Dataset

This dataset was created by haakakak

Contents

This system provides the user with a facility to select a state and county combination to determine if the selected county is part of an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defined Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA). The system has been updated with OMB area definitions published for FY 2009.

The database includes ZIP code, city name, alias city name, state code, phone area code, city type, county name, country FIPS, time zone, day light saving flag, latitude, longitude, county elevation, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA), Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) and census 2000 data on population by race, average household income, and average house value.

This data collection relates ZIP codes to counties, to standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs), and, in New England, to minor civil divisions (MCDs). The relationships between ZIP codes and other geographical units are based on 1979 boundaries, and changes since that time are not reflected. The Census Bureau used various sources to determine ZIP code-county or ZIP code-MCD relationships. In the cases where the sources were confusing or contradictory as to the geographical boundaries of a ZIP code, multiple ZIP-code records (each representing the territory contained in that ZIP-code area) were included in the data file. As a result, the file tends to overstate the ZIP code-county or ZIP code-MCD crossovers. The file is organized by ZIP code and is a byproduct of data used to administer the 1980 Census. Variables include ZIP codes, post office names, FIPS state and county codes, county or MCD names, and SMSA codes.

Census ZIP Code Tabulation AreasThis feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data from the U.S. Census Bureau, displays ZIP Code Tabulation Areas. Per the USCB, “ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are approximate area representations of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates to present statistical data for each decennial census. Data users should not use ZCTAs to identify the official USPS ZIP Code for mail delivery. The USPS makes periodic changes to ZIP Codes to support more efficient mail delivery.”Tabulation Area: 90069NGDAID: 58 (Series Information for 2020 Census 5-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) National TIGER/Line Shapefiles, Current)OGC API Features Link: (Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas - OGC Features) copy this link to embed it in OGC Compliant viewersFor more information, please visit: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs)For feedback please contact: Esri_US_Federal_Data@esri.comNGDA Data SetThis data set is part of the NGDA Governmental Units, and Administrative and Statistical Boundaries Theme Community. Per the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC), this theme is defined as the "boundaries that delineate geographic areas for uses such as governance and the general provision of services (e.g., states, American Indian reservations, counties, cities, towns, etc.), administration and/or for a specific purpose (e.g., congressional districts, school districts, fire districts, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, etc.), and/or provision of statistical data (census tracts, census blocks, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, etc.). Boundaries for these various types of geographic areas are either defined through a documented legal description or through criteria and guidelines. Other boundaries may include international limits, those of federal land ownership, the extent of administrative regions for various federal agencies, as well as the jurisdictional offshore limits of U.S. sovereignty. Boundaries associated solely with natural resources and/or cultural entities are excluded from this theme and are included in the appropriate subject themes."For other NGDA Content: Esri Federal Datasets

The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas are together termed Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) and are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and consist of the county or counties or equivalent entities associated with at least one urban core (urbanized area or urban cluster) of at least 10,000 population, plus adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the core. Categories of CBSAs are: Metropolitan Statistical Areas, based on urbanized areas of 50,000 or more population; and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, based on urban clusters of at least 10,000 population but less than 50,000 population. The CBSA boundaries are those defined by OMB based on the 2010 Census, published in 2013, and updated in 2018.

Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas This feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB), displays ZIP Code Tabulation Areas in the United States. Per the USCB, “ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are approximate area representations of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates to present statistical data for each decennial census. Data users should not use ZCTAs to identify the official USPS ZIP Code for mail delivery. The USPS makes periodic changes to ZIP Codes to support more efficient mail delivery.” Tabulation Area: 90210 Data currency: This cached Esri federal service is checked weekly for updates from its enterprise federal source (ZIP Code Tabulation Areas) and will support mapping, analysis, data exports and OGC API – Feature access.NGDAID: 58 (Series Information for 2020 Census 5-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA5) National TIGER/Line Shapefiles, Current)OGC API Features Link: (Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas - OGC Features) copy this link to embed it in OGC Compliant viewersFor more information, please visit: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs)For feedback please contact: Esri_US_Federal_Data@esri.comThumbnail source: Esri BasemapsNGDA Data Set This data set is part of the NGDA Governmental Units, and Administrative and Statistical Boundaries Theme Community. Per the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC), this theme is defined as the “boundaries that delineate geographic areas for uses such as governance and the general provision of services (e.g., states, American Indian reservations, counties, cities, towns, etc.), administration and/or for a specific purpose (e.g., congressional districts, school districts, fire districts, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, etc.), and/or provision of statistical data (census tracts, census blocks, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, etc.). Boundaries for these various types of geographic areas are either defined through a documented legal description or through criteria and guidelines. Other boundaries may include international limits, those of federal land ownership, the extent of administrative regions for various federal agencies, as well as the jurisdictional offshore limits of U.S. sovereignty. Boundaries associated solely with natural resources and/or cultural entities are excluded from this theme and are included in the appropriate subject themes.” For other NGDA Content: Esri Federal Datasets

This data collection is a component of Summary Tape File (STF) 3, which consists of four sets of data files containing detailed tabulations of the nation's population and housing characteristics produced from the 1980 Census. The STF 3 files contain sample data inflated to represent the total United States population. The files also contain 100-percent counts and unweighted sample counts of persons and housing units. All files in the STF 3 series are identical, containing 321 substantive data variables organized in the form of 150 "tables," as well as standard geographic identification variables. Population items tabulated for each person include demographic data and information on schooling, Spanish origin, language spoken at home and ability to speak English, labor force status in 1979, residency in 1975, number of children ever born, means of transportation to work, current occupation, industry, and 1979 details on occupation, hours worked, and income. Housing items include size and condition of the housing unit as well as information on value, age, water, sewage and heating, number of vehicles, and monthly owner costs (e.g., sum of payments for real estate taxes, property insurance, utilities, and regular mortgage payments). Selected aggregates and medians are also provided. Each dataset in STF 3 provides different geographic coverage. Summary Tape File 3B provides summaries for each 5-digit ZIP-code area within a state, and for 5-digit ZIP-code areas within states that were contained within Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs), portions of SMSAs, or within counties, county portions, or county equivalents. All persons and housing units in the United States were sampled. Population and housing items include household relationship, sex, race, age, marital status, Hispanic origin, number of units at address, complete plumbing facilities, number of rooms, whether owned or rented, vacancy status, and value for noncondominiums. The Census Bureau's machine-readable data dictionary for STF 3 is also available through CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING, 1980 [UNITED STATES]: CENSUS SOFTWARE PACKAGE (CENSPAC) VERSION 3.2 WITH STF4 DATA DICTIONARIES (ICPSR 7789), the software package designed specifically by the Census Bureau for use with the 1980 Census data files.

Summary File 1 (SF1) Urban/Rural Update contains summary statistics on population and housing subjects derived from the responses to the 2010 Census questionnaire. Population items include sex, age, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, household relationship, household type, household size, family type, family size, and group quarters. Housing items include occupancy status, vacancy status, and tenure (whether a housing unit is owner-occupied or renter-occupied). The summary statistics are presented in 333 tables, which are tabulated for multiple levels of observation (called "summary levels" in the Census Bureau's nomenclature), including, but not limited to, regions, divisions, states, metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas, counties, county subdivisions, places, congressional districts, American Indian Areas, Alaska Native Areas, Hawaiian Home Lands, ZIP Code tabulation areas, census tracts, block groups, and blocks. There are 177 population tables and 58 housing tables shown down to the block level; 84 population tables and 4 housing tables shown down to the census tract level; and 10 population tables shown down to the county level. Some of the summary areas are iterated for "geographic components" or portions of geographic areas, e.g., the principal city of a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) or the urban and rural portions of a MSA. With one variable per table cell and additional variables with geographic information, the collection comprises 2,597 data files, 49 per state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the National File. The Census Bureau released SF1 in three stages: initial release, National Update, and Urban/Rural Update. The National Update added summary levels for the United States, regions, divisions, and geographic areas that cross state lines such as Combined Statistical Areas. This update adds urban and rural population and housing unit counts, summary levels for urban areas and the urban/rural components of census tracts and block groups, geographic components involving urbanized areas and urban clusters, and two new tables (household type by relationship for the population 65 years and over and a new tabulation of the total population by race). The initial release and National Update is available as ICPSR 33461. ICPSR supplies this data collection in 54 ZIP archives. There is a separate archive for each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the National File. The last archive contains a Microsoft Access database shell and additional documentation files besides the codebook.

Characteristics of the ZIP Codes (N = 968), Counties (N = 51), and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs; N = 19) where the 9,077 participants of the 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Lived, by Racial/Ethnic Group1.

Context

This is the 24th decennial US Census. The data was released on August 12, 2021 to public

Content

The dataset contains 12 GB of complete US Census data of 2020 of all 50 states. Column headers for each state file are given below:

FILEID File Identification STUSAB State/US-Abbreviation (USPS) SUMLEV Summary Level GEOVAR Geographic Variant GEOCOMP Geographic Component CHARITER Characteristic Iteration CIFSN Characteristic Iteration File Sequence Number LOGRECNO Logical Record Number GEOID Geographic Record Identifier GEOCODE Geographic Code Identifier REGION Region DIVISION Division STATE State (FIPS) STATENS State (NS) COUNTY County (FIPS) COUNTYCC FIPS County Class Code COUNTYNS County (NS) COUSUB County Subdivision (FIPS) COUSUBCC FIPS County Subdivision Class Code COUSUBNS County Subdivision (NS) SUBMCD Subminor Civil Division (FIPS) SUBMCDCC FIPS Subminor Civil Division Class Code SUBMCDNS Subminor Civil Division (NS) ESTATE Estate (FIPS) ESTATECC FIPS Estate Class Code ESTATENS Estate (NS) CONCIT Consolidated City (FIPS) CONCITCC FIPS Consolidated City Class Code CONCITNS Consolidated City (NS) PLACE Place (FIPS) PLACECC FIPS Place Class Code PLACENS Place (NS) TRACT Census Tract BLKGRP Block Group BLOCK Block AIANHH American Indian Area/Alaska Native Area/Hawaiian Home Land (Census) AIHHTLI American Indian Trust Land/Hawaiian Home Land Indicator AIANHHFP American Indian Area/Alaska Native Area/Hawaiian Home Land (FIPS) AIANHHCC FIPS American Indian Area/Alaska Native Area/Hawaiian Home Land Class Code AIANHHNS American Indian Area/Alaska Native Area/Hawaiian Home Land (NS) AITS American Indian Tribal Subdivision (Census) AITSFP American Indian Tribal Subdivision (FIPS) AITSCC FIPS American Indian Tribal Subdivision Class Code AITSNS American Indian Tribal Subdivision (NS) TTRACT Tribal Census Tract TBLKGRP Tribal Block Group ANRC Alaska Native Regional Corporation (FIPS) ANRCCC FIPS Alaska Native Regional Corporation Class Code ANRCNS Alaska Native Regional Corporation (NS) CBSA Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area MEMI Metropolitan/Micropolitan Indicator CSA Combined Statistical Area METDIV Metropolitan Division NECTA New England City and Town Area NMEMI NECTA Metropolitan/Micropolitan Indicator CNECTA Combined New England City and Town Area NECTADIV New England City and Town Area Division CBSAPCI Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area Principal City Indicator NECTAPCI New England City and Town Area Principal City Indicator UA Urban Area UATYPE Urban Area Type UR Urban/Rural CD116 Congressional District (116th) CD118 Congressional District (118th) CD119 Congressional District (119th) CD120 Congressional District (120th) CD121 Congressional District (121st) SLDU18 State Legislative District (Upper Chamber) (2018) SLDU22 State Legislative District (Upper Chamber) (2022) SLDU24 State Legislative District (Upper Chamber) (2024) SLDU26 State Legislative District (Upper Chamber) (2026) SLDU28 State Legislative District (Upper Chamber) (2028) SLDL18 State Legislative District (Lower Chamber) (2018) SLDL22 State Legislative District (Lower Chamber) (2022) SLDL24 State Legislative District (Lower Chamber) (2024) SLDL26 State Legislative District (Lower Chamber) (2026) SLDL28 State Legislative District (Lower Chamber) (2028) VTD Voting District VTDI Voting District Indicator ZCTA ZIP Code Tabulation Area (5-Digit) SDELM School District (Elementary) SDSEC School District (Secondary) SDUNI School District (Unified) PUMA Public Use Microdata Area AREALAND Area (Land) AREAWATR Area (Water) BASENAME Area Base Name NAME Area Name-Legal/Statistical Area Description (LSAD) Term-Part Indicator FUNCSTAT Functional Status Code GCUNI Geographic Change User Note Indicator POP100 Population Count (100%) HU100 Housing Unit Count (100%) INTPTLAT Internal Point (Latitude) INTPTLON Internal Point (Longitude) LSADC Legal/Statistical Area Descrip...

This feature service outlines relationships between Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) used to denote Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) and the Fair Market Rents (FMRs) calculated for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and County geographies. Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) are FMRs calculated for ZIP Codes within Metropolitan Areas. Small Area FMRs are required to be used to set Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards in areas designated by HUD (available here). Other Housing Agencies operating in non-designated metropolitan areas may opt-in to the use of Small Area FMRs. Furthermore, Small Area FMRs may be used as the basis for setting Exception Payment Standards – PHAs may set exception payment standards up to 110 percent of the Small Area FMR. PHAs administering Public Housing units may use Small Area FMRs as an alternative to metropolitan area-wide FMRs when calculating Flat Rents.

Abstract

Dataset quality **: Medium/high quality dataset, not quality checked or modified by the EIDC team

Census data plays a pivotal role in academic data research, particularly when exploring relationships between different demographic characteristics. The significance of this particular dataset lies in its ability to facilitate the merging of various datasets with basic census information, thereby streamlining the research process and eliminating the need for separate API calls.

The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which provides detailed social, economic, and demographic data about the United States population. The ACS collects data continuously throughout the decade, gathering information from a sample of households across the country, covering a wide range of topics

Methodology

The Census Data Application Programming Interface (API) is an API that gives the public access to raw statistical data from various Census Bureau data programs.

We used this API to collect various demographic and socioeconomic variables from both the ACS and the Deccenial survey on different geographical levels:

ZCTAs:

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are generalized areal representations of United States Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas. The USPS ZIP Codes identify the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with mailing addresses. USPS ZIP Codes are not areal features but a collection of mail delivery routes.

Census Tract:

Census Tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county or statistically equivalent entity that can be updated by local participants prior to each decennial census as part of the Census Bureau’s Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP).

Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people, with an optimum size of 4,000 people. A census tract usually covers a contiguous area; however, the spatial size of census tracts varies widely depending on the density of settlement. Census tract boundaries are delineated with the intention of being maintained over a long time so that statistical comparisons can be made from census to census.

Block Groups:

Block groups (BGs) are the next level above census blocks in the geographic hierarchy (see Figure 2-1 in Chapter 2). A BG is a combination of census blocks that is a subdivision of a census tract or block numbering area (BNA). (A county or its statistically equivalent entity contains either census tracts or BNAs; it can not contain both.) A BG consists of all census blocks whose numbers begin with the same digit in a given census tract or BNA; for example, BG 3 includes all census blocks numbered in the 300s. The BG is the smallest geographic entity for which the decennial census tabulates and publishes sample data.

Census Blocks:

Census blocks, the smallest geographic area for which the Bureau of the Census collects and tabulates decennial census data, are formed by streets, roads, railroads, streams and other bodies of water, other visible physical and cultural features, and the legal boundaries shown on Census Bureau maps.

Prepared by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, this data collection consists of selected subsets extracted from the Census of Population and Housing, 2000, Summary File 3 (SF3). The SF3 data contain information compiled from the questions asked of a sample of persons and housing units enumerated in Census 2000. Population items include sex, age, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, household relationship, marital status, caregiving by grandparents, language and ability to speak English, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship status and year of entry to the United States, migration, place of work, journey to work, school enrollment, educational attainment, veteran status, disability, employment status, industry, occupation, class of worker, income, and poverty status. Housing items include housing unit vacancy status, housing unit tenure (owner/renter), number of rooms, number of bedrooms, year moved into unit, occupants per room, units in structure, year structure built, heating fuel, telephone service, plumbing and kitchen facilities, vehicles available, value of home, rent, and shelter costs. The information in SF3 is presented in 813 tables, one variable per table cell, plus additional variables with geographic information. Cases in the summary file data are classified by levels of observation, known as "summary levels" in the Census Bureau's nomenclature, which served as the selection criteria for the subsets generated by ICPSR. Each subset comprises all of the cases in one of 10 summary levels: the nation (summary level 010), states (summary level 040), Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSA) (summary level 380), Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSA) (summary level 385), places (summary level 160), counties (summary level 050), county subdivisions (summary level 060), whole census tracts (summary level 140), census tracts in places (summary level 158), and 5-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) (summary level 860). Four files are supplied for the summary level 860 subset: a single file that contains all of the SF3 tables, plus three smaller files, each of which contains about one third of the tables. Five files are supplied for each of the summary level 010, 040, 380, 385, 160, and 050 subsets: a single file that contains all of the SF3 tables, plus four smaller files, each of which contains approximately one quarter of the tables. Fifteen files are provided for each of the summary level 140 and 158 subsets. There is a national file with all of the SF3 tables, plus two smaller national files, each of which contains approximately one half of the tables. Additionally, there are three files for each of the four census regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West): a file with all tables and two smaller files each containing about one half of the tables. Twenty files are supplied for summary level 060. There is a national file with all tables, plus three smaller national files, each of which contains approximately one third of the tables. In addition, there are four files for each of the four census regions: a file with all tables and three smaller files each containing about one third of the tables.

File provides the capability of assigning geographic codes (State, County, and Place) to records containing ZIP Code, post office name, and State abbreviationThis version has been updated to include codes for metropolitan statistical areas (MSA's) defined as of 6/30/87, and codes for counties and places in existence as of 1/1/87Fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico

Release Date: 2015-02-27...Table Name.Island Areas: Industry Series: General Statistics by Manufacturing Industry for Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Areas, and Municipios: 2012.....Key Table Information.Refer to Methodology for additional information......Universe.The universe includes all establishments with payroll at any time during 2012, and classified in NAICS sectors 31-33. Data for 2012 are based on the 2012 NAICS Manual......Geography Coverage.The data are shown at the following geographic levels for Puerto Rico:. . State-equivalent (ST - Puerto Rico). Combined Statistical Area (CSA). Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). County-equivalent (COUNTY - Municipio). .....Industry Coverage.The data are shown for 2- through 5-digit NAICS code levels for Puerto Rico. The data for combined and metropolitan statistical areas are shown at 2- and selected 3-digit NAICS code levels. The data for municipios are shown at the 2-digit NAICS code (31-33) level.......Data Items and Other Identifying Records.This file contains data on:. . Number of establishments. Annual payroll. First-quarter payroll. Payroll taxes and any other legally required employee benefits. Voluntarily provided benefits. Number of paid employees. Average number of production workers. Production workers wages. Other employees. Total payroll for other employees. Value added. Cost of materials. Capital expenditures. Rental payments. Value of shipments. .....Sort Order.Data are presented in ascending NAICS code and levels sequence......FTP Download.Download the entire table athttps://www2.census.gov/econ2012/IA/sector00/IA1200IPRM02.zip....Contact Information.U.S. Census Bureau, Economy-Wide Statistics Division.Island Areas and Survey of Business Owners Branch.Tel: (301)763-3314.csd.ia@census.gov...Note: Data for 2012 are based on the 2012 NAICS..Note: The level of geographic detail covered varies for Puerto Rico manufacturing. Refer to geography help for a detailed list of the geographies. Note that tables IA1200IPRM02 and IA1200IPRM05 include different geographic levels (combined statistical areas (CSA), metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MSA), and municipios.) Tables IA1200IPRM12 - IA1200IPRM14 present data at the CSAs and MSAs level..Note: Includes only establishments with payroll. Data based on the 2012 Economic Census of Island Areas. Figures may not add to total due to rounding. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see Methodology..Symbols:D - Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual companies; data are included in higher level totalsN - Not available or not comparableFor a complete list of all economic programs symbols, see the Symbols Glossary.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census of Island Areas.Note: The data in this file are based on the 2012 Economic Census of Island Areas. To maintain confidentiality, the U.S. Census Bureau suppresses data to protect the identity of any business or individual. The census results in this file contain sampling and nonsampling error. Data users who create their own estimates using data from this file should cite the U.S. Census Bureau as the source of the original data only. For the full technical documentation, see Methodology link in above headnote.

The State Legislative District Summary File Supplement contains geographic identification codes that relate each 2000 Census block to pre-2010 Census state legislative districts. Both upper and lower chamber districts are identified. In addition, these block-level data contain variables on land area, water area, latitude, longitude, total population size, and number of housing units, as well as geographic identification variables for other levels of observation such as states, metropolitan statistical areas, urban areas, congressional districts, counties, county subdivisions, places, census tracts, block groups, and ZIP code tabulation areas. There is one data file for each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico which are bundled together in a single ZIP archive. A second ZIP archive contains the codebook and other documentation.

This dataset is intended for researchers, students, and policy makers for reference and mapping purposes, and may be used for basic applications such as viewing, querying, and map output production, or to provide a basemap to support graphical overlays and analysis with other spatial data.

This data collection contains summary statistics on population and housing subjects derived from the responses to the 2010 Census questionnaire. Population items include sex, age, average household size, household type, and relationship to householder such as nonrelative or child. Housing items include tenure (whether a housing unit is owner-occupied or renter-occupied), age of householder, and household size for occupied housing units. Selected aggregates and medians also are provided. The summary statistics are presented in 71 tables, which are tabulated for multiple levels of observation (called "summary levels" in the Census Bureau's nomenclature), including, but not limited to, regions, divisions, states, metropolitan/micropolitan areas, counties, county subdivisions, places, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), school districts, census tracts, American Indian and Alaska Native areas, tribal subdivisions, and Hawaiian home lands. There are 10 population tables shown down to the county level and 47 population tables and 14 housing tables shown down to the census tract level. Every table cell is represented by a separate variable in the data. Each table is iterated for up to 330 population groups, which are called "characteristic iterations" in the Census Bureau's nomenclature: the total population, 74 race categories, 114 American Indian and Alaska Native categories, 47 Asian categories, 43 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander categories, and 51 Hispanic/not Hispanic groups. Moreover, the tables for some large summary areas (e.g., regions, divisions, and states) are iterated for portions of geographic areas ("geographic components" in the Census Bureau's nomenclature) such as metropolitan/micropolitan statistical areas and the principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas. The collection has a separate set of files for every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the National File. Each file set has 11 data files per characteristic iteration, a data file with geographic variables called the "geographic header file," and a documentation file called the "packing list" with information about the files in the file set. Altogether, the 53 file sets have 110,416 data files and 53 packing list files. Each file set is compressed in a separate ZIP archive (Datasets 1-56, 72, and 99). Another ZIP archive (Dataset 100) contains a Microsoft Access database shell and additional documentation files besides the codebook. The National File (Dataset 99) constitutes the National Update for Summary File 2. The National Update added summary levels for the United States as a whole, regions, divisions, and geographic areas that cross state lines such as Core Based Statistical Areas.

A ZIP Code tabulation area (ZCTA) is a statistical geographic entity that approximates the delivery area for a U.S. Postal Service five-digit or three-digit ZIP Code. ZCTAs are aggregations of census blocks that have the same predominant ZIP Code associated with the addresses in the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File (MAF). Three-digit ZCTA codes are applied to large contiguous areas for which the U.S. Census Bureau does not have five-digit ZIP Code information in its MAF. ZCTAs do not precisely depict ZIP Code delivery areas, and do not include all ZIP Codes used for mail delivery. The U.S. Census Bureau has established ZCTAs as a new geographic entity similar to, but replacing, data tabulations for ZIP Codes undertaken in conjunction with the 1990 and earlier censuses.