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U.S. Census Data & Statistics

This guide provides information and tools needed for researching U.S. Census data and statistics.

Getting Started

The Census tracks a staggering amount of data, and all of this data is open and available to the public; however, sometimes trying to find the data that you need can feel like you're trying to squeeze water from a stone. Having an understanding of the definitions and delineations of the various geographic entities used for data collection and reporting is essential for finding and using census data. 

Use this tab and the following sub-tabs for resources and tips on how to effectively find and use census data for your research.

Geographic Information

Geography is important because it is the basis for taking a census and for tabulating census data. Understanding geographic relationships is key to understanding how to properly use Census Bureau data. The Standard Hierarchy of Census Geographic Entities displays the relationships between legal, administrative and statistical boundaries maintained by the Census Bureau. It depicts relationships with a line and shows where relationships do not exist by displaying entities on different line tracks. In short, it shows how different geographic areas may, or may not, be related.

Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county. Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people, with an optimum size of 4,000 people, and they are the smallest geographical unit for which detailed Census data (income, education, poverty status, etc.) is provided.

Before you can find data at the Tract level, you must know the Tract numbers which encompass the area you are interested in. Here are two ways to find these numbers:

1. Data.census.gov does not have an address search feature available.  However, you can access geographic information, such as the state, county, tract number, block number, and block group number, about a particular address using the Census Geocoder. 

The Geocoder can be accessed at https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/address?form.

2. Use the Census Tract Reference Maps on the Census Bureau's website. This database provides PDFs of Tracts for each county in the country.

Questions to think about before you begin your census data research:

  • What topic (and subtopics) are you interested in?
    • Poverty, Veterans, Forestry, Commuting, etc.
  • What years / timespan do you need data for?
  • What geographic level (census tract, county, city, metropolitan areas, etc.) are you looking for data for?