Census Data: Best Census Datasets & Databases

What is Census Data?

Census data is information about the individual citizens of a country or municipality. It’s usually collected every decade so that governments can get statistics about the demography and economy of the country’s population. With these statistics, census data then enables users to identify patterns, trends, events and areas of concern.

What are the attributes of Census Data?

The attributes of census data are all related to demographics and economics. They include the following details about an individual or household:

• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Profession
• Employment
• Income
• Ethnicity
• Religion
• Living arrangements
• Assets
• Voting & political views

A census database can also provider insights about companies and organizations as well as individual level information. For example, you can use a census database to look up NAICS codes.

What are the use cases of Census Data?

People from various industries and institutions will use a census dataset for their commercial or academic projects. It’s a really rich source of individual level statistics which empowers users to develop data-driven strategies. Here’s some of the general ways businesses and organizations are putting census data to use:

Data visualization
With a census dataset, you can create tables, maps and other visual tools to better understand population statistics and trends. You’re able to create clusters based on social and economic factors, such as household income, affluence and profession. If you’re a business owner, you’d be able to use census data for data-driven store location selection. For example, based on the statistics in the census dataset, you’d open up in an area where local consumers match your socioeconomic target market.

Policy & government
Census data is essential for governments and policy makers to arrive at decisions based on the status quo of the population. They can divert funding and resources to areas the census has highlighted as deprived. They’re also able to evaluate whether a new law or tax policy makes sense. For example, tax needs to be in line with the consumer’s average household income.

Economic modelling
Census data is important for creating fiscal predictions based on the rate of employment, job availability and average income. This way, governments can foresee economic problems and mitigate them with grants.

What are the sources of Census Data?

The census is carried out by a designated government department. In the UK, the Office for National Statistics is responsible for leading the census every ten years. In the USA, it’s carried out by the Census Bureau. However, individual states are responsible for collecting their own census data for their jurisdiction. Each one has its own unique collection method. The data is then consolidated in the government’s central databased hosted by the Census Bureau.

Census data is usually collected when the bureau for statistics send surveys to individual households via mail. Other offices send out questionnaires electronically via email. The bureau then collates the responses to this questionnaire. Census data providers build their consumer datasets using the official government records as a source of truth.

How can I assess the quality of Census Data?

The census is one of the oldest methods of external data collection - the first US census took place in 1790! As it’s now such an established method of data sourcing, the census is one of the most high quality sources of people data. The data undergoes rigorous quality checks because it belongs to official government records. In addition, because the census is an opt-in process, a census database is one of the most reliably privacy compliant methods of collecting consumer data.

Where can I buy Census Data?

Data providers and vendors listed on Datarade sell Census Data products and samples. Popular Census Data products and datasets available on our platform are MENA: Daily mobility data for census block groups, cities, metro areas, districts, and states by CITYDATA.ai, Asia: Daily mobility data for census block groups, cities, metro areas, districts, and states by CITYDATA.ai, and Europe: Daily mobility data for census block groups, cities, metro areas, districts, and states by CITYDATA.ai.

How can I get Census Data?

You can get Census Data via a range of delivery methods - the right one for you depends on your use case. For example, historical Census Data is usually available to download in bulk and delivered using an S3 bucket. On the other hand, if your use case is time-critical, you can buy real-time Census Data APIs, feeds and streams to download the most up-to-date intelligence.

What are similar data types to Census Data?

Census Data is similar to Demographic Data, Spending Data, and Wealth Data. These data categories are commonly used for Demographic Segmentation.

What are the most common use cases for Census Data?

The top use cases for Census Data are Demographic Segmentation.