In addition to the basic demographic numbers above, many demographic sources also cover socioeconomic subjects such as employment, income, housing, migration, education, health, transportation, veteran and citizenship status, and language.
The US Census of Population and Housing (also known as the Decennial Census) is the most comprehensive source of demographic data for the United States. Quite simply, the Census is huge, and published in a multitude of formats and places. Below is a list of just some of the ways you can access decennial census data.
For a complete list of all Census Bureau data publications, consult the Census Catalog. Current product listings are available online, while older volumes are available in print in the Research Library reference collection.
To fill in the gaps between the main census years, the Census Bureau conducts the annual American Community Survey.
The Census also conducts the Current Population Survey in conjunction with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with reports going back more than 50 years. Recent reports are available online.
Most census data is presented as summary files, with pre-packaged tables. There are a lot of tables, but they're still finite in number, so they may not have a table with the exact cross-tabulations or groupings you'd like to see. So the Census Bureau also provides Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS), 1% and 5% samples of the encoded census forms with identifying information such as names and addresses removed. With appropriate statistical software, these can be used to create almost any table you'd like from the available data.
Like other Census products, there are a variety of ways to access PUMS data:
"Census schedules" is the term usually used to describe the actual census forms filled in by users and census-takes. By law these are kept private for seventy-two years. After that time, they're available from the National Archives on microfilm.
