Changing Geography to Meet Changing Needs:

Census Geography to 2020 Michael Ratcliffe

Geography Division US Census Bureau

New Mexico State Data Center

Data Users Conference

November 19, 2015

Today’s Presentation…

• A brief look at the history of the Census Bureau’s development of geography standards and current GIS developments

• Focus on changes to: – Geographic area concepts and criteria – Measuring geospatial data accuracy and

quality

Census Geography: Key Dates • Late-19th Century: introduction of small statistical areas, such as

enumeration districts, sanitary districts. Tabulation of data by city ward.

• 1910: Introduction of census tracts (8 cities). • 1910 – 1940: Industrial districts, metropolitan districts. • 1930: Census tract coverage expanded to 10 additional large cities. • 1940: block-level data for cities of 50,000 or more population.

Unincorporated communities supplementary report. • 1950: Introduction of Standard Metropolitan Areas, urbanized areas,

census designated places (CDPs), census county divisions (CCDs). • 1990: Nationwide coverage for blocks; census tracts/block

numbering areas. • 2000: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), urban clusters. Census

tracts nationwide.

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The use of geographic information has a long history at the Census Bureau

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The 1874 Statistical Atlas was a landmark publication, mapping a wide variety of demographic, economic, and geological topics, using innovative mapping techniques.

The Role of Geospatial Data at the Census Bureau

• Although the Census Bureau is not designated as a national mapping agency, it has been a leader in the collection, production, use, and dissemination of geospatial data.

• The Census Bureau’s TIGER database was the first nationwide digital map of the US, and provided base geographic data for use by state and local government, other organizations, and the public.

• Accurate and current geospatial data are critical to successful statistical data collection, tabulation, and dissemination programs.

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Uses of GIS at the Census Bureau

• Management of field data collection operations. • Geographic area delineation. • Review of address, spatial data, and boundary

updates from tribal, state, and local governments and other organizations.

• Review of statistical data prior to dissemination. • Analysis of statistical data for use in research

and reports. • Map production, including development of online

mapping applications. 6

Changes to Census Geography

• Over the past century, the number and types of census geographic areas, and the criteria used to define areas, have changed in response to: – Changes in technology (i.e., GIS, databases)

providing for more efficient exchange, collection, management, and dissemination of data.

– Changes in user needs and expectations. – Improvements in spatial resolution of data. – Changes in theoretical approaches to interpreting and

understanding geographic concepts.

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Census Geography: The Long View

• 1790-1890, census geography was largely limited to a small number of types of legal areas.

• The history of changing census geography has largely been one of increasing types and numbers of statistical geographic areas.

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Why define statistical geography?

• Need for data and information – Counterparts to legal entities – Provide finer spatial resolution – Consistent and comparable entities for longitudinal

analysis – Entities designed to ensure statistical reliability,

protect confidentiality of data • Programmatic needs

– Legal entities do not provide full coverage for the type of area or community in which programs or policies are implemented.

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What do statistical areas represent? • Geographic, demographic, economic concepts

– Metropolitan, micropolitan, urban, rural, frontier, commuting zones, urban influence zones, economic areas

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Statistical Area (examples) Responsible Agency

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and related entities

Office of Management and Budget

Urbanized Areas and Urban Clusters Census Bureau

Rural-Urban Commuting Areas USDA/Economic Research Service

Rural-Urban Continuum Codes USDA/Economic Research Service

BEA Economic Areas (no longer defined) Bureau of Economic Analysis

Commodity Flow Survey Area Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Puerto Rico Commercial Regions Census Bureau

AMERICAN INDIAN AREAS

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American Indian Areas in Census Data Tabulations and Products

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1790

-18

50

1860

-18

80

1890

-19

10

1920

-19

60

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

American Indians counted only among general population X American Indians tabulated in Indian Territory and on tribal lands, but not by separate area

X

Federally-recognized American Indian reservations

X X X X X X X Federally-recognized off-reservation trust lands

X X X X

Tribal Subdivisions

X X X

State-recognized American Indian reservations

X X X X

Historical Areas of Oklahoma

X

Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas X X X

Tribal Designated Statistical Areas X X X X

State Designated Tribal Statistical Areas X X

American Indian Areas

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Data for American Indian Reservations, off-reservation trust lands, tribal subdivisions, tribal tracts, and tribal block groups.

Tribal Tracts and Tribal Block Groups

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Tribal tracts and tribal block groups added as new types of statistical geographic areas for the 2000 Census within Federally-recognized American Indian Reservations and allowed to cross county and state boundaries. Tribal tracts and block groups formed the framework for standard, county-based tracts and block groups. For the 2010 Census, tribal tracts/block groups were defined as completely separate areas from standard tracts/block groups; that is, no relationship between tribal tracts/block groups and county-based tracts/block groups.

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URBAN AND METROPOLITAN AREAS: DEFINING THE STRUCTURAL

AND FUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPE

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Industrial Districts (1905) • First class (over 5 million)

– New York • Second class (1-2 million)

– Chicago – Philadelphia – Boston

• Third class (~500,000) – Pittsburgh-Allegheny – St. Louis – Baltimore – Cincinnati – Cleveland – Buffalo – Minneapolis-St. Paul – San Francisco

Metropolitan Districts: 1910-1940

1910 and 1920 Censuses: – Central city of 200,000 or more

population. – Total population of 200,000 or more. – 10-mile limit around central city.

1930 Census: – Central city of 50,000 or more

population. – Total population of 100,000 or more. – Adjacent county subdivisions.

1940 Census: – Central city of 50,000 or more

population. – Total population of 50,000 or more. – Adjacent county subdivisions based on

population density.

Metropolitan Areas: 1950-2013

• Though the names have changed, the concept remained (essentially) the same: – Standard Metropolitan Areas – Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Standard

Consolidated Statistical Areas – Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Consolidated

Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas

– Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Combined Statistical Areas, Metropolitan Divisions

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Standard Metropolitan Areas: 1950

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Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and related statistical areas

Expansion of the Atlanta Metro Area

Source: Todd Gardner, Center for Economic Studies, Census Bureau

Census Bureau’s urban/rural classification

• 1880-1940: incorporated places meeting specified minimum population thresholds – Close relationship between urban population and city and town

boundaries

• 1950-1990: urbanized areas of 50,000 or more population based partly on population density – 1950: applied only to cities of 50,000 or more – Manual delineation, 1950-1980 (planimeters and paper maps) – Interactive GIS-based delineation in 1990

• 2000-2010: density-based urbanized areas and urban clusters – Automated, GIS-based delineation – Use of National Land Cover Dataset impervious surface layer

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Urbanized Areas, 1950-1990

• Adoption of concept to account for increased suburban growth around large cities.

• Adherence to place boundaries.

• Delineated manually/interactively.

• Delineation built from previous decade’s boundary.

1960

1970

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• Urban clusters adopted, extending the urbanized area concept to smaller places.

• Place boundaries not considered when delineating areas.

• Automated delineation to improve efficiency and consistency.

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Changes to the Urban Area Concept and Criteria for Census 2000

Urban Areas: 2000 and 2010 Starting with Census 2000, place boundaries are no longer taken into account when delineating urban areas. As a result, incorporated places and CDPs may be split between urban and rural components.

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Non-residential urban land use located on the edge of an urban area, adjacent to low density rural territory.

Non-residential urban land use bridging the gap between residential areas.

2010 Census: Use of National Land Cover Dataset impervious surface layer to identify non-residential land uses

COUNTY SUBDIVSIONS AND PLACES

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County Subdivisions

Minor Civil Divisions (MCDs) • Legal entity in 29 states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and

the Island Areas • May have a formal government with elected officials • Over 30,000 MCDs for the 2010 Census

Census County Divisions (CCDs) • Statistical entity in 21 states • Stable boundaries, recognizable names • Over 5,200 CCDs for the 2010 Census

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County Subdivisions • Prior to 1960, minor civil

divisions. • Not ideal for longitudinal

analysis due to redistricting.

• Census county divisions adopted for the 1960 Census.

• Designed to provide consistent, sub-county units.

• Facilitate longitudinal analysis.

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Census Bureau Places

Incorporated Places • Legally bounded entity • Cities, boroughs, towns, or villages, depending on the state • Over 19,000 incorporated places

Census Designated Places (CDPs) • Statistical entity • Unincorporated community, concentration of population, housing,

and commercial structures, identifiable by name, but not within an incorporated place

• Nearly10,000 CDPs for 2010 Census

Unincorporated/Census Designated Places

• 1940: Supplementary report for unincorporated places. Must have population of at least 500.

• 1950: unincorporated places defined only outside urbanized areas. Must have a population of at least 1,000.

• 1960 through 1990: defined inside urbanized areas, but must have a population of at least 2,500. Outside urbanized areas, population of at least 1,000.

• 2000 to present: no minimum population threshold.

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1940 Census Supplementary Report: Population in Unincorporated Communities

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Geographic Areas, Spatial Data, and Information Technology

• An abundance of small geographic areas: – Census blocks, block groups, tracts, grid cells, ZIP

Codes/ZIP Code tabulation areas, ZIP+4 codes • Parcel data • Pixellated data • Latitude/longitude coordinates for structures • GIS and database technologies to manage and

manipulate large quantities of data • Ability to measure distances between structures

and other data points 41

Hobbs Area CDPs

CDPs/Colonias, Doña Ana County

La Mesa CDP, Doña Ana County

CDPs/Colonias, Doña Ana County

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Census 2000: Minimum population requirements for Census Designated Places were eliminated to support identification of colonias and other small, unincorporated communities to improve access to data about demographic characteristics.

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CENSUS TRACTS

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Census Tracts, Albuquerque Area, 1960

The 1960 Census was the first census for which census tracts were defined in New Mexico. Census tracts were limited to Bernalillo County.

Census Tracts, 1970 Census For the 1970 Census, tracts were defined in Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Los Alamos, Doña Ana, and Otero Counties. For 1980, 15 additional counties were tracted. Census tracts and block numbering areas covered the entire state in 1990

Source: Social Explorer

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION FOR REFERENCE

AND MAPPING

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Reference Maps

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http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/maps/reference.html

TIGERWeb: – On-line reference map – Web mapping service enabling access to

geographic information for use in applications

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TIGERweb

Census Flows Mapper

OnTheMap

Data Viz of the Week Metro/Micro

Thematic Map Viewer

ONLINE Mapping Applications and Data Visualizations at the Census Bureau

Historical Comparability: Finding Cibola County in 1960 Census Geography

Geographic Information Resources • Geography Atlas: Interactive hierarchy chart

linked to descriptive information about each type of geographic area. – http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/webatlas/

• Guide to State and Local Census Geography – http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/geoguide.html

• Geographic Codes – http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/geocodes.html

• Geographic Relationship Files – http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/relationship.html

• Geographic Entity Tallies – http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tallies.html

Gazetteer Files

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http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer.html

Geographic Relationship Files

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http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/relationship.html

Geographic Change Information

• Substantial County Changes, 1970-Present: – http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/county-changes.html – Cibola County, New Mexico (35-006): Created from part of

Valencia County (35-061) effective June 19, 1981; 1980 population: 30,347.

• Incorporations, Mergers, Consolidations, and Disincorporations: – http://www.census.gov/geo/partnerships/bas/bas_newannex.html

• Geographic Boundary Change Notes – http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/boundary-changes.html

Substantial County Changes Changes to Counties or County Equivalent Entities: 2010s New Counties or County Equivalent Entities • Petersburg Borough, Alaska (02-195): Created from part of former Petersburg Census Area (02-195)

and part of Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (02-105) effective January 3, 2013; estimated population 3,203.

Deleted Counties or County Equivalent Entities Bedford (independent) city, Virginia (51-515): Changed to town status and added to Bedford County (51-019) effective July 1, 2013.

Name and/or Code Changes for Counties or County Equivalent Entities • Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (02-158): Changed name and code from Wade Hampton Census Area

(02-270) effective July 1, 2015. • Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (02-270): Changed name and code to Kusilvak Census Area

(02-158) effective July 1, 2015. • Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (46-102): Changed name and code from Shannon County (46-

113) effective May 1, 2015. • Shannon County, South Dakota (46-113): Changed name and code to Oglala Lakota County (46-102)

effective May 1, 2015. Substantial County or County Equivalent Boundary Changes • Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (02-198): Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area (02-198)

added part of the former Petersburg Census Area (02-195) effective January 3, 2013; estimated added population 613.

• Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (02-105): Part taken to create new Petersburg Borough (02-195) effective January 3, 2013; estimated detached population: 1

• Bedford County, Virginia (51-019): Added the former independent city of Bedford (51-515) effective July 1, 2013; estimated net added population 6,222.

Geographic Change Notes Area Name (with parent

county and code) Code Type of Change

Effective Date

Description of Change

Anthony CDP (Doña Ana-013) 03820 Deleted Entity 7/1/2010 Incorporated as Anthony city (03820).

Anthony city (Doña Ana-013) 03820 New Entity 7/1/2010

Incorporated. Located in Doña Ana County (013), Anthony CCD (90090). Was a CDP in 2010.

Bernalillo CCD (Sandoval-043) 90270 FIPS Code Change,

Name Change 1/1/2010 Changed to Rio Rancho (92655).

Bernalillo County 001 County Boundary

Change 1/1/2005

Bernalillo County (001), Albuquerque CCD (90060) lost territory to Sandoval County (043), Bernalillo CCD (90270).

Bernalillo East CCD (Bernalillo-001) 90300

FIPS Code Change, Name Change 1/1/2010

Changed to East Bernalillo (91095).

Bernalillo West CCD (Bernalillo-001) 90330

FIPS Code Change, Name Change 1/1/2010

Changed to West Bernalillo (93735).

Concluding thoughts…

• The history of Census Bureau geography has been one of increasing numbers and types of geographic areas, at increasing levels of spatial resolution, in response to data users’ needs.

• For the future, do we continue to add new and different types of geographic areas to Census Bureau databases?

• Or, do we develop processes and applications that allow data users to use geographic areas from one source to aggregate data from a different source?

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Questions? Comments?

Contact information: Michael Ratcliffe, Geography Division U.S. Census Bureau Michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov

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Geographic Change

• What is the new name of the former Shannon County, South Dakota?

• From what county was Cibola County, NM formed? What was the effective date? What other information can you find about Cibola?

• Anthony CDP no longer exists. What happened to it?