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How to use data.census.gov’s filters and address lookup to find local data
Summary
A step-by-step walkthrough of data.census.gov’s Explore Filters and search-by-address features shows how to pull in exact geographies, limit results by survey/topic/year, and build reusable URLs to share maps and tables.
Data.census.gov includes an 'Explore filters' interface that lets users assemble a filter "shopping cart" of geographies, topics, surveys, years and codes to see which tables are available for a chosen area, presenters said.
Kira Obradovich, a data dissemination specialist, demonstrated the address lookup: "If I click on [search by address] I can put an address anywhere in the U.S. that will then lead me to all of most of the census specific geographies that we have," she said while using a sample address in Cherryville, Kansas. The tool adds the corresponding place, census tract and block-group geographies to the filter cart so users can immediately see which surveys and years have data at those levels.
Obradovich also emphasized summary levels and year filters: selecting a detailed geography (for example, census tracts) often reduces the list of available surveys and years; switching the year from 2024 to 2023, for instance, made some economic surveys visible that were not present for 2024 in the tool. She showed how to create a map, select layers and copy the page URL; "Once this loads... it's going to open up exactly what you have," she said, describing the URL as an editable, shareable link that reproduces the filters and map for collaborators.
The article includes practical tips: use 'summary levels' to confirm geographic availability, clear filters using the Data.Census.gov button, and contact your regional data dissemination specialist for help building neighborhood or custom geographies.
