• What was being counted?
• Who was asked ("universe," 100%-count vs. sample)?
• Who/what agency collected the data?
• When was data collected?
• Where/what geographic area does data/report cover?
• How were the questions asked (methodology)?

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Geography for the 1990 Census of Population & Housing

To create maps with tract boundaries, see Mary Finley's (California State University - Northridge) guide Finding Census Tract Data on the Internet: http://library.csun.edu/mfinley/census90.html. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating maps using the Census Bureau's American Factfinder.

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1990 Census of Population & Housing (including tract data)

Available from three sources (sources #1 and #2 provide options for exporting data):

1. Census Bureau Lookup
   http://venus.census.gov/cdrom/lookup
   • Must first choose whether you want 100 %-count or sample data; then, what geographic level you want.
   • 100% count data (STF1) for:

     Detailed geography - county, place, tract, etc. (choose STF1A) Nation and state totals, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) (choose STF1C).

   • Sample data (STF3) for:

     Detailed geography - county, place, tract, etc. (choose STF3A) Zip codes (choose STF3B) Nation and state totals, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) (choose STF3C - part 1)

   • Tract and block numbering area data located under the State/County options for STF1A and STF3A.
   • Must choose which variables you want to retrieve (can customize your report).
   • For a step-by-step guide to retrieving tract data, see Mary Finley's (California State University - Northridge) guide Finding 1990 Census Tract Data on the World Wide Web : http://library.csun.edu/mfinley/census90.html

2. Government Information Sharing Project
   http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/stateis.html
   • Must choose geographic level/area first; then retrieve reports for specific locations.
   • Reports/combinations of variables pre-determined (cannot customize).
   • Reports include:

     Summary (from 100%-count data) Housing (from sample data) Income (from sample data)

     Labor (from sample data) Social (including education, ancestry, disability) (from sample data)

   • "Area comparison" feature allows you to look at one variable across multiple geographic areas at same level (all counties in a state, etc).
   • Within "area comparison" you can display areas alphabetically or by rank.
   • Data are available at the following geographic levels:

     United States State County/Census County Equivalent Place (City, Town or CDP) Census tract/block numbering area (choose State, then County, then Tract/BNA)

     Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA)/Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) (STF 1 Summary reports not available at MSA level)

     American Indian and Alaska Native area reports from STF1C (100% count data) and STF3C (sample data)

   • Can get tract and block numbering area data by choosing State, then County, then Tract/BNA.

3. Census Tract Street Locator
   Can identify the tract number for specific streets or addresses and retrieve a tract's statistical profile.
   Available from CenStat
   http://tier2.census.gov/ctsl/ctsl.htm
   • Can look up street names by state or county, or look up specific addresses within a ZIP Code.
   • Once you've looked up a street or address, you can get a profile of the tract it's located in. Tract profile includes selected variables only from sample data.
   • Detailed info about database available from CenStats main site, http://tier2.census.gov/dbappweb.htm

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1990 Census of Population and Housing-special subjects

Ancestry of the Population of the U.S. (SSTF 2) Characteristics of the Asian & Pacific Islander Population in the U.S. (SSTF 5) Equal Employment Opportunity File

Foreign-born Population in the U.S. (SSTF 1) Persons of Hispanic Origin in the U.S. (SSTF 3) Population Estimates by Age, Sex, and Race: 1990-1997 U.S. Census Bureau

Ancestry of the Population of the U.S. (SSTF 2)

• Data at U.S. and state levels only.

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Characteristics of the Asian and Pacific Islander Population in the U.S. (SSTF 5)

• Data at U.S. and state levels only.

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Equal Employment Opportunity File

• Data available for:

  United States State County or Census County Equivalent

  Place with population of 50,000 or more Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)/ Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA)/ Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA)

• Available from two sources:
  1. CenStats (in CenStats, called "Detailed Occupation by Race, Hispanic Origin and Sex")
     http://tier2.census.gov/eeo/eeo.htm
     

     Reports cover single occupations for multiple geographic locations (all counties in a state, all states in the country, etc). Can sort alphabetically or by rank (for example, by which states have the highest number of black women in a given occupation). Additonal info about database available from http://tier2.census.gov/eeo/eeo_info.htm

  2. Government Information Sharing Project
     http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/eeo-stateis.html
     

     Reports cover multiple occupations for single geographic areas. Separate reports for race and Hispanic origin by race. Educational Attainment by race, sex, and Hispanic origin also available (can find it only after you've picked a geographic location; Educational Attainment is the last choice on the pull-down menu of available reports).

Foreign-born Population in the U.S. (SSTF 1)

• Data at U.S. and state levels only.

Persons of Hispanic Origin in the U.S. (SSTF 3)

• Data at U.S. and state levels only.

Population Estimates by Age, Sex, and Race: 1990-1997

Available from the Government Information Sharing Project
http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/pe-stateis.html

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U.S. Census Bureau

• Most data from 1990 on, but some historical tables available.
• Data presented in many different formats (text, html, PDF, spreadsheet, maps). Each report/data set usually available in only one format.
• Vast number of reports and data covering population & housing topics, from general to specific (specific locations, topics like "Working at Home" and "Grandparents").
• Useful sections for navigating site:
  • Subjects Index: http://www.census.gov/main/www/subjects.html
  • Search the Census Site: http://www.census.gov/main/www/srchtool.html
  • Latest News Releases by Date (Census news releases from past 6 months, in reverse chronological order): http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/date.html
• Specific pages covering population and housing:
  • Housing Topics (including homeownership, affordability, vacancy, residential segregation): http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing.html
  • International Programs Center (World population information, summary tables of demographic and socio-economic statistics for 200+ countries, publications & reports on a variety of topics and countries): http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/
  • Population Topics (Links to population estimates and projections; topic pages on demographics like age, sex, and race): http://www.census.gov/population/www/index.html

Historical census data

Historical Census Data Browser

Available from Univ of Virginia Library's Geospatial and Statistical Data Center
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/

• Data presented for browsing only. Cannot extract data from this site.

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Historical population and housing data from the Census Bureau site

Historical Income Tables

• From the Current Population Survey, 1947-1998 (though not all items can be traced back that far).
• Data for households, families, and people

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Historical Poverty Tables

• From the Current Population Survey, 1959-1999 (though not all items on the site go back that far).
• See also Census Historical Poverty Tables (http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/censpov.html) for "Persons by Poverty Status in 1969, 1979, and 1989, by State," and "State Poverty Rates by Sex and Race: 1989."

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Housing: Then and Now: 50 Years of Decennial Censuses

• Tables show housing trends by states over the decades.
• Tables cover subjects like "Plumbing Facilities," "Telephones," "Homeownership," "Living Alone."
• First housing census was taken in 1940, but not all items can be traced back that far.

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Selected Historical Census Data

• Basic population data, including population and housing counts, population and geographic centers, foreign-born population, and urban and rural definitions and data.

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U.S. Census Resources on the Web | Government Documents at Memorial Library |
Memorial Library Home Page | UW-Madison Libraries

Page created on 10/19/99; last updated on 4/10/01.

Created and maintained by:

Beth Harper
Government Documents Reference Librarian
276 Memorial Library
728 State St
Madison
(608) 262-9852