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population, was replaced with the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS data are further described in the next section. The 2010 short form questionnaire asked only for age, sex, race, and ethnicity of each person in the household, as well as the individual's relationship to the person filling out the form. The change from long form data to ACS data has impacted the ability to collect data at the neighborhood level due to potential errors resulting from a smaller sample size of the ACS data compared to the historical long form sample size. This report largely uses the 2010 Decennial Census data for demographic and socioeconomic indicators and supplements the information with the 2011 ACS data. Other sources of data are also used where available to develop a demographic overview of current conditions in Indian River County. 1.1.2 2011 American Community Survey The U.S. Census Bureau has recognized the challenges faced by communities when demographic data are available only on a decennial basis. In response, the Census Bureau developed the American Community Survey (ACS) in 2005. ACS is a "continuous measurement" survey, sampling between 250,000 — 300,000 households per month from 2005 through 2011. ACS gathers largely the same data as its predecessor, the census long form. Since the sample size for ACS is smaller than the sample size for the long form, the data are aggregated at the county level. The ACS provides annual data for areas with populations of at least 65,000 people, including about 800 counties, and about 500 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. For less populous areas, the Bureau produces multi-year averages based on ACS data collected over several years. In December 2010, the first five-year averages became available for areas from the most populous to those with fewer than 20,000 people. The 2011 one-year ACS data has been used in this report to supplement the 2010 Decennial Census data. The two above -listed data sources were combined to provide a current demographic profile of Indian River County. While these sources may not necessarily be in agreement with the actual numbers, the data sources will be identified when discussing the detailed demographic conditions within the County. 1.2 Study Area Setting Indian River County is located along the southeast Atlantic coast of Florida. It is bordered by Brevard County to the north, Osceola and Okeechobee Counties to the west and St. Lucie County to the south. The County's geography is characterized by its extensive coastlines and waterways. In fact, the County was named after the Indian River Lagoon which stretches the entire length of the County's eastern border. Of the County's 617 total square miles, over 18 percent is water, and there are nearly 23 miles of Atlantic coastline. Proximity to the water and recreational activities make Indian River County desirable to visitors and residents alike, resulting in more densely populated areas in the eastern portion of the County. This is in sharp contrast to the central and 1-2 k40 , Stanley Comultants