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George Mason University InfoGuides

Census & Demographic Data

Use this guide to identify appropriate sources for population and census data.

Related Guides

  • Citing Data - This guide provides detailed information and examples on how you should cite data in your research.
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  • Find/Use Data: ICPSR - Learn how to find and use data from the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).

About This Guide

Use this guide to identify appropriate sources for demographic or census data.
  • Find US & Local Data: Access data tools for getting Census of Population and Housing (Census), American Community Survey (ACS) data as well as data compiled by local and regional governments and commissions.
  • Access US Census/ACS Guides & FAQs: Access answers to frequently asked questions about the Census and the American Community Survey.
  • Find Datasets & MicrodataUse this page if you need to download data to do detailed analysis using a statistical software package (e.g., R, SPSS, Stata, etc.). Includes data for households and people from Census, ACS, Current Population Survey, etc. as well as international data. Easier-to-use population data for the U.S. is aggregated by geography and can be accessed from the Find U.S. or Find DC Metro Area pages.
  • Find International Data: Access resources that report country level population data or access points for other countries censuses (useful if you need population data for smaller geographies--below the national level).
  • Find Economic Census Data: The U.S. Economic Census data is collected every five years. This page accesses recent data as well as historical data about business establishments. Figures include numbers of establishments by geography, industry, information about payroll and more.