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Geography Boundaries by Year
Geography Boundaries by Year
Vintage of Geographic Areas for ACS Estimates
The ACS typically publishes estimates using the latest available geographic boundaries (also known as "vintages"). For ACS 5-year estimates, use the last year of the estimate period to determine the vintage. For example, the following datasets use the same vintages of geographic boundaries:
- 2023 ACS 1-year estimates
- 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates
To learn more about geographic concepts used in the ACS, check out our geographic handbook Geography and the American Community Survey: What Data Users Need to Know.
2023
Legal Areas
Legally defined geographic areas used in the ACS are updated on an annual basis from a variety of programs, including: the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS), the Redistricting Data Program and the School District Review Program.
| Summary Level | Geographic Area | Vintage of Geographic Area for 2023 ACS Estimate Year |
|---|---|---|
| 040 | State and State Equivalent | January 1, 2023 |
| 050 | County or equivalent (Alaska boroughs, Louisana parishes, Puerto Rico municipios, independent cities) | January 1, 2023 |
| County Subdivision | ||
|---|---|---|
| 067 | Township, Minor Civil Division (MCD)/Barrio and Barrio-Pueblo | January 1, 2023 |
| Place | ||
|---|---|---|
| 160 | Incorporated Place | January 1, 2023 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Home Land | ||
|---|---|---|
| 230 | Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs) | January 1, 2023 |
| 250/252/254 | Federal American Indian Reservation (federal AIR) | January 1, 2023 |
| 250/252 | State American Indian Reservation (state AIR) | January 1, 2023 |
| 251 | American Indian Tribal Subdivision, federal AIR | January 1, 2023 |
| 250/254 | Hawaiian Home Land (HHL) | January 1, 2023 |
| Other Legal Areas | ||
|---|---|---|
| 500 | Congressional District, Delegate District DC, Resident Commissioner District PR | 118th Congress of the United States/1 |
| 610/620 | State Legislative Districts (Upper and Lower Chambers) | 2022 Legislative Session Year/1 |
| 950/960/970 | School District (Elementary, Secondary, Unified) | January 1, 2023 |
| 170 | Consolidated City | January 1, 2023 |
Statistical Areas
For statistical areas, boundary changes are mostly associated with updates from each decennial census. Statistical areas are designed to have stable boundaries over time.
| Summary Level | Geographic Area | Vintage of Geographic Area for 2023 ACS Estimate Year |
|---|---|---|
| 050 | County Equivalent (Census Areas in Alaska) | January 1, 2023 |
| County Subdivision | ||
|---|---|---|
| 060 | Census County Division (CCD) | January 1, 2023 |
| Place | ||
|---|---|---|
| 160 | Census Designated Place (CDP)/Zona Urbana and Comunidad | Janaury 1, 2023 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Home Land | ||
|---|---|---|
| 250/252 | Tribal Designated Statistical Area (TDSA) | 2020 Census |
| 250/252 | State Designated Tribal Statistical Area (SDTSA) | 2020 Census |
| 250/252 | Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (OTSA) | 2020 Census |
| 251 | American Indian Tribal Subdivision (within OTSA) | 2020 Census |
| 256 | Tribal Tract | 2020 Census/2 |
| 258 | Tribal Block Group | 2020 Census/2 |
| 250/252 | Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA) | 2020 Census |
| Other Statistical Areas | ||
|---|---|---|
| 310 | Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area | July 21, 2023/3/4 |
| 312 | Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area - Principal City | July 21, 2023/3/4 |
| 400 | Urban Area | 2020 Census |
| 140 | Census Tract | 2020 Census/2 |
| 150 | Census Block Group | 2020 Census/2 |
| 795 | Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) | 2020 Census |
| 860 | 5-digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) | 2020 Census |
/1The U.S. Census Bureau collects congressional and state legislative districts every two years through the Redistricting Data Program. Typically, new geography products are generated only when changes to congressional or state legislative districts are reported between sessions. For more information see: Redistricting Data Program.
/2Changes to the boundaries of legal areas may cause complementary changes to the boundaries of selected statistical areas.
/3While the American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definitions of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas; in certain instances, the names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB definitions due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities.
/4The 2023 ACS data products for Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), also referred to as Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, are based on post-2020 Census revised delineations published by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on July 21, 2023 (OMB Bulletin No. 23-01). For more information see: Metropolitan and Micropolitan.
* NECTA Geographies have been discontinued starting with the 2023 ACS data release. For more information visit 2023 Geography Changes.
Page Last Revised - August 28, 2024
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