Census 2000 

The decennial census occurs every 10 years, in the years ending in "0," to count the population and housing units for the entire United States. Its primary purpose is to provide the population counts that determine how seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are apportioned. Census figures also are required to draw congressional and state legislative district boundaries, to allocate federal and state funds, to formulate public policy, and to assist with planning and decision-making in the private sector.

Data Questions

Two questionnaires were used when the Census was conducted on April 1, 2000. A short form with population and housing items was sent to each household in the United States. The long form with additional questions was sent to 17% of all housing units. Copies of the questionnaire appear on the Census Bureau's web site:

The following chart compares the data items in the 2000 Census with the 1990 Census. In 2000, questions on marital status and housing value or rent were transferred from the full count to the sample count. Several sample questions were eliminated. The only new question involved grandparents as caregivers.

Note on racial concept: The 1990 Census permitted people to choose one race. That race was tabulated into five groups: white; black; American Indian, Eskimo and Aleut; Asian and Pacific Islander; and other. The 2000 Census permitted people to choose multiple races. They will be tabulated into six categories: white; black or African-American; American Indian or Alaska native; Asian; native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and other. The data will be tabulated for those of one, two, three, four races, five and six races. Some files will carry data for 63 racial combinations. Racial data will not be comparable with the racial data found in the 1990 Census, except perhaps for areas where under 1% of the people report a multiple race.

Note on Hispanic designation: Hispanic origin is not considered a race but an ethnic group. An individual of Hispanic origin can be of any race. Numerous tables list race and hispanic origin next to one another, but you cannot add Hispanic to the six racial groups. Some tables will list the total population by race and then the non-Hispanic population by race. You must subtract the non-Hispanic from the total to obtain the race of the Hispanic.

In 2000, the Hispanic heritage question was placed before the racial question. In 1990, the Hispanic question appeared after the question on race. Some Census Bureau staff believe the extraordinary numbers of "other race" in 1990 were Hispanic; in 2000, there should be fewer people in the "other race" category and more in the "Hispanic origin" category.

Data by Subject

Age, Race, Hispanic Origin, Sex, Household Relationship, Housing Tenure=100% data

 

Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics = Sample Data

Social characteristics include marital status, grandparents as caregivers, educational attainment, country of birth, language spoken, ancestry, veteran and disability status. Economic characteristics include labor force status, place of work, journey to work, occupation, industry, class of worker, work experience, and income. Housing characteristics include value of home or rent paid, age of home, heating fuel, plumbing and kitchen facilities, number of bedrooms, farm, vehicles, shelter costs. See the long form sample data questionnaire for complete list of data elements.

Census Geography

Census 2000 Geographic Definitions provides the most current definition of geographic terms. Geographic Areas Reference Manual defines the history of geographic concepts and defines them in light of the 1990 Census. However, it is incorrect regarding 2000 urban/rural definitions. See the urban/rural from the 1990 Census Census Bureau’s urban and rural criteria for the 2000 Census. See also the Census Bureau's Geographic Changes for Census 2000+Glossary

Geographic Name Servlet allows a street address search (with city, state, zip code). Results show all geographic names and codes (name of county, county subdivision, place, tract, block, and voting district numbers, Congressional District, and state legislative districts associated with that address). Choose individual geography from the list for a 2000 Census map or quick table.

Block - An area bounded on all sides by visible features, such as streets, roads, streams, and occasionally by invisible boundaries, such as a township line. The entire country has been blocked in 2000. Only 100% data will be available for these areas. There will be no economic characteristics, such as income or housing value and rent. 1990 blocks had 3-digit numbers; 2000 blocks have 4-digit numbers.

Block Group (BG) - A group of blocks for tabulation purposes. Replaces the Enumeration District concept for rural areas in previous censuses.

Block Numbering Area (BNA) - This is usually the smallest area for which there is sample data, such as income or housing value. Used in the 1990 Census as an alternative for census tracts in rural areas. BNAs are being renamed as Census tracts in the 2000 Census.

Census County Division (CCD) - Replaces MCD's in states where they are not adequately defined.

Census Designated Place - An unincorporated concentration of population with a definite residential nucleus.

Census Tract - A statistical subdivision of a metropolitan area with an average of 4,000 inhabitants. Defined by local committees to approximate a neighborhood.

Congressional Districts - Congressional voting districts for the 107th Congress will be used for initial tabulations.

Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) - Two or more contiguous MSAs (see definition of Metropolitan Statistical Area below).

County Equivalent - A geographic entity not legally referred to as a county, but treated as such for data tabulation purposes.

Indian Reservations - Federally-defined Indian reservations, which may cross state boundaries, as well as Alaskan Native villages.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) - A city of over 50,000 inhabitants together with the county in which it is located and contiguous counties which are economically and socially integrated with the central city. It may also consist of an urbanized area of 50,000 with a total metropolitan area population of at least 100,000. The Fort Wayne MSA for the 2000 census consists of Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Wells, and Whitley counties. The Fort Wayne MSA for the 1990 census was Allen, DeKalb, and Whitley counties.

Minor Civil Division (MCD) - The primary political and administrative subdivision of a county in 28 states. They may be designated as township, town, borough, magisterial district, or gore. The link is to the first of five tables arranged by size category.

Nation - The United States includes 50 states, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas.

Place - A city, town, township, or village.

Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) - A PMSA is a metropolitan area that is also a component of a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Public Use Microdata Areas - County groups or portions of MSAs with 100,000 or more inhabitants.

Rural Area - All geographic areas not covered immediately above.

School Districts - School Districts as defined by states and local communities.

Urban Area

• Core census block groups or blocks that have a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile at the time and
• Surrounding census blocks that have an overall density of at least 500 people per square mile at the time.

In addition, under certain conditions, less densely settled territory may be part of each UA or UC. This is a new definition and will not be finalized until the end of 2001.

Urban Cluster (UC) - An urban cluster (UC) consists of densely settled territory that has at least 2,500 people but fewer than 50,000 people.

Urbanized Area Urbanized Area (UA) - An urbanized area (UA) consists of densely settled territory that contains 50,000 or more people. A UA may contain both place and nonplace territory. At least 35,000 people in a UA must live in an area that is not part of a military reservation. Because the 2000 definition no longer requires a central place, some areas listed as urban in the 1990 Census may be reclassified as rural.

Zip Code Tabulation Areas - Postal zip codes identified for mail delivery, rather than physical location. Zip Code Tabulation Areas have been drawn by the Census Bureau as approximations of the postal zip code areas.

Note on metropolitan area definitions: Metropolitan area definitions change between censuses. The 1990 definitions are available on the internet through the University of Michigan Documents Center at http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/text/msa90.txt. A list of the 2000 MSA Definitions is available on the internet from the Census Bureau. A Map of the 2000 Metropolitan Areas appears on the Census Bureau web site. Although Metropolitan Statistical Areas cannot always be compared from one Census to the next, it is often possible to compare the component counties over time.

Data by Format

The American FactFinder is the primary vehicle for distributing data from the 2000 Census. The Census Bureau is also making some files available for download via ftp. Additional files will be available on CD-ROM or DVD. These products will be issued after their internet counterparts, but may be quicker to use for large data sets. Unlike previous censuses, only three printed reports will be issued.

American FactFinder

New 2000 Census data will always appear first on the American FactFinder. It will include all variables, 100% and sample, for all geographic areas from national totals to the block level. Special features include pre-fabricated reports of the most popular variables for easy printing, ability to choose multiple levels of geography for comparison purposes (nation, state, county, city in one table), map creation and design, and a variety of downloading formats.

FTP

Many files are available from the Census Bureau web site via ftp, including the PL 94-171 redistricting data, Summary File 1, and many map files.

CD-ROMS/DVDs

Almost all files will be available on CD-ROM or DVD. The CD-ROMs/DVDs will have more powerful software than the American FactFinder. It is faster to manipulate files from a desktop rather than through an internet intermediary. They will support downloading in a variety of formats, including HTML, XLS, CSV, DBF, and text.

PRINTED REPORTS

Only three printed reports will be issued for the 2000 Census. They will include basic 100% and sample data (with few cross-tabulations) for states, counties, and places.

Title	Date	1990 Equivalent
Summary Population and Housing Counts (C 3.223/18:2000 PHC-1-)	Jan - Nov. 2002	CPH-1
Population and Housing Unit Counts (C 3.223/5:2000 PHC-3-)	2003	CPH-2
Summary Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics (C 3.223/23:2000 PHC-2-)	2003	CPH-5

Census Maps

Maps of states, counties, places, census tracts, block groups, and even blocks are available on American Factfinder in the Reference Maps section. The maps are created interactively by choosing, zooming, and changing layers. These include the street names of block, block group and tract boundaries as well as the geographic location number.

The Census Bureau is also producing maps in Adobe Acrobat format and making them available via ftp. Workstations must use Adobe Acrobat version 4.0 or higher. PDF maps on the internet or CD-ROM may require a plotter to handle the 36x33" output. Recommendations for purchasing plotters appear on the Census Bureau's

Census Help

Census 2000 Gateway provides a handy guide to the census data release schedule by subject and links to Local Sources for Census 2000, and a library of downloadable PowerPoint files on a variety of census products and services.

American FactFinder offers many different user support features. These include:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - From this page, you can view answers to common questions related to FactFinder functions, data, geography, and performance. This page is updated with new information on a regular basis. Many answers that you see here come from the Feedback system, in response to questions that other users have asked.
• Tips, including Search Tips and Quick Tip - The Search, Reference Maps, and Thematic Maps pages provide hyperlinks to tips that can help you get the results you need.
• Detailed information about the data (metadata) - From many locations within FactFinder, you can click a hyperlink to view more information about the data. (This data about the data is called metadata). For example, when a table title or data set name appears as a hyperlink (in blue, underlined text), you can click the hyperlink to view detailed information about the table or data set.
• FactFinder Help - When you click Help on the banner, FactFinder opens a pop-up window to display information specific to the task you are currently trying to complete. In addition to the context-sensitive Help available through the FactFinder Help button, Help also includes the following features:
  • Census Data Information provides detailed information about the data that you can access through FactFinder, including a description of the current data set, a list of the tables in the data set, and hyperlinks to related documentation. This is the metadata, or technical documentation for the data in FactFinder.
  • Glossary defines Census Bureau and FactFinder terms that you may encounter.
  • Tutorials provides in-depth instruction on using certain FactFinder features (for example,

American FactFinder Tutorial (Univ. of Michigan) provides a very detailed PowerPoint presentation prepared by Grace York, at the University of Michigan's Document Center. See also the University of Michigan's Census Tool Kit

Indiana State Data Center maintains a library collection with the emphasis on Census and other federal and state agency statistical resources, and answers questions regarding current and historical demographic and economic statistics. The Data Center also provides training workshops on accessing and using census electronic products and provides consultation on data use