Research Guides: 2010 Census and American Community Survey: Census Data

Multiple Censuses

Sources of data from multiple census years
Census years	Format	Location	Geographical areas available
1790-1960	online database	Historical Census Browser has been permanently closed.
1790-2000	online PDF of print publication	Published Census Volumes, Minnesota Population Center	May not be complete for all censuses, states, and/or series.
1790-2010	online PDF of print publication	Census Bureau	Not complete for all censuses, states, and/or series.
1790-2010	online database with mapping	Social Explorer	Not complete.
1790-2010	online database	IPUMS
1790-2010	online datasets	ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research)	Varies dependent on the dataset.
1970-2010	electronic; accessible within Bowdoin Library only	Neighborhood Change Database (NCDB)	Nationwide census tract-level data from the 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010 decennial censuses, optionally normalized to 2010 boundaries. Includes 1970-2000 sample data, 2010 SF 1 data, and 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) data.
2010-present. Data back to 2000 are being added.	online database	data.census.gov.	All geographies.

Individual Censuses

Important: Please note the sources available for multiple censuses above. The list of call numbers for print and CD-ROM/DVD below may not be complete. Not all census volumes are in our catalog.

Sources of data for individual census years
Census year (number)	Format	Location	Geographical areas available
1790 (1st)	print	Govt Folio I 2.5:1/reprint No.1
1800 (2nd)	print	Govt Folio I 3.5:1/reprint No.2
1810 (3rd)	print	Govt Folio I 4.5:1/reprint No.3 Govt Folio I 4.5:2/reprint No.4
1820 (4th)	print	Govt Folio I 5.5:1/reprint No.5 Govt Folio I 5.5:2/reprint No.6
1830 (5th)	print	Govt Folio I 6.5:1/reprint
1840 (6th)	print	Volume 1: Govt Folio I 7.5:1/reprint Volume 2: Govt Folio I 7.5:2/reprint Volume 3: Govt Folio I 7.5:3/reprint Volume 4: Govt Folio I 7.5:4/reprint
1850 (7th)	print	Volume 1: Govt Folio I 8.5:1/reprint Volume 3: Govt Folio I 8.5:3/reprint Volume 4: Govt Folio I 8.5:4/reprint
1860 (8th)	print	Volume 1: Govt Folio I 9.5:1/reprint Volume 2: Govt Folio I 9.5:2/reprint Volume 3: Govt Folio I 9.5:3/reprint Volume 4: Govt Folio I 9.5:4/reprint
1870 (9th)	print	Volume 1: Govt Folio I 10.5:1/reprint Volume 2: Govt Folio I 10.5:2/reprint Volume 3: Govt Folio I 10.5:3/reprint Volume 4: Govt Folio I 10.5:4/reprint
1880 (10th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.5:
1890 (11th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.5:
1900 (12th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.5:
1910 (13th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.16:
1920 (14th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.28/5:
1930 (15th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.28/5: Govt Doc C 3.37/5:
1940 (16th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.940-5:
1950 (17th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.950-7/5:
1960 (18th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/9:960 Govt Doc C 3.223/10: Govt Doc C 3.223/11: Govt Doc C 3.224/9:
1970 (19th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/9:970 Govt Doc C 3.223/10: Govt Doc C 3.223/11: Govt Doc C 3.223/17: Govt Doc C 3.224/6:
1980 (20th)	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/8: Govt Doc C 3.223/9:980 Govt Doc C 3.223/10: Govt Doc C 3.223/11: Govt Doc C 3.223/20: Govt Doc C 3.223/23: Govt Doc C 3.224/3: Govt Doc C 3.224/4:
1980 (20th)	zipped text or dbf files (require considerable expertise to use)	Census Bureau FTP site
1990 (21st)	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/5: Govt Doc C 3.223/6: Govt Doc C 3.223/11: Govt Doc C 3.223/12: Govt Doc C 3.223/23: Govt Doc C 3.224/3:
	CD-ROM/DVD	Govt Doc C 3.281/2: Govt Doc C 3.282: Govt Doc C 3.282/2: Govt Doc C 3.282/3: Govt Doc C 3.282/14: Govt Doc C 3.283: Govt Doc C 3.285: Govt Doc C 3.286:
	zipped text or dbf files (require considerable expertise to use)	Census Bureau FTP site
2000 (22nd)	print
	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/5: Govt Doc C 3.223/18: Govt Doc C 3.223/23:	Print holdings are more limited than what is in data.census.gov.
	CD-ROM/DVD	Govt Doc C 3.282: Govt Doc C 3.282/2: Govt Doc C 3.282/2-2: Govt Doc C 3.282/2-3: Govt Doc C 3.282/4: Govt Doc C 3.285:
	zipped text or dbf files (require considerable expertise to use)	Census Bureau FTP site
2010 (23rd)	online database	data.census.gov	All geographies.
	print	Govt Doc C 3.223/5:	Print holdings are more limited than what is in data.census.gov.
	CD-ROM/DVD	Govt Doc C 3.282:2010
	zipped text or dbf files (require considerable expertise to use)	Census Bureau FTP site
Census year (number)	Format	Location	Geographical areas available

Important: Please note the sources available for multiple censuses in the box above this one. The list of call numbers for print and CD-ROM/DVD may not be complete. Not all census volumes are in our catalog.

Overview

Census 2010 in general

Census 2010. Census Bureau.
Definitions for subjects and geographical areas are provided in the technical documentation for each dataset.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File Technical Documentation. PL/10-1. January 2011.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 1 Technical Documentation. SF1/10-3 (RV). March 2012.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 2 Technical Documentation. 2011.
- Census Glossary.

Census 2010 print publications

Decennial Censuses - 2010

Subject characteristics

such as "Race", "Tenure", etc.

Definitions of subject characteristics can be found in the technical documentation for each dataset. The Census Bureau also maintains a general Glossary.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File Technical Documentation. PL/10-1. January 2011.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 1 Technical Documentation. SF1/10-3 (RV). March 2012.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 2 Technical Documentation. 2011.
For the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau uses the definitions of race issued by the Office of Management and Budget in "Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity", Federal Register 62.210 (October 30, 1997):58782-58790. For further information:
- Race. Census Bureau.

Geography

"The TIGERweb viewer allows users to view legal and statistical boundaries as well as transportation and hydrographic features."
Look for definitions of geographical areas in the technical documentation for each dataset. The Census Bureau also maintains a general Glossary.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File Technical Documentation. PL/10-1. January 2011.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 1 Technical Documentation. SF1/10-3 (RV). March 2012.
- U.S. Census Bureau. 2010 Census Summary File 2 Technical Documentation. 2011.
Standard Hierarchy of Census Geographic Entities illustrates the relationships among geographical areas for which one can collect data. Repeated, in part, in this guide.
Census Block Maps, Census Tract Maps, Tribal Tract Maps, P.L.94-171 County Block Maps, P.L.94-171 Voting/Legislative Districts, and School District Maps are available from Reference Maps > Census Reference Maps.
TIGER/Line Shapefiles. Census Bureau.

The form

The Census form (interactive). Census Bureau.
A facsimile of the form (PDF). Census Bureau.

Downloading massive amounts of data

Use: Data via FTP