SafeGraph's open census dataset includes two components:
- All demographic data from the American Community Survey (2016) 5-year estimate on the Census Block Group level.
- All census block group boundaries formatted as a GeoJSON file.
The entire dataset is available for download for free at the SafeGraph Open Census Data page.
File Structure
The data is comprised of three directories:
/data/- Includes all Census attribute tables.
- All files are pipe-delimited CSVs where the Census Block Group number (
census_block_groupis the primary key. - Census attribute tables are identified by their Census table ID. For example,
cbg_b01.csvcontains the table IDs that begin withb01such asB01001.
/geometry/- Contains one GeoJSON file entitled
cbg.geojsonwith the polygons for all Census Block Groups.
- Contains one GeoJSON file entitled
/metadata/cbg_field_descriptions.csv: a mapping between census attribute name and table IDcbg_fips_codes.csv: a mapping between census block group numbers to cities and countiescbg_geographic_data.csv: statistics about census block group geometry (land/water %, interpolated lat/long).
Census Demographic Data
Census Attribute Tables (/data/cbg_[tableid-prefix].csv)
Every attribute table contains several Table ID columns. The specific number of Table ID columns in an attribute table depends on the table ID prefix.
| Column Name | Description | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
census_block_group |
The unique 12-digit FIPS code for the Census Block Group. Please note that some CBGs have leading zeroes. | String | 010010205002 |
| Table ID | The sample values associated with the table ID of interest. For example, if the table ID of interest was B00001e1 the value would be the Unweighted Sample Count of the Population for the Census Block Group. |
Integer | For table ID B00001e1, a sample value would be 215 for Census Block Group 010010205002. |
Field Descriptions (/metadata/cbg_field_descriptions.csv)
The field descriptions table provides a mapping between the table ID used in attribute tables and the description of the field. A full list of table definitions can be found in the American Community Survey documentation.
| Column Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
TableID |
The Census Table ID as defined by the Census Bureau. | B23007e36 |
field_full_name |
The full name of the census attribute. | Presence Of Own Children Under 18 Years By Family Type By Employment: No children under 18 years: Married-couple family: Husband in labor force: Employed or in Armed Forces: Wife in labor force: Employed or in Armed Forces: Opposite-sex married-couple families and families maintained by women and men with no spouse present -- (Estimate) |
field_level_1 |
The first level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Presence Of Own Children Under 18 Years By Family Type By Employment Status |
field_level_2 |
The second level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | No Children Under 18 Years |
field_level_3 |
The third level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Married-Couple Family |
field_level_4 |
The fourth level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Husband In Labor Force |
field_level_5 |
The fifth level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Employed Or In Armed Forces |
field_level_6 |
The sixth level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Wife In Labor Force |
field_level_7 |
The seventh level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Employed Or In Armed Forces |
field_level_8 |
The eighth level of demographic focus for the selected attribute. | Opposite-Sex Married-Couple Families And Families Maintained By Women And Men With No Spouse Present -- (Estimate) |
Other Reference Data
FIPS Codes (/metadata/cbg_fips_codes.csv)
The FIPS codes file provides a reference file to derive state and county for a census block group through the state and county FIPS codes. The first two digits of a Census Block Group represent the state_fips code and the next three digits represent a county_fips code.
| Column Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
state |
State Abbreviation | AL |
state_fips |
The state FIPS code that maps to the first 2 digits of a CBG. | 01 |
county_fips |
The county FIPS code that maps to the 3rd-5th digits of a CBG. | 013 |
county |
County Name | Butler County |
class_code |
Geographic Class Code representing types of geographies per Census documentation. | H1 |
Geographic Data (/metadata/cbg_geographic_data.csv)
| Column Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
census_block_group |
Census Block Group number | 010010203001 |
amount_land |
The amount of land in the Census Block Group in square meters. | 3866515 |
amount_water |
The amount of water in the Census Block Group in square meters. | 9054 |
latitude |
The interpolated center latitude coordinate of the Census Block Group. | 32.480175 |
longitude |
The interpolated center longitude coordinate of the Census Block Group. | -86.4607925 |
Census Data is made available under the CC0 license
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.