Data.census.gov Newsletter – April 2025

Explore the latest updates that make it easier to find, filter, and use data on data.census.gov.

What's New?

Improved Search by Address:

• The URL generated now reflects the address you searched, making it easier to share results or revisit them later.
• Use your browser’s back button to return to your list of geographies.

Microdata Access Tool (MDAT) Enhancements:

• A new “Geographies” tab replaces the button in the variables section.
• We've set up a more intuitive way to select and work with geographies when using microdata.

Faster Bulk Filter Selection:

•  To Access:
  • Click the first item.
  • Hold the Shift key to select a full range of filters at once, allowing the entire range of filters between the first and last clicks.
• This works well for selecting multiple variable values like detailed industries or occupations.

More technical improvements coming soon!

Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes upgrades that will improve speed and performance.

Featured Question

How Can I Group (or Aggregate) Geographies in the Microdata Access Tool?

The geography group feature allows you to get data for multiple geographies already added together for you in the Microdata Access Tool (MDAT).

For example, let’s say you are interested in data for Clark County, WA. In this county, there are four Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) that neatly cover the county. This allows you to add up data from these four PUMAs to get data for Clark County overall.

If you would like the site to automatically add up the data for the combined area of Clark County, use the geography group functionality in MDAT by following the steps in our FAQ.

Email us at [email protected] for any questions or comments you may have.

For more guidance on data availability and using data.census.gov, the Census API, and Microdata Access, visit our Resources page.

Upcoming Webinar: April 24

Mastering Economic Data Searches on data.census.gov

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET

In this webinar, we'll show you that the difference between time-consuming searches and tailored results often comes down to specific search strategies.

Help us spread the word!

Share this on social media or forward it to a friend.

🆕 Geography Workshop

We are excited to introduce a brand-new workshop this month, Geography Essentials for Beginners!

This session is designed for data users who want to master the fundamentals of decennial census geographies and gain confidence in working with geographic concepts on data.census.gov.

More Upcoming Workshops

Join us for a workshop!

April 3: Basics of Using the Microdata Access Tool in data.census.gov

April 9: Basics of Using the Census API

April 18: Making the Most of Mapping in data.census.gov

April 22: Basics of Finding Data Using data.census.gov

April 28: Advanced Usage of  data.census.gov

Featured Video Tutorials

Using Dual Vintage PUMAs in the Microdata Access Tool

Let us walk you through the process for getting data for Dual Vintage PUMAs using the 2022 ACS 5-Year PUMS in MDAT.

Using Charts in data.census.gov

In this video, we explore our newest feature to transform data tables into bar, column, and line charts.

Dual Vintage PUMAs in the ACS 5-Year PUMS

Watch our tutorial to better understand the concept of Dual Vintage PUMAs in the ACS 5-Year PUMS. Learn why these changes temporarily occurred and things to keep in mind before using PUMAs from the 2022 ACS 5-Year PUMS in our Microdata Access Tool.

Recent Releases

February 2025 Current Population Survey Basic Monthly

Incremental Developmental Code Release

About data.census.gov

Data.census.gov is the primary platform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau. We continuously update data.census.gov with new data from our most popular survey and programs, as well as system enhancements to improve your experience on the platform.

We’re here to help with your data needs:

• Visit our data.census.gov Resources page for educational materials
• Learn about Microdata Access and the Census Data API
• Request a data.census.gov training: 
  [email protected]
• Request a training for your local area: [email protected]
• Ask your questions: [email protected]

Provide Feedback on data.census.gov

Your suggestions help determine future improvements we implement to make data.census.gov work better for you!