Raymondo provides a step-by-step guide through the complex issues associated with the methods of producing population estimates and projections. The author's approach reflects both his formal training in the study of population and his experience as an applied demographer, where he was frequently called upon to present technical population data to a lay audience. The result is a book firmly grounded in the methods and procedures of demography, but presented in a clear, concise manner for the everyday user of population estimates and projections. This book is a key resource for anyone dealing with population data.

Raymondo begins by describing the general nature and differences of population estimates and projections. The author then takes the reader through several methodological issues that provide a foundation for the basic concepts of demographic analysis related to the production of population estimates and projections. Also provided is a helpful discussion on the intricacies of U.S. Bureau of the Census geographic concepts, and a general discussion on major sources of data for the estimation and projection process.