DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Census Geography/Geographic Information Webinar: Thursday, April 5, – AM EDT Part of the Commerce Business Apps Challenge We’re challenging developers to look for innovative ways to utilize DOC and other publicly available data to help businesses identify opportunities, grow, enhance, productivity, and create jobs $10,000 USD in prizes (1 st - $5,000; 2 nd - $3,000; and 3 rd - $2,000) Ends: April 30, PM EDT

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Introductions: Mike Kruger, DOC – Director of Digital Strategy (Host) Director of Digital Strategy, U.S. Department of Commerce Michael Ratcliffe, Census Bureau, Geography Division (Presenter) Asst. Division Chief for Geocartographic Products and Criteria

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Agenda: Why is geography important? Geographic area commonalities and differences across demographic and economic datasets Geospatial data for applications Questions

Census Geographic Hierarchy

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Why is geography important? All demographic and economic data are presented by geographic area –But, there are differences in the types of geographic areas used to present demographic and economic data –Census geographic areas do not always match user perceptions of local geography –Not all geographic areas of interest may be used to present data– but there may be census geographic areas that are similar. For example, census tracts are similar to neighborhoods Geography provides an entry point for accessing and displaying data –Many data users will have a general location or geographic area of interest –Typical question: how many _____ are there in geographic area _____? Effective decision-making requires appropriate data at appropriate levels of geography –Scale and spatial resolution are important –Are data by county good enough? Or, is more or less detail needed?

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Common geographic areas across demographic and economic datasets Common geographic units for demographic data as well as all economic data from Census and BEA: –States –Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas –Counties In Census Bureau data, common geographic units for demographic and economic data are: –States –Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas –Counties –County subdivisions (towns/townships), but only in the nine Northeastern states (CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT), and MI, MN, and WI –Incorporated places and census designated places (except in the states listed above)

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Geographic area differences across demographic and economic datasets Lowest levels of geography for demographic data –Decennial census: census block –American Community Survey: block group and census tract –Local Employment Dynamics data: census block –Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: county, school district –Population Estimates: incorporated place, town/township Economic data are not available by block, block group, or census tract

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Resources for Understanding Census Geography: Census Geographic Products and Information:

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Geospatial data for applications TIGER/Line Shapefiles – –Produced Annually –2010 Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles available for all geographic areas, including the Island Areas –2010 Census block shapefiles with population and housing unit counts –Technical Documentation & User Notes –GIS–ready files

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Geospatial data for applications TIGERweb Web Map Service –Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) web map service (WMS) standard –Users that have a client that supports the WMS standard may access the TIGERweb service using the following URL: –//tigerweb.geo.census.gov/ArcGIS/services/tigerWMS/MapServe r/WMSServer

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Geospatial data for applications KML files: –Layers Available: Counties and Census Tracts –Attributes: Geographic Identifier (GEOID) –Vintage: 2010 Census –Available in Detailed (the exact boundaries) and Generalized (boundaries are smoothed and do not represent the exact boundaries) For use with GoogleEarth- and GoogleMap-based applications

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) –Provides lat/long for over 100,000 populated place and locale names not contained in Census Bureau data tabulations –Lat/long could be used to identify census geographic areas in which the place or locale is located, then link to statistical data for appropriate census geography Feature NameIDClassCountyStateLatitudeLongitudeEle(ft)*Map**BGN DateEntry Date King of Prussia Populated PlaceMontgomeryPA400521N W200Valley Forge-02-AUG-1979 King of Prussia Plaza LocaleMontgomeryPA400517N W164Valley Forge-01-DEC-1989 King of Prussia Industrial Park LocaleMontgomeryPA400548N W115Valley Forge-01-FEB-1990 King of Prussia Business and Industrial Center LocaleMontgomeryPA400612N W135Norristown-23-AUG-2007 King of Prussia Business Center LocaleMontgomeryPA400606N W118Valley Forge-23-AUG-2007

DOC/Census Bureau Apps for Innovation Questions? Michael Ratcliffe Geography Division: