated for all individuals within a specific geographic area, including children. It should not be considered representative of family or household income. It should be used only as a basic and standardized way of comparing income in different geographic areas.

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• Decennial Census - About the Data - Explains the censuse & surveys data collected in the decennial census, the last of which occurred in the year 2000.
• U.S. Census Bureau
• U.S. Census Bureau Glossary of Terms