This page will guide you through the ins and outs of using GeoLytics Planner's Package Plus to navigate, analyze and visualize U.S. Census data. If you are looking for other types of Census data, or if you need more information than is provided here, please check our LibGuide on Sources of Census Data or ask a librarian for assistance.

• GeoLytics only works in Internet Explorer.

• Census terms are not explicitly defined in Geolytics. See the Decennial Management Division Glossary for explanation of terms: http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/glossary.html

• Geographies change over time. The U.S. Census Bureau provides a listing of Reference Resources for Understanding Census Bureau Geography.

Do you know of a useful online demographic data resource? Email the link to datagis at library dot illinois dot edu, and we'll add it to this guide.

GeoLytics configures U.S. Census data in a way that makes it relatively easy to extract the data and allows users to create custom generated tables, maps, and GIS layers of census variables. The University of Illinois Library offers access to their browser-based Planner's Package Plus, which includes the following data sets:

• Estimates Professional 2009/2014: Provides current year estimates and 5 year projections down to the states, counties, tracts, block groups, and zip codes. These can be expanded upon to look at complete break-outs of sex by age by race, household types and household size, median income by race, and other variables. All new education variables, consumer expenditures and demographic profiles are included. 

• 2000 Long Form (SF3): The Census 2000 Long Form is the most complete source of detailed information about the people, housing, and economy of the United States. This dataset contains variables such as income, housing, employment, language spoken, ancestry, education, poverty, rent, mortgage, commute to work, etc. For a complete list of Long Form variables, visit http://www.geolytics.com/Pages/census2000/LF_Variables/LF_Variables.html. 

• 1990 Long Form in 2000 Boundaries: Based upon the long form (STF 3) questions answered by one in six households in the 1990 census, this allows users to access US Census data from 1990 and easily compare it with the 2000 Census data. It includes detailed demographic data about topics such as population, household structure, income, poverty, education level, employment, housing costs, immigration, and other variables.

• 1980 Long and Short Forms in 2000 Boundaries: Allows users to access US Census data from 1980 and easily compare it with the 2000 Census data, using both the 1980 Long Form (STF-3) and Short Form (STF-1) datasets. It also includes detailed demographic data about topics such as population, household structure, income, poverty, education level, employment, housing costs, immigration, and other variables. Having the 1980 and 1990 data normalized to the 2000 boundaries simplifies time series analysis.

U.S. Census 2010 Updates: GeoLytics will receive 2010 U.S. Census data incrementally in the first half of 2011, and will incorporate them into exisiting GeoLtyics datasets as they come in. The anticipated updates will occur as follows:

• Summer 2011 - Release of 2010 U.S. Census data

• Fall 2011 - Release of 2000 Long Form in 2010 Boundaries

• Winter 2011 - Release of 1990 and 1980 Long Form in 2010 Boundaries

• Beginning of 2012 - Release of an updated version of the Neighborhood Change Database (NCDB).  This will have the 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and the limited 2010 data. Potentially, 1960 data will also be normalized to the 2010 tracts.

Need help? Contact Numeric and Spatial Data Services with questions or to set up an appointment: datagis at library dot illinois dot edu