Census U.S.A.

Since 1790, the United States Bureau of the Census has been conducting a decennial census of the nation's population and associated vital statistics. Since 1994, the Bureau has made statistical information available through their World Wide Web homepage. The Bureau was one of the first federal agencies to make information available to the public through the Internet. Their site on the web receives about 145,000 hits per day.

The U.S. Gazetteer provides demographic information by county, city, place and even zip code. Submit the appropriate information and you'll be given a list of options which meet your search request. From there, you can view a Tiger map of the area or further select data from the various 1990 census databases. The Summary Tape Files (STF) from the 1A,1C, and 1D series are basic demographic data from the 1990 complete count while the 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D series are compiled from the 1990 sample count and include all socio-economic factors.

Other institutions have placed census data on the web. The University of Virginina Library has placed the 1988 and 1994 City and County Data Books on the web. This valuable source gives local demographic data for all cities and counties in the United States.

The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) has placed the Demographic Data Viewer on-line. This site creates maps at the county level based on 1990 data for census tracts and counties. These color maps give the user a rapid visual comparison of data.

For the 2000 census, the Bureau has begun a project called Data Access and Dissemination (DADS) which will allow visitors to the Census site to create customized tables based on the decennial data. Currently, users rely on tables and charts designed by Bureau staff. The future of data on the Internet certainly shows promise as the Census Bureau expands their public information operations.

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