U.S. Census Bureau

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Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Tool Kit

FINDING CENSUS DATA FOR GRANT WRITING AND COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The United States Census Bureau is the leading source of quality data about our nation's people and economy. While the Census Bureau is not a funding agency, it does provide information needed for grant proposals and Federal fund distributions. This tool kit is intended to provide a simple, easy approach to obtaining Census information for grant writing and community needs assessment. (You may want to print this page for reference to follow along with the instructions outlined below.)

The Census Bureau has twelve Regional Offices. Partnership and Data Services (PDS) staff within each Regional Office instructs the public on Census data through free presentations and workshops and answers incoming data questions by phone, e-mail, or fax. Questions concerning information found on this page, or help with finding the data, should be directed to the Partnership and Data Services staff [PDF] within your region.

What Can Census Data Do For You?

Census data can provide a unique picture of local communities. Census data can answer many questions including the ones listed below.

  • How many people live here?
  • What are household income levels?
  • How old or young is the population?
  • How well educated is the population?
  • What languages are spoken at home?
  • How has the population changed over time?
  • How many single parents live in a community?
  • What race or ethnicity make up the population?

What Types of Data are Useful for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives?

  • Age Profile
  • Occupation
  • Low-income
  • Family Type
  • Marital Status
  • Transportation
  • Race/Ethnicity
  • Country of Birth
  • Total Population
  • Education Levels
  • Housing Conditions
  • Disabled Population
  • Employment Status
  • Language Spoken at Home
  • Grandparents as caregivers

Finding Census Data

Demographic or Community Profiles (2000 Data)

A profile consists of four tables that provide information on population, economic, households, families, and housing characteristics.

The information in the profiles is compiled from questions asked of all people and about every household on topics such as gender, age, race, who lives in each house, and whether a house is owned or rented. The profiles also include information that is asked of a sample of people. This sample represents the total population of the United States giving information about marital status, ancestry, and grandparents as care givers, among others.

The information is provided at various levels of geography in the U.S. such as the United States as a whole, state, county, place (city or township, etc.), neighborhood (census tract) and ZIP Code.

The links to the Demographic Profiles will provide a broad knowledge base and understanding of social, economic, and housing information.

  • Access the Demographic Profiles Census 2000 and select a state.
  • To see all counties and places (city or township, etc.) in a state, select a state and then type * in the next box and press GO.
  • Compare Census information from the Demographic Profiles of the 1990 and 2000 censuses, scroll down and select a state or county under 1990 or 2000.

American FactFinder

The American FactFinder is a electronic system designed for access to a wide range of Census Bureau data. This wide range includes data from the Economic Censuses to include business and government data, Decennial Census (people and housing data), the American Community Survey, the ZIP Code Business Patterns, Population Estimates and Projections, Thematic Maps, Reference Maps and a host of other products and data. Accessing the main page of the American FactFinder, may require a more advanced knowledge of Census Bureau statistics and electronic navigation. Summary File 1 and Summary File 3 can be accessed from the American FactFinder

The links below are to Summary File 1 and 3. These are just two of the "wide range" of products and services listed above. The data contents are about the same as the demographic profiles but contain more information. These files will enable the user to build their own tables.

Summary File 1 (2000 Data)

Summary File 1 has data that is collected from all people about every household. Population data includes sex, age, race, Hispanic or Latino, household relationship, and group quarters. The housing items include occupancy status, vacancy status, and tenure (owner occupied or renter occupied). This information is collected for many levels of geography such as United States, state, county, place (city or township, etc.), neighborhood and ZIP Code.

To access Summary File 1:

Follow the five steps below. Remember to print this page to be able to read and follow along with the instructions below.

  1. Go to Select Geography page.
  2. Now select one or more geographic areas and select the Add button. Select the Remove button to remove any of the selected geographic types.
  3. Select the Next button to continue.
  4. There will be a list of tables to choose from. Select one or more tables then select Add.
  5. Select the Show Result button to get the information.

Summary File 3 (2000 Data)

Summary File 3 includes basic population counts, urban and rural, households and families, marital status, grandparents as care givers, language and ability to speak English, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship status, place of work, and much more. All of this information is sample data which represents the total population, and is collected using the long-form census questionnaire.

To access Summary File 3:

  1. Go to Select Geography page
  2. Follow the same instructions above for Summary File 1.

American Community Survey (ACS)

In 2010, during the next Decennial Census, the Census Bureau will not use the "long form" which provided the detailed information found in 2000 Summary File 3. Instead the Census Bureau will use the American Community Survey to produce similar detailed information.

The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey that will provide data about communities every year. Currently, ACS is annually collecting data from every county in the United States. ACS data are now available for areas with population of 65,000 and over. By 2010, data will be available for all communities in the United States on an annual basis.

Information about the ACS.
ACS Data

Other Data Sources

There are many other sources of data at the Census Bureau's website at www.census.gov. Below are links to just a few.

Do You Need Data Assistance?

Questions concerning any of this information should be directed to one of the Partnership and Data Services Staff at your local Census Regional Office [PDF].
[PDF] or PDF denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader This link to a non-federal Web site does not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. available free from Adobe.