Recently, we rolled out two exciting new features on Census.gov — a better search engine and a new version of QuickFacts. Since the launch of Census.gov in 1994, the Internet has changed a lot. In an age of instant communication and 24/7 information sharing, our users want anytime, anywhere access to timely and relevant statistics. The Census Bureau is committed to making the statistics that define our growing, changing nation more accessible than ever before. Through these features, the Census Bureau is increasing the availability and usefulness of the statistics we collect from the American public.

Our new “smart search” not only provides the statistics you are looking for directly on the search page, but also shows visualizations of popular search topics and links to related information. You can now get statistics from multiple Census Bureau data sources on popular topics such as income, poverty and population.

For example, if you search for “California population,” the latest state population statistics, tables and visualizations will appear.  You’ll also see other statistics about California that you might be interested in, such as median household income or total housing units. You can filter search results by images and videos as well.

Our search function now also includes NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes, making business information easier to access. Business leaders will instantly find information essential to their industries.

Based on customer feedback, we’ve also released a completely reimagined QuickFacts site, available in beta at www.census.gov/quickfacts. Prior to this revamp, the QuickFacts application had been virtually unchanged since its launch in 2000. This new version maintains the original ease of use but also includes many improvements, like fully interactive, customized tables that let you view statistics for up to six locations side by side. Want to view data on a map instead of a table? Now you can.

We’ve also added charting, social media sharing, and type-ahead search. Now you can just enter your desired location and QuickFacts does the rest. And it’s not just functionality that’s new — for the first time, QuickFacts includes profiles for townships, as well as locations in Puerto Rico.

These features are just the latest in the Census Bureau’s digital transformation effort, developing new tools using the latest technologies. We’ve made major upgrades to Census.gov so that our almost 50 million annual visitors can more easily find the information they want. We also created an application programming interface (API), three mobile apps and several interactive data tools.

We hope you’ll try out our new smart search and QuickFacts beta. Tell us what you think online or via feedback below. We think you’ll really like what you see.

NOTE: The Census Bureau decommissioned our mobile applications on September 22, 2017.