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Technical Documentation

Valassis Lists Data as an Indicator of Population Recovery in the New Orleans Area.
Ortiz and Plyer. 2008.
In this rapidly changing post‐Katrina environment, standard estimates of population are insufficient. Valassis data offers a new indicator of population that is timely and available for small geographic areas. But this data is quite experimental. Users should be well aware of the available research about this data. This report provides a description of the Valassis Lists data and the methodology we used to create our counts. Over the next year, we will continue our analysis of the Valassis Lists data and document our findings in updated or additional versions of this technical document. Download the PDF.

Related research...

NEW ARTICLE! Using administrative data to estimate population displacement and resettlement following a catastrophic U.S. disaster Plyer, Bonaguro, and Hodges. 2009.
After a large scale evacuation, authorities need to know the new and frequently changing population distributions in order to meet needs for housing, schools, health care, and other services. This paper reviews literature from the fields of demography and other disciplines to identify available administrative data sets that can form the basis of sound, relevant, and timely county-level population estimates following a catastrophic U.S. event. The most appropriate data to estimate population in damaged counties will be disaster-specific data such as housing damage estimates and FEMA applicant counts initially, and later electric accounts and USPS active residences. In heavily damaged counties, data on electric accounts and USPS active residences may not be consistently collected for many months, during which time sample surveys may be needed. For counties that receive an influx of population, school enrollment data provide the most appropriate basis for population estimates. Population estimates for large, heavily damaged counties are highly uncertain. Sensitivity analysis when using estimates for planning in these areas is recommended. The Census Bureau can build on this research by codifying recommendations to local authorities for developing frequent post-disaster population estimates. Click here to access this paper.

Using U.S. Postal Service Delivery Statistics to Track Population Shifts Following a Major U.S. Disaster. Plyer and Hodges. 2008.
This paper examines the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on U.S. Postal Service monthly residential address counts for parishes in Louisiana. Pre-hurricane comparisons between USPS counts and Census estimates establish a baseline. Then, starting with August 2005, month by month address counts are examined to assess their effectiveness in reflecting population displacement and recovery at the parish level. Click here to access this paper.

Using U.S. Postal Service Delivery Statistics To Track the Repopulation of New Orleans & the Metropolitan Area. Plyer with Bonaguro. 2007.
This Research Note explains why U.S. Postal Service Delivery Statistics are needed and useful for tracking repopulation in a post-disaster context, and documents some of the limitations of the data as a measure of repopulation. It provides initial comparisons of indicators based on this USPS data and census estimates for the New Orleans metro area, along with sub-parish analyses for Orleans and St. Tammany parishes. Download the PDF.