Module 1: About the Census Bureau and Finding Data

• Census 101
• Three Primary Elements You Must Know to Find Census Bureau Data

Module 2: Our Surveys and Data

• DATA GEM: How to Find What Survey Has the Data You Need with Census Survey Explorer

Module 3: Geography

• DATA GEM: What is a Census Tract? Making Sense of Census Geography
• DATA GEM: What is a CDP? Making Sense of Census GeographyCDP
• DATA GEM: What is a ZCTA? Making Sense of Census Geography

Module 4: Accessing Data

Accessing current statistics for commonly needed topics. (most simplistic, less robust data availability)

• DATA GEM: How to Use Filters on data.census.gov
• DATA GEM: How to Access Data for Your Neighborhood in Just a Few Clicks (census.gov)
• DATA GEM: Locate and Analyze your Customers and Market with Census Business Builder
• DATA GEM: When to Use QuickFacts, a Tool That Gets You Data Fast!

Learn about the Census Bureau’s mission and programs and then what to think about while framing your data search questions. 

The Census Bureau has a big job! Watch to get a quick introduction to some of our programs and the vital work they do. 

This video offers the "big picture" of what you need to learn as you embark on your journey of finding and using Census Bureau data. It will help you understand the three primary elements you need to know and why. In other words, discover what you didn’t know you needed to know. 

Learn how to best discover what data are available in each of our surveys. 

If you are looking for data about a specific topic or area but do not know where to find such data, you can use the Census Survey Explorer to discover which surveys, have the topics, geographies, and frequency of release that you are interested in. This Data Gem will use practical real-life examples to teach you how to search our surveys with the Census Survey Explorer and offer tips for how to use the tool's guidance pages. 

The videos below explain some of our popular geographies for which you can access Census Bureau data.

If want to access data for parts of your community, Census Tracts are the way to go. This geography will give you the flexibility to take a deeper look at any small area of a city or county. Watch this gem to learn all about the Census Tract. 

Working with census geography can be confusing. If you need to access data for cities and towns, it is important to learn more about CDPs. CDP is the abbreviation for Census Designated Place, the statistical counterpart of an incorporated place. CDPs are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of populations. Learn more about why we create CDPs, their uses and how you can identify them in your data searches. 

The Census Bureau does not produce population data at the Zip Code level, but rather by the Census Bureau's own Zip Code Tabulation Areas, or "ZCTA." If you are wondering what a ZCTA is, watch this quick explanation and how they compare to zip codes! 

To learn about census geographies in more depth, you can view our geography course.  

Ready to access statistics? We hand-curated some of the best videos that will help you get started.

Accessing current statistics for commonly needed topics. (most simplistic, less robust data availability)

If you are looking for popular current statistics, QuickFacts is a good place to start. (Note: population within your geography must be 5,000 or higher). In this Data Gem, learn what statistics, geographies, and features you can expect to find in this easy-to-use tool. 

Accessing data from our main data platform data.census.gov and main business platform Census Business Builder. (robust data availability and more tool features)

Save time when trying to access data products on data.census.gov. Learn how to use pre-selected filters to find new data tables as well as table IDs to access your favorite products. 

Accessing data for your neighborhood or service area can be challenging. But did you know that data.census.gov has a mapping feature that you can use to select your areas? By using census tracts, you can select the boundaries of your area and access demographic, socioeconomic, and housing statistics about your community. Watch this Data Gem to learn tips.

Current and prospective business owners looking to open or expand will want to use our tool, Census Business Builder, to analyze their customers, market, and competition for their industry of interest. In this Data Gem, learn to select and visualize variables for your industry which enable you to: 

• Evaluate ideal locations. 
• Learn about your customer base and economic conditions. 
• Research competition, supply industries, and employee data and more! 

I just finished Start Here! A Quick Start Page for Beginner Census Bureau Data Users with Census Academy! Be sure to check out their free resources!

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