Census Information: Home
The United States Constitution includes directives for carrying out a census of the population every 10 years.
How To Guides @ US Census
Gateways to Federal and State Data
-
American FactFinderPrimary online interface for viewing US Census data, including population, housing, economic, geographic, and governmental data.
-
Oregon U.S. Decennial Census and American Community Survey ResultsFrom the state Office of Economic Analysis
-
Guide to the American Community Survey - CQ PressLooking to learn about how the ACS is different from the old Decennial Survey? Check out this review from CQ Press staff. This is a chapter from the forthcoming 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census (in print and ebook)
-
Statistical Abstract of the US - HistoricalThe Statistical Abstract of the United States has been published since 1878. It is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Sources of data include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other federal agencies and private organizations
Core Resources
-
Social ExplorerSocial Explorer is an online research tool designed to access current and historical U.S. Census data and demographic information. It contains maps, profile reports, data elements, and variables.
-
Bibliography of Data-Related LiteratureMaintains publications and citations based on the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) data and archives.
-
PolicyMapProvides mapping, data, and analytics tools on U.S. demographics, real estate, health, jobs, education, and more topics. Mapping allows for multiple layers and editable data ranges.
Related Resources
-
CensusScopeDeveloped by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN) at the University of Michigan.
-
America: History and LifeIncludes citations of articles and books on the history and culture of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Some additional content may be freely available during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
-
EconLitProvides citations and abstracts of international journals, books, dissertations, and working papers on economics. Some additional content may be freely available during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
-
Historical AbstractsFind citations to academic articles on world history (except the U.S. and Canada), from the 15th century to the present. Some additional content may be freely available during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
-
DataFerrettFor the US Census data "power user", DataFerrett is intended for serious data users who cannot get what they need from the pre-defined data tables or those needing quick, yet sophisticated tabulations.
Government Information and Social Sciences Librarian

Rick Mikulski
Contact:
Portland State University Library
(503) 725-9939