Research Guide: Finding and Using Census Data
American Factfinder guide (video) | Infoshare guide (video)| Census Mapping Sites | Working with Statistics
Related guides: New York City Neighborhood Demographics | New York City Neighborhoods
The U.S. Census takes place every 10 years. It tries to count everyone in the United States (as opposed to most surveys, which use representative samples to understand populations — that's how news organizations can survey just a few hundred people and predict who will win an election).
Census data is used for a lot of things. The number of representatives each state has in Congress is based upon Census data.
But Census data does so much more.
It also represents a way to understand the U.S. and out local communities. It tells us things like how much people make, how long it takes people to get to work, and what kind of education Americans have. It tells us who lives in our community. The Census tells us about ourselves and the United States as a whole.
Below are some tools to help you find and use Census data.
American FactFinder: 2000 and 2010 data from the U.S. Census Bureau
To search American FactFinder, visit the site.
- If you're researching a neighborhood, start by using the Geography box to indicate the area you wish to research. You can use a zip code, a congressional district, or a Census tract number. You can even search by state. The address search option on the left side of the page is also very helpful (see image below). When you're done, click the Go button.
- Now you'll have a list of all of the reports available for your geographic selection. The report names are pretty descriptive, giving you the Census year on which they are based and describing the type of report. The reports with profile and general in the title tend to give overviews of data, though.
- If you know the type of report you need, you can type its name in the Search within Results for... box on the left side of the screen.
You can also browse the Topics to see what kind of reports are available.
- Click on a report to access it.
Here is how you cite information from American Factfinder: APA style and MLA style.
Video guide for using American FactFinder:
You might also be interested in Infoshare, an alternative Census data interface (requires login from off-campus). It contains Census data from 1980-2010.
- Click the Area Profile tab.
- Choose New York City
- Choose how you will find your neighborhood (Census Tract, Zip Code, Community District).
- Choose the borough and select the area you are researching.
- Choose the Census information you want to use. 2010 Census is the most recent data available. 1980 Census is the oldest. ACS represents the American Community Survey, which is administered in-between Census years on a rolling basis.
- Then, review the Census files available to you. You can toggle between files related to Persons (individuals), Households (people living under one roof), Families (people related to one another), and Housing (the home, not the people in the home). You can also toggle between Demographic, Socio-economic, and Health Information.
Click the View Your Table button to see the report.
- Once you have selected your file, click View table. You will be presented with your information. You can then print the information or download it as an Excel spreadsheet (under the File link), allowing you to manipulate and/or combine tables.
Here is how you cite information from Infoshare: APA style and MLA style.
Video guide for using Infoshare:
Census mapping sites
These sites present Census data in map form.
- Social Explorer: Visualizes Census data going back to 1790. Also includes religious data, which is not part of the U.S. Census (requires login from off-campus)
- Visualizing a Changing Region, Block by Block: Compares neighborhoods by race and ethnicity from 2000 to 2010 Census
- Mapping America: Every City, Every Block: The New York Times presents distribution of racial and ethnic groups based upon Census data
- Mapping the 2010 U.S. Census: Via The New York Times, includes comparisons between 2000 and 2010 Census data.
Working with statistics
- Writing with Statistics: A guide from the Purdue Online Writing Lab
- How to Read a Table (PDF): A useful refresher.