Hi, I am Alexandra Barker. There are many ways to access 2020 Census Redistricting data. But in this
data gem, I will introduce you to three tools that are very helpful when accessing this data;
and I'll share with you some information about when to use one tool versus the other. So,
let's check it out. The first question here is how do I know which resource I should use
to access the 2020 Census Redistricting data for my project? These three resources are:
File transfer protocol site or FTP for short. Data visualizations
And data.census.gov
At the end of this data gem, I will also briefly
talk about a few more great resources, such as QuickFacts and the Census API,
to help you answer this question. Let's take a closer look at each one of the three resources.
Let's start with the file transfer protocol site or FTP. The FTP is a great resource for
those who want to perform in-depth analysis and customize the analysis of data sets.
It is also good for those who want to visualize the analysis using mapping software. The FTP
is the only method to download the complete set of Redistricting data files for each state.
As for the format, when you select a state, you will be downloading all the files for every level
of geography available within that state. You can select a stage to download the
complete set of data files for all the topics and geographies at once.
Downloading from the FTP is a multi-step process, and it requires the use of a statistical analysis
software to extract the data but don't worry, we have detailed courses and data gems to guide you.
For now, I will show you where you can go to download the files.
To locate the page to download the data files, click on the link above
or on the description of this video. You will be at the Decennial Census P.L.94171
Redistricting data page. If you scroll down, you can select the year 2020, 2010, or 2000.
Let's continue with 2020. in order to access the files, you just have to click on the link
for legacy format summary files. You now can see a data folder for each state. If you click on any
of the states, you can now download the zip file containing a complete set of restricting data for
the state for every level of geography. Now let's take a look at a data visualization library that
offers a few resources that can make it very easy for you to access and visualize 2020 Census data.
Data visualizations are an excellent option for someone who wants an easy and quick way
to access the data and identify trends about a particular topic.
Each of the 2020 census Redistricting data visualizations
offers their own unique features and topics such as population, race, and ethnicity,
voting age, and housing data. Some of them allow you to compare 2010 to 2020 Decennial Census data.
Some focus on one topic.Differently from the FTP and data.census.gov, when accessing data from a
visualization, you are only able to interact with the data while using the visualization
since you cannot download the data. On the other hand, by visualizing the data on a map,
it becomes easier to spot trends. Let me take you to the 2020 Census data visualizations.
To locate the data visualizations, click on the link above or on the description of this video.
Now I'm going to take you to census.gov to show you different ways to get to the library
of visualizations. You can go directly to the library and click on infographics
and visualizations. All visualizations will be here available for the year they are published.
So, for the 2020 Census Redistricting data visualizations, you find them under the year 2021,
and they are available here. Very often, I access them by going back to the decennial
Census P.L. 94 171 restricting data page. If you scroll to the bottom, you'll find a drop-down menu
for different resources. The last one is called visualizations. Here all the visualizations
related to 2020 Census Redistricting are available for you, including visualizations in Spanish.
I recommend you check them all as each one of them covers a specific topic or has a specific purpose.
Now let's talk about our third resource data.census.gov.
It offers the most comprehensive method to access and use 2020 Census data.
It is a midway point between easy of use and the ability to download data. It gives you a
customizable way to view the map and access data one table at a time for all available geographies.
Data are offered in a tabular format but can also be viewed using a map. It allows
you to select a variety of geographies for all 2020 Census topics as individual tables.
So this tool may be helpful if you are looking for a particular topic for specific geographies
from the available Redistricting data tables. Data.census.gov functionalities
allow for bundled downloads. In other words, data users
can select and download multiple tables into one bundled zip file. For instance,
if you like to access block data for Texas, you can select and download all six P.L. 94171 tables,
four blocks in Texas, in one zip file. So let me show you where you can go to start accessing data
with data.census.gov. Here at data.census.gov, you can go about searching for that in so many
ways. You can use the simple search to search by table name for a specific area or topic,
or you can go to advanced search and search not only by table name or table ID
but also select the surveys, the year, geography, and topics. This way,
you can filter down to specific results related to the 2020 Census Redistricting data files.
Overall, these are the three methods that I use more often to access data from the 2020 Census.
Still, if you are just looking for the population count from the 2020 Census, you can use QuickFacts
that's available on the census.gov landing page. 2020 Census Redistricting data is also available
via the Census Bureau Application Programming Interface or API. It enables developers to
create and call customized data sets that fit into web or mobile apps.
I hope one of these tools come in handy for you,
and if you enjoyed this video and want to learn more about 2020 Census Redistricting data
visit census.gov/academy and don't forget to subscribe. Thank you.