FDLP Resource Guides: Census Data: Home

Overview

This guide highlights information and resources about census data.

Screenshot on employment data for the state of Alabama from the 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

U.S. Census Bureau

Below are some quick information about the U.S. Census Bureau.

Mission: "To serve as the nation’s leading provider of quality data about its people and economy."
Constitutional Mandate: Article I, Section 2
- "The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct."
Authority: Title 13 and Title 26 of the United States Code.
Back to Data Basics Webinar Series: Learn how to work with census data in this free series that is open to the public.

U.S. Government Publishing Office Resources on Census Data

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has information, including official Federal publications, about census data and the U.S. Census Bureau. Click on each of the tabs in this box to see featured resources from the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), FDLP Academy, FDLP Resource Guides, and GovInfo.

The CGP is a free online resource of bibliographic records for U.S. Government publications. To learn more about how to use this catalog, check out CGP Search Tips/Help. The featured publications are about census data or the Census Bureau's analyses of its data collection and reporting.

	2020 Census: bureau released apportionment and redistricting data, but needs to finalize plans for future data products: congressional requesters Publication Date: 2022 Quoted excerpt: "In response to the COVID-19 national emergency, the Bureau made major and unprecedented adjustments to its plans for the 2020 Census. Operational delays led to the delayed release of the apportionment numbers and redistricting data products. The Bureau is evaluating the effect these adjustments had on the quality of the data collected."
	American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States: American Indians and Alaska Natives in Alaska Publication Date: 2022 See the maps of the United States and Alaska about the populations of American Indians and Alaska Natives in 2020.
	An assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the 2020 ACS 1-year data: final report Publication Date: 2021 Quoted excerpt: "This report describes the data collection disruptions in 2020, the modifications to standard weighting and estimation to combat the collection issues, and the resulting data quality issues that informed the decision to not release the standard 1-year ACS data products."
	Uses of decennial census programs data in federal funds distribution: fiscal year 2021 Publication Date: 2023 Quoted excerpt: "Participating in a Census Bureau census or survey can make a difference in the amount of federal funding federal assistance programs allocate across the country. While the inventory of programs that use Decennial Census Programs data shifts each fiscal year, this paper demonstrates how critical the data can be to the infrastructure of our communities."

The FDLP Academy offers free webinars and webcasts for Federal Depository Libraries and the general public. Its mission is to "create and deliver enhanced educational opportunities to the FDLP community by fostering collaboration, by facilitating knowledge sharing, and through the application of new methods and use of multiple mediums" about U.S. Government resources. The following webinars contain information related to census data.

	The 1950 Census Recorded on March 23, 2023 Length of Time: 60 minutes Speaker: Claire Kluskens (National Archives and Records Administration)
	Census 101 Recorded on May 23, 2023 Length of Time: 58 minutes Speaker: Kim Brown (U.S. Census Bureau)
	Census Business Builder 5.3 Recorded on October 26, 2023 Length of Time: 60 minutes Speaker: Adam P. Grundy (U.S. Census Bureau)
	data.census.gov Recorded on September 14, 2023 Length of Time: 60 minutes Speaker: Ileana C. Serrano (U.S. Census Bureau)
	Economic Census 101 Recorded on July 18, 2023 Length of Time: 59 minutes Speaker: Adam P. Grundy (U.S. Census Bureau)
	Paper Maps & Rogue TIGERs: Using Government Documents to Digitize 1980 Census Blocks for IPUMS NHGIS Recorded on August 23, 2023 Length of Time: 61 minutes Speakers: Kate Knowles (University of Minnesota), Jonathan Schroeder (University of Minnesota), and Jenny McBurney (University of Minnesota)
	Start with the Address: Building Community Profiles with U.S. Census Data Recorded on March 25, 2025 Length of Time: 36 minutes Speaker: Edward Kownslar (Stephen F. Austin State University)

If interested in learning more about topics that related to, but not specifically about, census data, check out the following FDLP Resource Guides.

GovInfo has digitized copies of official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government, including the United States Code. See the sections that pertain to the authority of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Census Data

GovInfo

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications

Open Educational Resources

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Overview

U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. Government Publishing Office Resources on Census Data