The United States Census Bureau is the federal government's statistical agency. It collects and publishes data about the American people and the American economy.
The Census Bureau conducts several different types of studies. Some of these include the following.
Decennial Census: Once-a-decade population and housing count of the entire nation, required by the U.S. Constitution. The results of the Decennial Census determine the number of seats for each state in the U.S. House of Representatives, and are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts and to distribute federal funds each year.
Economic Census: Measures the nation’s economy every five years, providing vital statistics for virtually every industry and geographic area in the country.
American Community Survey (ACS): Annual survey that provides information about the U.S. population on a variety of social and housing-related topics including jobs and occupations, educational attainment, home ownership, and much more. The ACS helps the government decide where to target services and resources.
Census of Governments: Provides comprehensive data about the nearly 90,000 state and local governments every five years.
Firestone Library's government documents collection holds print versions of the Decennial Census, the Economic Census, and the Census of Governments. However much of this data is available online in the databases listed below.
