Resource | Description | Smallest Geography | Earliest Year | Format |
---|---|---|---|---|
Social Explorer | Query and map a variety of census and demographic data. Provides estimates using 2010 boundaries for a standard set of variables from 1970 through 2000 (normalized geography) as well as data back to 1790 in original boundaries. Learn how to join data to a TIGER file to use in GIS. | block group | 1790 | .csv, .xls |
National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) | Archived census data and historical census boundary files (data needs to be joined to them). | varies by year, some down to block | 1790 | .csv, .shp |
Historical Decennial Census and Population Housing Counts | Reports on historical census variables. | N/A | 1790 | |
ICPSR | Census data held by ICPSR | varies by year, some down to tract | 1790 | .ASCII |
Longitudinal Tract Database | The LTDB provides estimates using 2010 boundaries for a standard set of variables from 1970 through 2000 (normalized geography). Need to manipulate the database to use it. | tract | 1970 | Access, Stata code |
Census FTP site | Access older census data for large areas. | tract | 1980 | .txt |
IPUMS-USA | High-precision samples of the American population drawn from federal censuses and the American Community Surveys. | microdata | 1790 | .ASCII |
Population and Housing Unit Estimates | Yearly estimates of basic population demographic and housing variables | county | 1970 | .txt |