Government Information
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Trillian Hosticka and Angie Taliaferro
This library is a Congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents. Public access to the Government information is guaranteed by public law.
Alderman Library is the Regional Federal Depository Library for Virginia, and a depository for Virginia, the United Nations, and the European Union. Government documents can be checked out like other library materials. Knowledgeable staff are happy to assist you in your research.
More Information
Census - Overview
Questions about the Census? Reach out to:
- Depository Librarian featured on this page
- Scholars' Lab for mapping and GIS questions
- Data Librarian for Census data questions
The Census of Population and Housing is required by the Constitution and has been taken every 10 years since 1790. Early on it counted people by sex and race, and that's about it. Over the years it has evolved and continues to evolve to count a great variety of demographic, economic, and social characteristics of the United States population. Currently, the American Community Survey provides estimates of many of social and demographic characteristics.
Need help understanding the basics of Census data? Check out the Library's Census Workshop:
UVA Library owns print Census reports back to 1790. Most of the census reports are held in our off-site storage facility and fall under the C 3.YEAR (C 3.1810:, C 3.1820, etc.) call numbers in our catalog. Email the Depository Librarian featured on this page for assistance.
The resources below provide access to many Census services and products. Other pages of this guide provide more fine-tuned access to specific years, products, or services.
- data.census.govdata.census.gov is the entry point for the most recent US census data. It provides both tables and maps.
- Census BureauGateway to the myriad resources of the Census Bureau.
- Social ExplorerSocial Explorer provides easy access to Census information about the United States, from 1790 to present. The platform is intuitive and easy to use. (Limited to UVA affiliates.)
- Census Migration Flows MapperYou can see what areas are growing and what areas are declining in population.
- Missouri Data Center - Links to DataChoose the State and County you are interested in, and generate data tables from several Census datasets on the fly.
- Census - Genealogical InformationInformation about HeritageQuest, census name rolls owned by Alderman, and other information useful in genealogical research.
- County City Data BooksThis resource provides access to the 1944 through 2000 County and City Data Books. This service provides the opportunity to create custom printouts and/or customized data subsets (subsets only available for 1988-2000).
- Historical Census Materials from the CensusIncludes PDFs of ALL the older census volumes
- National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)The NHGIS is a project to create and freely disseminate a database incorporating all available aggregate historic census information for the U.S. between 1790-2000. Data covers social and economic topics, 1790-2000. Check the "Data Availability" link for a chart on the status of included data. The The data is free, but users must register to download data. Census block shapefiles are available for download state-by-state.
- University of Minnesota Population Center Data ProjectsProvides many datasets, includng PUMS and IPUMS. See a recent study that brings into question some of the age and sex data in these files.
- IPUMS"IPUMS provides census and survey data from around the world integrated across time and space. IPUMS integration and documentation makes it easy to study change, conduct comparative research, merge information across data types, and analyze individuals within family and community contexts."
Interested in the Census for Geneology?
See our related research guides:
- Census - Genealogy (Name Rolls)Information about Ancestry Library Edition, census name rolls owned by Alderman, and other information useful in genealogical research.
- GenealogyGeneral information on Genealogy research, plus more detailed info on Ancestry Library Edition.
Recommended Guides to the Census
- University of Michigan's Historical Census GuideIncludes an excellent overview of various historical census materials
- University of Chicago Finding Census Data GuideIncludes historical censuses, as well as other US censuses (Agriculture, Manufactures, etc.)