LibGuides: Census Data: GIS and Mapping

TIGER GIS Files

The TIGER files include boundaries for all of the geographic areas that the Census Bureau publishes data for, as well as features that are used to delineate those boundaries (roads, railroads, rivers, bodies of water, major landmarks). Files are published in a shapefile format in for use in GIS software and are updated annually as legal areas change (counties, cities and towns). Statistical areas (block groups, tracts, ZCTAs) are only updated every ten years in conjunction with the decennial census (with exceptions for refinements to correct errors or to accommodate changes in legal areas). Tabular census data can be joined to the appropriate shapefile using the unique GEOID field to create thematic maps. It's important to use boundaries that match the given decennial or ACS dataset - there is a big difference between files from 2019 and 2020.

See the GIS Research Guide for information about GIS services at Brown.

TIGER / Line Shapefiles
These files represent the exact boundaries of features, which incorporate both land and water.
Cartographic Boundary Files
These files are generalizations of the TIGER files that are appropriate for mapping at different scales. Coastal water has been removed from the feature boundaries, and edges have been simplified to varying degrees (see examples above).
TIGERweb
Several web-based applications which include: a stand-alone web map for viewing census geography, WMS layers that can be added to desktop GIS as basemaps, and REST API services.
Census Geocoder
This application allows you to geocode addresses (obtain longitude and latitude coordinates) against the TIGER street files. Match one by one, or upload a batch of 10k records in a CSV file.

Census Maps

Both data.census.gov and the Census Reporter can be used to create basic thematic maps. Search for and select data, then choose the options for mapping it.

Geography Reference Maps
Static reference maps of census geography in PDF format.
Interactive Census Maps
Maps from a variety of census programs that allow you to explore migration, employment, poverty, and more.

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
This interactive census web-mapping database makes it easy to create maps of data going back to 1790. Maps can be saved as images, and (if you create an account) linked to and embedded in other applications. Available to the Brown University Community.
Social Explorer helps visual analysis and understanding of the demography of the U.S. through the use of interactive maps and data reports. Primary functions include Demographic Data Analysis, Interactive Map/Report Design and Software Development. The main goal is to visually display the demographic change that has occurred in the U.S. since 1790 through the-present, for the country over all down to the level of the county. For more recent years, users can display areas as small as a neighborhood. Certain cities may even be displayed as far back as 1910. Toward this end, Social Explorer contains a collection of interactive demographic maps that can be viewed, queried and manipulated on the site.