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We measure the housing and construction industry, track homeownership rates, and produce statistics on the physical and financial characteristics of our homes.
Income is the gauge many use to determine the well-being of the U.S. population. Survey and census questions cover poverty, income, and wealth.
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Geography is central to the work of the Bureau, providing the framework for survey design, sample selection, data collection, tabulation, and dissemination.
Find resources on how to use geographic data and products with statistical data, educational blog postings, and presentations.
The Geographic Support System Initiative will integrate improved address coverage, spatial feature updates, and enhanced quality assessment and measurement.
Work with interactive mapping tools from across the Census Bureau.
Find geographic data and products such as Shapefiles, KMLs, TIGERweb, boundary files, geographic relationship files, and reference and thematic maps.
Metropolitan and micropolitan areas are geographic entities used by Federal statistical agencies in collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics.
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Definitions of geographic terms, why geographic areas are defined, and how the Census Bureau defines geographic areas.
We conduct research on geographic topics such as how to define geographic areas and how geography changes over time.
Official audio files from the Census Bureau, including "Profile America," a daily series of bite-sized statistics, placing current data in a historical context.
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These external sites provide more data.
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Learn more about our data from this collection of e-tutorials, presentations, webinars and other training materials. Sign up for training sessions.
Learn more about our data from this collection of e-tutorials, presentations, webinars and other training materials. Sign up for training sessions.
Explore Census data with interactive visualizations covering a broad range of topics.
If you have received a survey, this site will help you verify that the survey came from us, understand and complete the form, and know how we protect your data.
This is the 2020 Census redirect
This is the 2020 Census redirect
National and state population totals from the 2010 Census were released on December 21, 2010
The American Community Survey (ACS) is a mandatory, ongoing statistical survey that samples a small percentage of the population every year.
The AHS is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Economic Census is the U.S. government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy.
Collects data and measures change for many topics including: economic well-being, family dynamics, education, assets, health insurance, and childcare.
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The Census Bureau's Director writes on how we measure America's people, places and economy.
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Our researchers explore innovative ways to conduct surveys, increase respondent participation, reduce costs, and improve accuracy.
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Geography
You are here: Census.gov › Geography › Maps & Data › Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles
Skip top of page navigationCartographic Boundary Shapefiles
What Are They?
The cartographic boundary files are simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau’s Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) system. These boundary files are specifically designed for small scale thematic mapping.
For more details about these files, please see our Cartographic Boundary File Description page.
Download Files
Cartographic boundary files are available in shapefile format for the 2010 Census, Census 2000, and non-decennial years. They include the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas, with the exception of the 1:20,000,000 scale files, which do not include the Island Areas. Each download includes file-based metadata.
- Nation-based Files
- State-based Files
- All 2017 files (from ftp site)
- All 2016 files (from ftp site)
- All 2015 files (from ftp site)
- All 2014 files (from ftp site)
- All 2013 files (from ftp site)
- All 2010 Census files (from ftp site)
- All Pre-2010 Census files
Note on Special Characters Not Displaying Correctly
Other Mapping Files
- TIGER/Line Shapefiles - most comprehensive, detailed files
- KML – Cartographic Boundary Files