Look Here!!
Below are many different useful links dedicated to various census related topics. If you are unsure of what you want to look for on this topic, go directly to Census.gov and begin exploring the website. Everything related to the Census Bureau can be found here. It may also be useful to consult the govinfo.gov website as well.
Introduction
- Decennial CensusThe once-a-decade population and housing count of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas as required by the U.S. Constitution. The results of the decennial census determine the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives and are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts and to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds each year.
- Economic CensusMeasures the nation’s economy every five years, providing vital statistics for virtually every industry and geographic area in the country.
- Census of GovernmentsProvides comprehensive data about the nearly 90,000 state and local governments in the nation every five years.
- Data.census.govThe centrally localized platform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- American Community SurveyAn ongoing annual survey that shows what the U.S. population looks like and how it lives. The ACS helps communities decide where to target services and resources.
- Demographic SurveysMeasures of income, poverty, education, health insurance coverage, housing quality, crime victimization, computer usage, and many other subjects.
- Economic surveys are conducted monthly, quarterly, and yearly. They cover selected sectors of the nation's economy and supplement the Economic Census with more-frequent information about the dynamic economy. These surveys yield more than 400 annual economic reports, including principal economic indicators.
- Sponsored surveys are demographic and economic surveys that are conducted for other government agencies. They include the Current Population Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, and the National Survey of College Graduates.
- Population EstimatesEvery year, the Census Bureau publishes population estimates and demographic components of change, such as births, deaths, and migration. This data can be sorted by characteristics such as age, sex, and race, as well as by national, state, and county location.
- Population ProjectionsEstimates of population size and characteristics. Population projections are based on future demographic trends, including births, life expectancy, and migration patterns.
- Quick FactsProvides easy access to facts about people, business, and geography.
**Note: Be aware that American FactFinder will serve as an archive system for accessing historical data until Spring 2020. To explore Census data after July 2019, please use data.census.gov. The new platform is now the primary way to access Census Bureau data, including the 2018 American Community Survey, 2017 Economic Census, 2020 Census and more. All new data previously released on American FactFinder will be released on the new website.
- My Congressional DistrictHas key stats by Congressional district.
Resources
- Data ProfilesExplore United States, state, county, and city profiles on population, race and ethnicity, health, education, and more.
- TablesView American Community Survey data profiles as tables.
- Data GemsA series of how-to videos available for data users who are looking for an easy and quick way to enhance their knowledge of Census data.
- Data Profiles from American Community Survey (ACS)Data Profiles have the most frequently requested social, economic, housing, and demographic data. There are four profile types that draw from the most recent five years of available ACS data.
- Ranking TablesRanking Tables demonstrate where certain states compare to other states about select demographics.
- TIGERWebA web-based resource from the Census Bureau for geographic and location data. TIGER data includes features like roads, railroads, rivers, lakes, and glaciers. It also includes boundaries for legal and statistical geographic entities.
- Census Business Builder - Small Business EditionSmall Business Edition is built primarily for small business owners who need key data for their business plan or to better understand their potential market. It presents data for a single type of business and geography at a time.
- Census Business Builder - Regional Analyst EditionRegional Analyst Edition is built for chambers of commerce and regional planning staff who need a broad portrait of the people and businesses in their service area. It presents data for all sectors of the economy and for a user-defined region made up of one or more areas.
- OnTheMapOnTheMap is a web-based mapping and reporting application that shows where workers are employed and where they live. It also provides companion reports on age, earnings, industry distributions, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, and sex.
- Data Tools and AppsThis page lists all data tools and apps provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Brief descriptions will help you decide which tool is right for you.
- State Data Center Program Member ProgramState Data Centers, sponsored by the Census Bureau, coordinate affiliate agencies within their regions to provide access to demographic data and tools. This links to the Census Bureau's directory of all state data centers.
- Nashville Open Data PortalMetropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
- Tennessee State Data CenterThe Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee serves as the Lead Agency for the SDC program in Tennessee.
Additional Data Resources
- Data.govData.gov provides access to open, machine-readable data, primarily from federal agencies. It also indexes metadata and links to state, local, and tribal governments data in one centralized location contributed voluntarily by those agencies.
- Bureau of Economic AnalysisThe BEA provides timely, relevant, and accurate economic accounts data in an objective manner. The available data has a national, regional, industry, and/or international focus and includes essential information on such issues such as economic growth, regional economic development, interindustry relationships, and the Nation's position in the world economy.
- Tennessee Economic DataFrom the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
- FRED Economic DataThis site offers a wealth of economic data and information to promote economic education and enhance economic research. The database is updated regularly and allows 24/7 access to regional and national financial and economic data.
- National Center for Education StatisticsThis site provides access to a variety of data tools to analyze school district, college, and other nationwide education data.
- Tennessee Board of Education Data & ResearchThe Tennessee Department of Education collects and analyzes a wide variety of information about K-12 schools, the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program report cards, educator surveys, districts and school accountability, and other useful statistics and reports on the condition of the state's education.
- Tennessee Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation's Dat & ReportsCounty profiles, TN Promise annual reports, supply and demand reports, Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) reports, and more.
- Centers for Disease Control WONDERCDC WONDER makes the information resources of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) available to public health professionals and the public at large. It provides access to a wide array of public health information and is valuable in public health research, decision making, priority setting, program evaluation, and resource allocation.
- Tennessee Department of Health Data ListingData on births, deaths, pregnancies, men's health, women's health, behavioral risk factor survey, and more.
- Tennessee State Data CenterThis is the platform for exploring and downloading GIS data, discovering and building apps, and engaging others to solve important issues. You can analyze and combine datasets using maps, as well as develop new web and mobile applications.
- Population Projections for the State of Tennessee 2005 to 2025A joint publication of the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
and The University of Tennessee Center for Business and Economic Research.
United States Census
The United States Census Bureau
The Census Bureau is the federal government's largest statistical agency. It is dedicated to providing current facts and figures about America's people, places, and economy. Federal law protects the confidentiality of all the information it collects.
History At-a-Glance
Thomas Jefferson directed the first census in 1790. As required by the U.S. Constitution, a census has been taken every 10 years thereafter. In 1840, the Census Act authorized the establishment of a centralized Census Office. In 1902, the Census Office became a permanent organization within the Department of Interior. A year later, it was renamed the Bureau of the Census and moved to the new Department of Commerce and Labor.
Census data is used to determine the distribution of Congressional seats to states:
- mandated by the U.S. Constitution
- apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
- define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government
Learn more about the Census Redistricting Data Program.
To make decisions about what community services to provide --
For example, changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to:
- provide services for the elderly
- build new roads and schools
- locate job training centers
- distribute federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year
Census data affects how funding is allocated to communities for:
- neighborhood improvements
- public health
- education
- transportation
- and much more
- to provide Age Search information for:
- qualifying for Social Security and other retirement benefits
- passport applications
- proving relationship in settling estates
- researching genealogy or a historical topic
Understanding Census Data
The standard hierarchy of census geographic entities displays the relationships between legal, administrative, and statistical boundaries maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The hierarchy provides a quick and easy way to see how the different geographic entities at the Census Bureau relate to one another. In other words, it shows how different geographic areas may, or may not, be related. It depicts relationships with a line and shows where relationships do not exist by displaying entities on different line tracts.
US Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/hierarchy.html
- Hierarchy of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian AreasThis diagram shows American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Areas relate starting at the block level.
- Standard Hierarchy of Census Geographic Entities in the Island AreasThis diagram shows how levels of geography relate from the National level down to Census Blocks in the Island Areas.
Guidance and Handbooks
- Census Bureau LibraryPublications, briefs and reports from Census Bureau experts generated after June 23, 2014.
- Handbooks for Data UsersUse ACS data in different ways and for different reasons. Each one of our downloadable PDF handbooks helps a particular group with specific how-to instructions and/or case studies.
- Introduction to Census 2000 Data ProductsCensus 2000 was the largest peacetime effort in the history of the U.S. Information about the 115.9 million housing units and 281.4 million people across the country. This brochure provides a brief introduction to the information available from Census 2000, Census 2000 geography, maps, and data products.
- Understanding and Using American Community Survey Data: What All Data Users Need to KnowThis handbook provides an overview of the ACS to help data users understand the basics of the survey, how the data can be used, how to judge the accuracy of ACS estimates, and how to access ACS data. It also includes some recent case studies that show how ACS data are being used to help address important policy and program issues.
- When to Use EstimatesA resource which helps researchers understand when to use 1-Year, 3-Year, or 5-Year estimates from American Community Survey data.