Tool/database for Opt 1?

Factfinder is old and out of date at this pont, I believe...are you using https://data.census.gov/cedsci/ ?

Yeah, in v4 I would generally google the name of the program in the credit and use whatever tool popped up - those specific websites move around so much, it's understandable that the ref guide ends up outdated. But Factfinder's retirement was a pretty big deal to anyone working with census data, so I sure hope that one gets cleared up before the final edition. 

Yes, Emily - great point!  It was definitely a big shift when FactFinder was retired.  The new Census data finder that you linked above (https://data.census.gov/cedsci/) is trickier to navigate than FactFinder was, in my opinion.  Here's a workflow that I've found helpful for quickly extracting the info that you need from it:

1. Identify your project census tract using the Census Bureau's Geocoder here.  Type in the project address, hit search, and find the tract number under "TRACT: ##" in results.
2. All the data required to compute Path 1 calcs are accessible from one table in the data finder, DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics.  Search in search bar for the table ID, DP03 (quick link here).  By default, the table aggregates metrics at the national level - we can easily change this to the state, region or census tract level, so we can access the same metrics for different geographic areas to complete our credit calcs.  Before proceeding, check that the selected Product is 2019*, the most recent data available.
3. Select "Customize Table", the green button at the top of the page.  New settings will open.
4. From the settings ribbon, select "Geos" - here is where we'll change the geography.  
5. Baseline data - for the baseline values, we'll want data aggregated at the state or regional level.  To view data for the project state, click State, and select your state from the list.  To view data for the project region, click County, then your project state, and select your project county from the list.  Click "Close".  Now, you'll be able to extract data from the table for household income, poverty rate and unemployment rate, depending on which calculation you're pursuing for credit compliance.

• Household income
  • With the table open, under Income and Benefits label, you'll see the Median Household Income row.  Collect the value in the Estimate column.  NOTE: per LEED v4.1 requirements, the median income should be used to calculate AMI (i.e., Area Median Income).  The Mean Household Income row should be referenced for your project's census tract, as this row gives the mean/average income value.
• Poverty status
  • Under % of People and Families whose Income in Past 12 Mo. is Below Poverty Level label, you'll see the All people row.  Collect the value in the Percent column.
• Unemployment status
  • Under Employment Status label, you'll see the Unemployment rate row.  Collect the value in the Percent column.

5. Project tract data - for the tract-specific values, follow the same process as in (Step 4) above.  However, under "Geos", click Tract, then your project state and county, and then choose your project census tract from the list.  

*If you're interested in learning more about advantages of different surveys, i.e., ACS 5-year versus 1-year estimates, here's a good article.  5-year estimates are more reliable and cover all geographic areas down to the granularity of block groups (which are subsets of tracts).

Thanks so much for sharing this! The baseline reference is much appreciated, as it's not totally clear from the ref guide what the "area" in "AMI" should be. County makes sense for most US projects. 

Thank you for providing all of these steps! Sincerely helpful to have it outlined this way. In regards to the AMI number you need to compare the census tract to, my colleague found this great website which is an Area Median Income Lookup Tool and saves you a bit of time: https://ami-lookup-tool.fanniemae.com/amilookuptool/