New Construction Program (Phase 2)

Generic Clearance for Geographic Partnership Programs

2_New Construction User Guide

New Construction Program (Phase 2)

OMB: 0607-0795

Document [pdf]
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2010 Census New Construction Program
Issued
October 2009
D-1772

PDF MAP AND SHAPEFILE USER GUIDE

USCENSUSBUREAU

U.S. Department of Commerce

Helping You Make Informed Decisions 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Economics and Statistics Administration

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Introduction to the 2010 Census New Construction Program

1

The 2010 Census New Construction Program ..........................................................................1
Definition of Qualifying New Construction .................................................................................2
Background ................................................................................................................................3
The Census Bureau’s Master Address File (MAF)..................................................................3
The Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER®) Database..3
New Construction Program Responsibilities..............................................................................4
Census Bureau’s New Construction Program Responsibilities ..............................................4
New Construction Program Participants’ Responsibilities ......................................................4
Training and Technical Support .................................................................................................4
Schedule ....................................................................................................................................4
Respondent Burden ...................................................................................................................5

Chapter 2
Before You Begin Your Review

6

Introduction ................................................................................................................................6
What is a Housing Unit? ............................................................................................................6
What is an Acceptable New Construction Housing Unit?..........................................................6
Unacceptable Types of Housing Units.......................................................................................7
What are Group Quarters? ........................................................................................................7
Census Bureau Addresses ........................................................................................................9
Residential and Nonresidential Addresses .............................................................................9
Address Formats .....................................................................................................................9
City-Style Address Format ..................................................................................................9
Non-city style Address Format............................................................................................9
Census Tracts ............................................................................................................................10
Census Blocks ...........................................................................................................................10
What is Geocoding?...................................................................................................................11
Strategies for Conducting the New Construction Program Review ...........................................11
Local Address Sources ..............................................................................................................11

Chapter 3
The Census Bureau’s Predefined Computer-Readable Local Address List File
Format

12

The Predefined Computer-Readable Address List File Format.................................................12
The Address List Template Record Layout File ......................................................................13

Chapter 4
The Census Bureau Maps

15

Introduction ................................................................................................................................15
Software Requirements for PDF Map Viewing........................................................................15
Opening a Census Bureau PDF Map......................................................................................15
Reading a Census Bureau PDF Map......................................................................................16
Shapefiles ..................................................................................................................................18
The Census Bureau’s Shapefile Coordinate System and Projection Information..............18
General File Setup Guidelines............................................................................................18
New Construction Review Area..........................................................................................20
Changing Our Coordinate System to Match Yours ............................................................21
Edges Layer Data Dictionary..............................................................................................22

Census Feature Classification MTFCC to CFCC Crosswalk .............................................23

Chapter 5
Submitting Your New Construction Program Updates

24

Submitting Your New Construction Materials ............................................................................24
Shipping Your New Construction Materials ...............................................................................25

APPENDICES
Appendix A
The Map Legend ...................................................................................................................27
Appendix B
Street Type Abbreviation Examples ......................................................................................31
Appendix C
Unit Designation Abbreviation Examples ..............................................................................32

Glossary

33

ii

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE 2010 CENSUS NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
The 2010 Census New Construction Program
Background
The Census Bureau’s Master Address File (MAF)
The Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER®)
Database
New Construction Program Responsibilities
Census Bureau’s New Construction Program Responsibilities
Participant’s New Construction Program Responsibilities
Training and Technical Support
Schedule
Respondent Burden

The 2010 Census New Construction Program

The United States Census Bureau wants to ensure that the residential address list
for the 2010 Census is as complete and as accurate as possible on April 1, 2010.
The Census address list has been updated with the assistance of tribal, state, and
local governments through the Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA)
program. Subsequently, the Census Bureau updated the list through a nationwide
field canvass. The New Construction Program is the final opportunity for you to
submit new city-style housing unit addresses for which basic construction began
during or after March 2009 and are expected to be closed to the elements (final
roof, windows, and doors) by Census Day, April 1, 2010.
New Construction Program participation allows you to submit your local address
list file of city-style 1 single structure residential addresses only, in a predefined
Census Bureau computer-readable format. The Census Bureau will only accept
local address files (city-style addresses only) in the predefined format as
explained in Chapter 4.
The New Construction Program has been offered to all jurisdictions that have
census blocks in which 2010 Census questionnaires are delivered by the U.S.
Postal Service to predominantly city-style addresses. For other areas, the Census
Bureau will have its employees hand deliver questionnaires to the housing units in
each census block, update the Census address list where newly built units are
missing from the list, and deliver a questionnaire to each new address (or actually
conduct the enumeration at each housing unit) as they complete their assignment.
In the New Construction Program, participants can only add housing unit
addresses. This program does not allow for address deletions or corrections or for
changes to the governmental unit boundaries shown on the maps. The Census
1

A city-style address consists of a house number and street name and zip code; for example, 201 Main Street. The
address may or may not be used for the delivery of mail and may include apartment numbers/designations or similar
identifiers. See Chapter 2 for a complete definition.

1

New Construction Program

Bureau updates the boundaries through its annual Boundary and Annexation
Survey.
For governments choosing to use the Census Bureau’s MAF/TIGER Partnership
Software (MTPS) that was included with your materials, please see the separate
MTPS User Guide.
Definition of Qualifying New Construction

New construction is defined as any residential housing unit for which basic
construction began during or after March 2009 and is expected to be closed to the
elements (final roof, windows, and doors) by Census Day, April 1, 2010. The
Census Bureau defines basic construction as closing the structure and having it
protected from the elements, that is, having a roof, windows, and doors in place.
The structure must be within the New Construction Program review area shown
on the Census Bureau maps.

New Construction Program

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the 2010 Census New Construction Program

Background
The Census Bureau’s Master Address File (MAF)

In preparation for Census 2000, the Census Bureau created the Master Address
File (MAF) by merging the 1990 Address Control File 2 with the latest version
of the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) Delivery Sequence File 3 (DSF) and by a
field address listing method in areas with non-city style addresses. The MAF
is a nationwide database of all addresses used to support many of the Census
Bureau’s operations. Besides containing mailing addresses and ZIP Codes, an
address record in the MAF also contains geographic information about the
location of addresses. In areas where there are non-city style addresses (e.g.,
rural route or post office box number), the address record may contain
additional information such as a location description.
The Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing
(TIGER®) Database

Address records in the MAF are linked to feature segments in the
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER®)
database. The TIGER® database includes the geographic coordinates and
names of all streets, water features, and other linear features, and boundaries
for all jurisdictions and statistical areas (census tracts4 , census blocks 5 , etc.)
used to tabulate decennial census data. The TIGER® database also includes
address ranges 6 along streets that have city-style addresses and the hierarchy
of census geographic area codes from the state level down to individual census
blocks (www.census.gov/geo/www/geodiagram.html). By linking address records
in the MAF to the TIGER® database, the Census Bureau is able to identify
street segments along which an individual address exists and determine the
geographic code that applies to that address.
The Census Bureau’s Geography Division regularly updates the MAF/TIGER
database from various sources. In addition to the USPS DSF, other update
sources include current household surveys, special censuses, and local sources.

2

The 1990 residential address list used to label questionnaires, control the mail response check-in operation, and
determine the nonresponse follow-up workload.
3
A computerized file containing all delivery point addresses serviced by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The USPS
updates the DSF continuously as its letter carriers identify addresses for new delivery points or changes in the status of
existing addresses.
4
A census tract is a small, relatively permanent statistical division of a county or statistically equivalent entity,
delineated for the purpose of presenting Census Bureau statistical data.
5
A census block is a geographic area bounded by visible features, such as streets, roads, streams, and railroad tracks,
and invisible features, such as the boundaries of governmental units and other legal entities. Census blocks are the
smallest area for which the Census Bureau collects and tabulates statistical information.
6
Address ranges are the lowest and highest address numbers used to identify structures along each side of a street
segment that has city-style addresses. Usually one side of the street has even address numbers and the other side has
odd address numbers.

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the 2010 Census New Construction Program

New Construction Program Responsibilities
Census Bureau’s New Construction Program Responsibilities

The Census Bureau’s New Construction Program responsibilities include:
•

Providing the necessary materials to participants.

•

Providing technical assistance.

•

Processing and verifying new addresses submitted by New
Construction participants.

New Construction Program Participants’ Responsibilities

As a participant in the New Construction Program, your responsibilities
include:
•

Selecting your New Construction liaison.

•

Signing and returning the Registration Form.

•

Ensuring that everyone working on the New Construction Program
understands the procedures for participating in the program as well as
Census Bureau terminology and concepts.

•

Preparing a strategy for providing eligible New Construction addresses.

•

Completing your New Construction updates and submitting your
updated addresses to the Census Bureau within 45 calendar days from
the receipt of your materials (feature updates are not part of the New
Construction Program and will not be accepted).

Technical Support

Should you need technical support, please contact the Census Bureau
Help Desk toll free at 1-866-919-5822
Schedule

August 2009

New Construction Program invitation letters and
registration materials were mailed to the highest
elected officials and a courtesy copy to other
contacts in eligible governments.

August 2009-October 2009

Invited governments registered for the New
Construction Program.

New Construction Program

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Chapter 1: Introduction to the 2010 Census New Construction Program

November 2009–January 2010

The Census Bureau ships New Construction
Program review materials to each participating
government. New Construction Program
participants update and submit their addresses to
their Census Bureau’s Regional Census Center.

November 2009–March 2010

Census Bureau reviews participant’s New
Construction Program submissions and updates
the MAF/TIGER database.

Respondent Burden

The Census Bureau estimates that it will take about 48 hours to complete the
New Construction review depending on the number of addresses and rate of
address growth and change. This includes the time needed to read the
invitation materials and complete the registration forms, and upon receipt of
the New Construction materials, to read the instructions, assemble and review
the materials, and provide updates.
Please send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of
this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden
to:
Paperwork Project 0607-0795, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room 3K138,
Washington, DC 20233.
Or you may e-mail comments to ; use "Paperwork
Project 0607-0795" as the subject. Please include a copy of your message
addressed to .
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Census Bureau cannot ask you to
respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number is
found in the upper right corner of each New Construction form.

5

New Construction Program

CHAPTER 2
BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR REVIEW
Introduction
What is a Housing Unit?
What is an Acceptable New Construction Program Housing Unit?
Unacceptable Types of Housing Units
What are Group Quarters?
Census Bureau Addresses
Census Tracts
Census Blocks
What is Geocoding?
Strategies for Conducting the New Construction Program Review
Local Address Sources

Introduction

Chapter 2 explains some of the terms and concepts used by the Census Bureau
and recommended strategies for your New Construction review. Refer to the
Glossary or visit the Census Bureau’s Web site at  for
additional terms and definitions.
What is a Housing Unit?

A single-family house, townhouse, mobile home, trailer, apartment, group of
rooms, or a single room occupied as a separate living quarters or, if vacant,
intended for occupancy as a separate living quarters. A separate living
quarters is one in which one or more occupants (or intended occupants, if
vacant) live separate from any other individual(s) in the building and have
direct access to the living quarters without going through another living
quarters, such as from outside the building or through a common hall.
What is an Acceptable New Construction Program Housing Unit?

The following types of housing units are acceptable and should be included on
your address list:
•
•
•
•

Houses, including townhouses, condominiums, and apartments.
Living quarters within an otherwise nonresidential structure such as an
apartment within a church, school, or business.
Mobile homes or trailers occupied as separate living quarters, or if
vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters.
Any housing units under construction that are expected to be closed to
the elements (final roof, windows, and doors) will be completed by
Census Day, April 1, 2010.

New Construction Program

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Chapter 2: Before You Begin Your Review

Unacceptable Types of Housing Units

Exclude the following unacceptable types of housing units or structures and
all group quarters addresses from your New Construction Program
submission. Unacceptable housing units or structures include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Condemned or scheduled for demolition.
Being converted or remodeled for nonresidential purposes.
Used solely for storage.
Used solely as offices or businesses in which no one is living.
Used solely for ceremonial purposes.
Under construction and will not be habitable (closed to the elements
with final roof, windows, and doors) on Census Day, April 1, 2010.
Group Quarters (see description below). The Census Bureau programs:
Group Quarters Validation (GQV) and Group Quarters Advance Visit
(GQAV) will be the mechanisms used to collect group quarters data.

What are Group Quarters?

A place where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement, that is
owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or
services for the residents. This is not a typical household-type living
arrangement. These services may include custodial or medical care as well
as other types of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those
receiving these services. People living in group quarters are usually not
related to each other.
Below are examples of group quarters that are not acceptable and should not
be included in your New Construction Program submission:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

7

Correctional facilities.
Juvenile facilities.
Nursing homes.
Hospitals with long-term care facilities.
College or university dormitories, fraternities, sororities.
Dormitories for workers.
Religious group quarters.
Shelters.
Group homes.
Any group quarters under construction that will be habitable (closed to
the elements with final roof, windows, and doors) on Census Day,
April 1, 2010.

New Construction Program

Chapter 2: Before You Begin Your Review

Note: Housing units and group quarters can exist within the same structure;
you can include the addresses for these housing units but not those for the
group quarters.

New Construction Program

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Chapter 2: Before You Begin Your Review

Census Bureau Addresses
Residential and Nonresidential Addresses

The Census Bureau classifies all addresses as either residential and
nonresidential. Residential addresses are for housing units and/or group
quarters where one or more people could live. Nonresidential addresses are
for structures or units within a structure that do not serve as a residence, such
as commercial establishments, schools, government offices, and churches.
Nonresidential addresses are not accepted in the New Construction Program.
Some structures can contain both residential and nonresidential units, even
though they have the same address, i.e. an apartment over a store or a home
with an office. You should include these types of residential units that exist
within the same structure as nonresidential units with your New Construction
address updates.
Address Formats
City Style Address Format

The Census Bureau refers to housing units and group quarters addresses
that have a house number and street name address, for example, 212 Elm
Street or 137 Clark Ct., Apt. 316, as city style addresses. In some
instances, the house number may also include an alpha character such as
35A or W9254. These addresses are used for mailing or to provide a
location for emergency services, such as police, fire, and rescue (E-911
addresses).
City style addresses for housing units in multiunit structures, such as
apartment buildings, contain a unit designator, for example, Apt 101 or
Suite D or a location designator such as “rear” or “basement” (See
Appendix C, Unit Designation Abbreviations). The Census Bureau and
the USPS treat these unit designators as part of the housing unit address,
and they are included as part of each such census address record.
Non-city Style Address Format

The Census Bureau classifies addresses that do not include a house
number and/or a street name as non-city style addresses. Non-city style
addresses do not include a complete house number and street name
address. The majority of non-city style addresses are located in the more
sparsely settled areas of the United States; however, they may exist in
small- or medium-sized towns as well. Frequently used non-city style
mailing addresses include:
•
9

General delivery.
New Construction Program

Chapter 2: Before You Begin Your Review

•
•
•

Rural route and box number.
Highway contract route and box number.
Post Office box only delivery.

Non-city style addresses often do not follow any numeric sequence, and
may not be associated with the name of the street or highway on which
they are located.
Census Tracts

Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a
county or statistically equivalent entity, delineated for presenting Census
Bureau statistical data.
The proposed criterion for census tracts for the 2010 Census is that they
contain a minimum of 1,200 people with an optimal population of 4,000.
Census tract boundaries are delineated with the intention of being stable over
many decades, so they generally follow relatively permanent visible features.
However, they may follow governmental unit boundaries and other nonvisible features in some instances. Census tract boundaries never cross state
or county (or statistically equivalent entity) boundaries.
Each census tract is uniquely numbered within a county and contains
numerous census blocks. Census block numbers consist of 4-digits, and may
include a single alpha character suffix reflecting a boundary change or added
feature (e.g. 3001A and 3001B).
Census Blocks

A Census block is an area bounded by visible features such as streets, roads,
streams, and railroad tracks and nonvisible features such as the boundaries of
governmental units and other legal entities. A block is the smallest
geographic area for which the Census Bureau collects and tabulates statistical
data.
Census blocks may look like a city block or may be large and irregularly
shaped, depending upon features. The boundary of a state or a county is
always a block boundary.
Census blocks are numbered within census tracts and are unique to the census
tract to which they belong. Census block numbers consist of 4-digits, and
may include a single alpha character suffix reflecting a boundary change or
added feature (e.g. 3001A and 3001B).
Note: The 2010 Decennial Census New Construction Program addresses are
coded to current census block/geography.
New Construction Program

10

Chapter 2: Before You Begin Your Review

What is Geocoding?

In order to process your address submissions, the Census Bureau requires the
inclusion of census geographic code information. This link to census
geography is referred to as geocoding. Geocoding places an individual
address in its correct geographic location, which includes the correct state,
county, census tract, and census block codes.
Because the Census Bureau counts people where they live, census geographic
code information or geocodes support the systematic collection of data that
allows Census enumerators to locate an address. They are also important in
allocating data from questionnaire responses to the correct location. You
must include census geographic code information for the Census Bureau to
process your address submissions. The Census Bureau will not accept
addresses without census geographic codes (geocodes) including the state,
county, census tract, and census block codes.
You can find these census geographic codes on your New Construction
materials.
Strategies for Conducting the New Construction Program Review

You must decide for yourself how to conduct the New Construction Program.
Consider your available time, the information you have readily available, and
the staff and computer resources you have.
Local Address Sources

There are many possible sources of local address information. The following
list provides suggestions for local address source materials:
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

11

New housing construction or building permits (include units that are
under construction only if final roof, doors, and windows will be in
place on Census Day, April 1, 2010).
E-911 address files.
Housing occupancy permits.
Planning or zoning records.
Local utility records.
Drivers’ license files.
Annexation records.
Assessment or taxation files.
Voter registration files.

New Construction Program

CHAPTER 3
THE CENSUS BUREAU’S PREDEFINED COMPUTER-READABLE LOCAL
ADDRESS LIST FILE FORMAT
The Predefined Computer-Readable Format
The Address List Template Record Layout File

The Predefined Computer-Readable Address List File Format

You must submit your local address file, containing residential city-style
addresses only, in the predefined format as shown in Figure 3.1. The Census
Bureau will only accept and process address files submitted in this format.
Non-city style addresses and Group Quarters will not be accepted or
processed.
The predefined file format contains 9 fields of information with a maximum
of 361 characters for each address record. All fields must contain data with
the exception of the apartment/unit number.
Figure 3.1: Census Bureau’s Predefined File Format for Local Address List Submission
Field
Number

Maximum
Character
Length

1

12

Entity ID Code

2
3

2
3

State Code
County Code

4

7

Census Tract Number

5

5

Census Block Number

6

35

House Number

7

100

Street Name

8

53

Apartment/Unit Number

9

5

City-style Mailing ZIP Code

Field Name

Description/Notes

Unique number assigned by the Census Bureau to
each entity - Required
2-digit Current State Code - Required
3-digit Current County Code - Required
Up to 4-digit Census Tract Number, plus 2-digit
number suffix, if applicable, includes a period for
suffixed tracts. If no suffix, includes period and zero
fill, e.g. 5432.00 - Required
4-digit Current Census Block Number, plus 1-digit
alpha character suffix, if applicable - Required
Housing unit’s or group quarters’ assigned house
number - Required
Full street or road name - Required
Within structure descriptor or identifier, such as APT
5 or 1st FL FRNT - Optional
5-digit ZIP Code - Required

New Construction Program

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Chapter 3: The Census Bureau’s Predefined Local Address File Format

The Address List Template Record Layout File

An address list template record layout is included on your CD-ROM. Use
this template to import your local address file for submission. The name
of this file is:
AddressListTemplate.txt
•

Create a new directory or new folder on your hard drive. Copy
the file from the CD-ROM into that directory or folder.

•

When you open the text file with your spreadsheet or database
application provide the application program with the following:
o Fields are delimited.
o Delimiter is pipe. ( | )
o Text qualifier is none.
o All field types are text.

•

Define all field types as “text”.

•

Be sure that the required address information is in the
appropriate field as listed below for each address record. (Your
Entity ID can be found on your New Construction materials.)
Note: All address records must contain census geographic
codes including the state code, county code, census tract
number, and census block number. The Census Bureau will
not accept addresses without census geographic codes.
1. Entity ID Code
2. State Code
3. County Code
4. Census Tract Number
5. Census Block Number
6. House Number
7. Street Name
8. Apartment/Unit Number, if applicable:
•

If you have multiunit structures (apartments,
condominiums, etc.) listed in your address file
or need to add these addresses, use the
following guidelines for identifying individual
units:
a. Enter the unit designation (e.g., APT 5,
UNIT 103) in the Apartment/Unit

13

New Construction Program

Chapter 3: The Census Bureau’s Predefined Local Address File Format

Number field. You must provide a unit
designation.
A Special Note on Unit Designation:
For the 2010 Local Update of Census Addresses
(LUCA) Program, participants were allowed to use
an “*” as the unit designation where not known.
This allowance can no longer be accommodated at
this late juncture in the 2010 Decennial Census
process. The Census Bureau requires a unit
designation for each new residence identified in a
multiunit structure. The existence of a complete
address provides our field staff with the information
needed to accurately identify and enumerate each
newly constructed unit.
9. City-style Mailing ZIP Code
•

Save your address list file as a pipe-delimited, ASCII text file.
(If you need further instruction on saving a pipe-delimited,
ASCII text file, please call the Help Desk toll free at 1-866919-5822.)

•

Name the file containing your local address list _NCAL.txt (_NCAL.txt is your entity
identification code found on your New Construction
materials).

See Chapter 5 for instructions on submitting your address list file to the Census
Bureau.

New Construction Program

14

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

CHAPTER 4
THE CENSUS BUREAU MAPS
Introduction
Software Requirements for PDF Map Viewing
Opening a Census Bureau PDF Map
Reading a Census Bureau PDF Map
Shapefiles

Introduction

The Census Bureau provides you with PDF maps or shapefiles as a reference
for locating and geocoding individual addresses. The New Construction
Program maps are provided for geocoding purposes only. The reference maps
are offered in PDF format or the participant may have elected to receive the
spatial data from TIGER® in shapefile format that requires a Geographic
Information System software application for viewing. For governments
choosing maps in PDF format, the Census Bureau provides Adobe Reader
software to view the PDF maps. For governments choosing to use the Census
Bureau’s MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) that was included with
your materials, please see the separate MTPS User Guide.
Software Requirements for PDF Map Viewing

The PDF Map you receive is in Portable Document Format (PDF),
which means that it can be viewed with PDF software. The Census
Bureau has provided free Adobe PDF software for you to view your
map. This software is included on the CD you received in your
participation package.
Opening a Census Bureau PDF Map
• The Census Bureau recommends that you make a copy of the PDF

Map file and save it on your hard drive. This will preserve the original
file should you need to look at an original record or require another
original copy of the file.

15

•

To keep your work organized, create a new directory or new folder on
your hard drive. Copy the file from the CD-ROM into that directory
or folder.

•

If needed, install the PDF software on your computer.

•

Open the Map PDF with your PDF software.

•

If you need assistance or more information, call the Help Desk toll free
at 1-866-919-5822.

New Construction Program

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

Reading a Census Bureau PDF Map

The Census Bureau PDF map shows some of the same information
found on a typical road map, such as streets, water features, and legal
boundaries. However, the Census Bureau map displays this
information using symbols unique to the Census Bureau.
The map displays the following information:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Entity name and FIPS Entity Code.
Entity boundary.
New Construction Eligible Blocks.
Census block numbers.
Census block boundaries.
Census tract numbers.
Census tract boundaries.
Streets.
Street names.
Railroads.
Water features.

Refer to Figure 4.1 for an example of a Census Bureau PDF map.
Within the New Construction review area there may be Census blocks
in your jurisdiction that are not eligible for the New Construction
Program. Those blocks are indicated by dark gray shading.
Geocoding Addresses
In order to geocode any address updates you must provide the entity
ID, state code, county code, census tract, and census block where
address is located. Entity ID information can be found on your
materials CD. The Entity ID will begin with two letters, PL for a city,
CO for a county, MC for a township and TR for a Tribal government.
The State and County codes can be found on the bottom right corner of
your PDF map.

New Construction Program

16

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

Figure 4.1: Example of a Census Bureau PDF Map

Information contained in the map border:
•

Entity identification information.

•

Bar Code.

•

Scale.

•

North arrow.

The symbols on the map legend include:
•

Boundaries.

•

Transportation.

•

Other Features.

•

Landmarks.

•

Footnotes and Notes.

See Appendix A for a detailed description of the map legend.

17

New Construction Program

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

Shapefiles

Shapefiles require the use of GIS software. The Census Bureau provides
county-based shapefile layers in Environmental Systems Research Institute 7
(ESRI) shapefile format. Participants can use shapefiles to assist in
geocoding New Construction addresses.
To geocode addresses to census blocks, a tab block shapefile is included. The
tab block shapefile contains New Construction blocks. Ineligible blocks will
be appropriately shaded and will not be available for updates of new
addresses.
The shapefiles, created from the MAF/TIGER database, allow you to geocode
address updates. All linear features in the MAF/TIGER database are
contained in the edges shapefile.
In order to use shapefiles, you must have a GIS. If you wish to use the Census
Bureau’s MAF-TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) that was included with
your materials, please see the separate MTPS User Guide.
The Census Bureau’s Shapefile Coordinate System and Projection Information

All shapefiles provided by the Census Bureau are in the following
geographic coordinate system:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

GCS_NAD83
Angular Unit: Degree (0.017453292519943299)
Prime Meridian: Greenwich (0.000000000000000000)
Datum: D_North_American_1983
Spheroid: GRS_1980
Semi-major Axis: 6378137.000000000000000000
Semi-minor Axis: 6356752.31414035610000000
Inverse Flattening: 298.257222101000020000

General File Setup Guidelines

Upon receipt of your shapefiles, follow the setup guidelines listed
below before beginning actual updates:

7

All shapefiles provided by the Census Bureau are in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) format. The
use of brand names does not represent an endorsement of a company or its products by the U.S. government. Due to
the wide use of ESRI products by our partners in the GIS community, and ubiquitous use of the shapefile format as a
medium for GIS data exchange, the Census Bureau provides data in shapefile format.

New Construction Program

18

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

•

Open the CD and enclosed zip file to ensure it contains the
shapefiles for your entity.

•

Copy and unzip the shapefiles to a directory on your server or
hard drive.

•

Open the shapefile in a GIS.

Note: If you are using GIS software that does not contain a shapefile
translator, please contact the Help Desk toll free at 1-866-919-5822 for
further instructions.

19

New Construction Program

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

New Construction Review Area

There may be Census blocks in your jurisdiction that are not
eligible for the New Construction Program. The TABBLOCK
shapefile contains an attribute titled NCELIGIBLE (for New
Construction eligible). New Construction eligible blocks will have a
“Y” in the NC ELIGIBLE field of the TABBLOCK shapefile
(Refer to Table 4.1 for an example of a NC TABBLOCK Table.
NCELIGIBLE is highlighted in the table). When geocoding any
address updates you must provide the State Fips Code, County Fips
Code, Census Tract Code, and Tabulation Block. These attributes will
be found in the in the NC TABBLOCK Table as found in figure 4.3.

Figure 4.2: Example of NC TABBLOCK Table with NCELIGIBLE Field Highlighted
Shapefiles
Shapefile Layer Type

Census Blocks Current
(TABBLOCK)

Attribute Name

Data Type

Length

Field Type

Column Description

STATEFP

2

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS State Code

COUNTYFP

3

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS County Code

STATEFP00

2

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS 2000 State Code

COUNTYFP00

3

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS 2000 County Code

TRACTCE00

6

String

VARCHAR2

Census Tract Code

BLOCKCE

4

String

VARCHAR2

Tabulation block number

SUFFIX1CE

2

String

VARCHAR2

Census Block Suffix 1

SUFFIX2CE

2

String

VARCHAR2

Census Block Suffix 2

NCELIGIBLE

1

String

VARCHAR2

BLOCK

8

String

VARCHAR2

19

String

VARCHAR2

BLOCKID

New Construction Program

Block Eligible for New
Construction Y/N?
Tabulation Block
Number, Census Block
Suffix 1, Census Block
Suffix 2
FIPS State Code, FIPS
County Code, Census
Tract Code, Tabulation
Block Number, Census
Block Suffix 1, Census
Block Suffix 2

20

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

Geocoding Your New Addresses with Shapefiles

When submitting your address updates you must provide the State code,
County Code, Census Tract and Census Block numbers for each address
record. These attributes are found in the in the NC TABBLOCK shapefile
as found in figure 4.3. Entity ID information can be found on your
materials CD. The Entity ID will begin with two letters, PL for a city, CO
for a county, MC for a township and TR for a Tribal government
State Code – STATEFP field
County Code – COUNTYFP field
Tract Number – TRACTCE00
Block Number – Block field
Figure 4.3: Example of NC TABBLOCK Table with Needed Geocoding Fields Highlighted
Shapefiles
Shapefile Layer Type

Census Blocks Current
(TABBLOCK)

Attribute Name

Data Type

Length

Field Type

Column Description

STATEFP

2

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS State Code

COUNTYFP

3

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS County Code

STATEFP00

2

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS 2000 State Code

COUNTYFP00

3

String

VARCHAR2

FIPS 2000 County Code

TRACTCE00

6

String

VARCHAR2

Census Tract Code

BLOCKCE

4

String

VARCHAR2

Tabulation block number

SUFFIX1CE

2

String

VARCHAR2

Census Block Suffix 1

SUFFIX2CE

2

String

VARCHAR2

NCELIGIBLE

1

String

VARCHAR2

BLOCK

8

String

VARCHAR2

19

String

VARCHAR2

Census Block Suffix 2
Block Eligible for New
Construction Y/N?
Tabulation Block
Number, Census Block
Suffix 1, Census Block
Suffix 2
FIPS State Code, FIPS
County Code, Census
Tract Code, Tabulation
Block Number, Census
Block Suffix 1, Census
Block Suffix 2

BLOCKID

Changing Our Coordinate System to Match Yours

Our files are in GCS NAD83 format. Please feel free to project these
files into your local coordinate system projection. Most GIS software
packages contain projection wizards, or something similar, allowing
21

New Construction Program

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

the user to transform file coordinate systems and projections. For
example, if your office uses ArcView to update files, please activate
and utilize ArcView’s ‘Projection Utility Wizard’ extension. If using
ArcGIS, please use its “Projection Utilities” in ArcToolbox.
MAF/TIGER shapefiles contain defined projection information in the
*.PRJ file. Both ArcView and ArcGIS access the *.PRJ file for
projection information; therefore, there is no need for you to define
these parameters before changing the file’s coordinate system.
Remember, the shapefiles are for geocoding purposes only. The New
Construction will not accept any feature updates.
If you encounter problems, please contact the Help Desk toll free at 1866-919-5822 for assistance.
Edges Layer Data Dictionary

The data dictionary defines the attribute information for each feature
contained in the edges layer. See Figure 4.3 for an example of the
edges layer data dictionary.
Figure 4.3: Edges Layer Data Dictionary
Field

Length

TLID
MTFCC
FIDELITY
FULLNAME

10
5
1
120

Type

Integer
String
Integer
String

Description
®

TIGER/Line ID
Feature MTFCC
Shape Fidelity Flag
Feature name

•

TLID is the TIGER/Line ® ID

•

The MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code or MTFCC is used to
identify the most noticeable characteristic of a feature.
o The MTFCC is a 5-character code; the first character is a
letter describing the feature class. For example, streets and
roads are identified as S1400.
o The Census Feature Class Codes or CFCC were recently
changed to the MTFCC. A crosswalk is provided in
Figure 4.4 as well as in the readme.txt file on your CDROM.

•

FIDELITY is the Shape Fidelity Flag.

• FULLNAME is the feature name.
Figure 4.4: Census Feature Classification MTFCC to CFCC Crosswalk

New Construction Program

22

Chapter 4: The Census Bureau Maps

Census Feature Classification MTFCC to CFCC Crosswalk
Road Features
MTFCC

FEATURE NAME

Interstate Highway or Primary Road with
limited access
Primary Road without limited access, US
S1200
Highway, State Highway, or County Highway,
Secondary and connecting roads
Local Neighborhood Road, Rural Road, City
S1400
Street
S1500
Vehicular Trail (4WD)
S1630
Ramp
Service Drive usually along a limited access
S1640
highway
S1710
Walkway/Pedestrian Trail
S1720
Stairway
S1730
Alley
Private Road for service vehicles (logging, oil
S1740
fields, ranches, etc.)
S1750
Private Driveway
Water Features
S1100

MTFCC
H3010
H3013
H3020
Railroad
MTFCC
R1011

Stream/River
Braided Stream
Canal, Ditch or Aqueduct

A64
A70, A71
A72
A73
A74
N/A
CFCC
H10, H11, H12, H76, H77
H13
H20, H21, H22

FEATURE NAME
Railroad Feature (Main, Spur, or Yard)

Carline, Streetcar Track, Monorail, Other
Mass Transit Rail
R1052
Cog Rail Line, Incline Rail Line, Tram
Miscellaneous Features

CFCC
B11, B12, B13, B14, B15, B16, B19, B21,
B22, B23, B29, B31, B32, B33, B39
B51, C31
B52

FEATURE NAME

P0001

Nonvisible Legal/Statistical Boundary

L4010
L4020
L4110
L4121
L4031
K2451
L4140
L4165

Pipeline
Power Transmission Line
Fence Line
Ridge Line
Aerial Tramway/Ski Lift
Airport or Airfield
Property/Parcel Line
Ferry Crossing

23

A11, A12, A13, A14, A15, A16, A17,
A18, A19
A21, A22, A23, A24, A25, A26, A27,
A28, A29, A31, A32, A33, A34, A35,
A36, A37, A38, A39
A41, A42, A43, A44, A45, A46, A47,
A48, A49, A61, A62
A51, A52, A53
A63

FEATURE NAME

R1051

MTFCC

CFCC

CFCC
F00, F10, F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16,
F17, F18, F19, F20, F21, F22, F23, F24,
F25, F50, F52, F70, F71, F72, F73, F74,
F80, F81, F82, F83, F84, F85, F86, F87,
F88
C10
C20
E10
E21
N/A
D51
F40, F41
A65, B40

New Construction Program

Chapter 5: Submitting Your New Construction Program Updates

CHAPTER 5
SUBMITTING YOUR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM UPDATES
Submitting Your New Construction Program Updates
Shipping Your New Construction Materials

Submitting Your New Construction Materials

After completing your update of the New Construction materials, return the
materials with updates to the Census Bureau’s Regional Census Center
responsible for your jurisdiction. See the back cover for a list of Regional
Census Centers. Use the enclosed FedEx return package to return your
address list.
•

Save your address list file as a pipe-delimited, ASCII text file. (If you
need further instruction on saving a pipe-delimited, ASCII text file,
please call the Help Desk toll free at 1-866-919-5822.)

•

Name the file containing your local address list _ NC.txt
( is your entity identification code found on your New
Construction materials). For example, the local address list file will
be named XXyyyyyyyyyy_NC.txt (where “XX” is either CO, PL, MC,
and “y” is the numeric part of the FIPS code).

•

For Tribal address lists, name the file containing your address list
_ NC.txt ( is your entity identification code
found on your New Construction materials). For example,
TRyyyyTAzzzz_NC.txt (where “yyyy” is the tribe code and “zzzz” is
the tribal area code).

•

Make a copy of your submitted file to keep for your records.

•

ZIP the file (Optional).
o If you do not have ZIP software, Freebyte ZIP software is provided
on your CD-ROM.
o If you choose to Zip your file use the password provided in the
Enclosure Letter.

•

Burn the file to a CD-ROM or DVD.

•

Send the CD-ROM or DVD to your Census Bureau Regional Census
Center as instructed in the section, Shipping Your New Construction
Materials.

•

You cannot submit files via e-mail or post the files to an FTP site.

New Construction Program

24

Chapter 5: Submitting Your New Construction Program Updates

Shipping Your New Construction Materials
•

Address all envelopes, mailing boxes, mailing tubes, etc. to:
ATTN: GEOGRAPHY
U.S. Census Bureau
Address for your Census Bureau Regional Office
You can find a list of the Census Bureau’s Regional Office addresses
on the back cover.

25

•

The Census Bureau has provided you a FEDEX envelope in which to
return your New Construction submission. We have included in your
package a FEDEX billable stamp so you can ship your updates to your
Regional Census Center at no cost to your government. The Census
Bureau uses FEDEX because it costs less than Business Reply Mail
service from the USPS and includes shipment tracking. If you do not
know a location for a FEDEX drop off, please call 1-800-GOFEDEX.
The gray portion of the billable stamp is the receipt for your records.
The white portion should be peeled from the label and adhered to the
envelope. To ensure that the package was received by the Census
Bureau, please save the gray portion as it contains the tracking number
(12 digit numbers on the bottom right corner).

•

If you do not use the provided FEDEX envelope to return your New
Construction submission, please use shipping contractors that provide
tracking services, such as U.S. Postal Service (USPS) certified or
registered mail, FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS), or a similar
service.

New Construction Program

26

APPENDICES

The Pictures and Forms will be modified to reflect New Construction instead of LUCA but I have
left them in to display close examples.

27
Appendix A
The Map Legend

27

Appendix A: The Map Legend

28
The map legend describes the various symbols and colors used on the paper maps.
The legend is divided into three columns:
1. The Symbol Description column includes the type of features, boundaries,
and geography shown on the map.
2. The Symbol column shows the symbols representing the feature in the
symbol description.
3. The Name Style column shows an example of the name of a particular
feature such as a road, waterway, or geographic area displayed on the map.
Boundaries
The first group of symbols in the legend refers to different boundary types or
geographic area shown on the map. Each type of boundary has a distinct color or
symbol.

Appendix A: The Map Legend

28

29
Transportation
The second group of symbols
represents various types of
transportation features. Thicker
lines identify major roadways such
as interstates and U.S. highways
while thinner lines represent
secondary roads and city streets.
Also identified are cul-de-sacs and
circles. Jeep trails, walkways,
stairways, and ferries, represented
by distinctive dashed lines, are
included in this section.

Other Features
The third group of symbols represents
other feature types such as pipelines and
property lines.

29

Appendix A: The Map Legend

30
Landmarks
The last group of symbols
represents various landmarks on the
map such as rivers and lakes,
glaciers, airports, cemeteries, golf
courses, jails, military installations,
parks, and mountain peaks. The
area outside of the subject area is
speckled gray.

Footnotes and Notes
The footnote and notes section of the legend provide additional information and details on
geographic relationships, boundaries, and symbols.

Appendix A: The Map Legend

30

31
Appendix B
Street Type Abbreviation Examples

Full Name
Alternate Route
Avenue
Boulevard
Circle
County Highway
County Road
Court
Drive
East
Four-Wheel Drive Trail
Freeway
Highway Contract Route
Interstate
Intersection
Lane
North
Parkway
Road
Route
Rural Route
South
Star Route
State Highway
State Road
State Route
Street
Thoroughfare
Township Highway
Township Road
West

Abbreviations
ALT
AVE
BLVD
CIR
CO Hwy
CO Rd
CT
DR
E
4WD
FWY
HCR
I
INT
LN
N
PKWY
RD
RTE
RR
S
ST RT
ST HWY
ST RD
ST RTE
ST
THFR
TWP HY
TWP RD
W

Appendix B: Physical Location Description and Street Type Abbreviation Examples 31

32
Appendix C
Unit Designation Abbreviation Examples

Name
Apartment
Basement
Bottom
Downstairs
Floor
Front
Interior
Level
Lower
Middle
Mobile Home
Number
Penthouse
Room
Right
Space
Studio
Suite
Suites
Trailer
Upper
Upstairs

Abbreviation
APT
BSMT
BOTM
DOWN
FLR
FRNT
INTE
LVL
LOWR
MIDL
MH
#
PH
RM
RGHT
SP
STUD
STE
STES
TRLR
UPPR
UPS

Appendix C: Unit Designation Abbreviation Examples

32

33

GLOSSARY

Address breaks – Address breaks are the city-style addresses on each side of a boundary
or at an intersection of a street with another street or another feature.
Address count list – Identifies the number of housing unit addresses and group quarters
addresses on the Census Bureau’s address list for each census block within a jurisdiction.
Address range – The lowest and highest address numbers used to identify structures
along each side of a street segment that has city-style addresses. Usually one side of the
street has even address numbers and the other side has odd address numbers.
Block number – A 4-digit number, plus 1 alpha character block suffix, if applicable,
used by the Census Bureau to identify each census block. Census blocks are numbered
uniquely within each census tract.
Boundary – A line, either invisible or coincident with a visible feature that identifies the
extent of a geographic entity, such as a census tract, city, or county.
Boundary and Annexation Survey – An annual survey to collect information about
selected legally defined geographic areas. The BAS is used to update information about
the legal boundaries and names of all governmental units in the United States.
Census Bureau address list – A nationwide list of all housing unit and group quarters
addresses known to the Census Bureau. In addition to the mailing address and ZIP Code,
the Address List may identify the location of each housing unit and group quarters.
Census block – A geographic area bounded by visible features, such as streets, roads,
streams, and railroad tracks, and invisible features, such as the boundaries of
governmental units and other legal entities. A census block is the smallest area for which
the Census Bureau collects and tabulates statistical information. Census blocks are
numbered within census tracts and are unique to the census tract to which they belong.
Census block number –Census block numbers contain a 4-digit number plus a 1-digit
alpha character, if applicable, e.g. 3001A. Suffixes, such as 2011A and 2011B, reflect
boundary changes as well as added features.
Census Bureau – An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The U.S.
Census Bureau is the country's preeminent statistical collection and dissemination
agency. It publishes a wide variety of statistical data about people and the economy of
the nation. The Census Bureau conducts approximately 200 annual surveys and
conducts the decennial census of the United States population.
Census Bureau map – Any map produced by the Census Bureau. A Census Bureau
map displays geographic entities used in a Census Bureau sponsored census or survey for
which the Census Bureau tabulates data.
33

Glossary

34
Census tract – A small, relatively permanent statistical division of a county or
statistically equivalent entity, delineated for the purpose of presenting Census Bureau
statistical data. Census tracts never cross the boundary of a county or statistically
equivalent entity, but may split other geographic entities; e.g., minor civil divisions and
places.
Census tract number – Unique numbers to identify census tracts within a county or
statistically equivalent entity. Census tract numbers contain up to a 4-digit number
followed by a decimal point and a 2-digit number for suffixed tracts, e.g., 1234.01. For
census tracts without a suffix, the number will contain a period with zero fill, e.g.,
4567.00. Leading zeros are not shown on Census Bureau maps.
Chief executive/highest elected official – The person most responsible for the
governmental activities of a local government. This person receives the New
Construction Program invitation letter, and must designate a New Construction liaison, if
desired.
City-style address – An address that consists of a house number and street name; for
example, 201 Main Street. The address may or may not be used for the delivery of mail
and may include apartment numbers/designations or similar identifiers.
County – The primary legal division of most states. Most are governmental units with
powers defined by state law.
Delivery Sequence File (DSF) – A computerized file containing all delivery point
addresses serviced by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The USPS updates the DSF
continuously as its letter carriers identify addresses for new delivery points or
changes in the status of existing addresses.
Edges shapefile – All linear features in the MAF/TIGER database are contained in the
edges shapefile. Use the edges shapefile to add, delete, or change linear feature
attributes.
Enumeration – The process of interviewing people and recording the information
on census forms.
Feature – Any part of the landscape, whether natural (such as, a stream or ridge) or
artificial (such as a road or power line). In a geographic context, features are any part of
the landscape portrayed on a map, including nonvisible boundaries of legal entities, such
as city limits or county lines.
Federal Information Processing Standards codes (FIPS codes) – a standardized set of
numeric or alphabetic codes issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) to ensure uniform identification of geographic entities through all federal
government agencies. The entities covered include: states and statistically equivalent
entities, counties and statistically equivalent entities, named populated and related

Glossary

34

35
location entities (such as places and county subdivisions), and American Indian and
Alaska Native areas.
Geocodes – Codes that place an individual address in its correct geographic location,
which includes the correct state, county, census tract, and census block codes.
Geographic Information System (GIS) – A computer system for the storage, retrieval,
and maintenance of information about the points, lines, and areas that represent the
streets and roads, rivers, railroads, geographic entities, and other features on the surface
of the Earth-information that previously was available only on paper maps.
Governmental unit – A geographic entity established by legal action for the purpose of
implementing specified governmental functions. Most governmental units provide a
number of general government services and raise revenues (usually through taxing
authority).
Group quarters – A place where people live or stay, in a group living arrangement that
is owned or managed by an entity or organization providing housing and/or services for
the residents. This is not a typical household-type living arrangement. These services
may include custodial or medical care as well as other types of assistance, and residency
is commonly restricted to those receiving these services. People living in group quarters
are usually not related to each other.
Group quarters include such places as correctional facilities, juvenile facilities, nursing
homes, hospitals with long-term care facilities, college or university dormitories,
fraternities, sororities, dormitories for workers, religious group quarters, shelters, group
homes. Group Quarters are NOT included in the 2010 New Construction Program.
Housing unit (HU) – A single-family house, townhouse, mobile home, trailer,
apartment, group of rooms, or a single room occupied as a separate living quarters or, if
vacant, intended for occupancy as a separate living quarters. A separate living quarters is
one in which one or more occupants (or intended occupants, if vacant) live separate from
any other individual(s) in the building and have direct access to the living quarters
without going through another living quarters, such as from outside the building or
through a common hall.
Legal boundary – The legally defined boundary of a governmental unit, usually
referring to a county, minor civil division, or incorporated place. The legal boundary
identifies the area within a local government's jurisdiction, and thus bounds the area of
New Construction responsibility.
New Construction liaison – Also known as the program primary liaison or designated
liaison. A person voluntarily appointed by the chief executive/highest elected official of
each jurisdiction to review the Census Bureau’s address list and maps against local
records to identify differences.

35

Glossary

36
MAF/TIGER Database – The Census Bureau’s nationwide geographic database, which
integrates the Master Address File (MAF) and Topologically Integrated Geographic
Encoding and Referencing (TIGER®) files.
MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) – A GIS application provided by the
Census Bureau that has customized functionality required by Census Bureau geographic
partnership programs.
Map Sheet to Block Number Relationship List – A list identifying census block
numbers and the Census Bureau map(s) on which each block is located.
Master Address File (MAF) – A nationwide database of all addresses to support many
of the Census Bureau’s operations. Besides containing mailing addresses and ZIP
Codes, a MAF record also contains geographic information about the location of
addresses.
Metadata – describes the data content, coordinate system/projection, author,
source, and other characteristics of GIS files.
Minor civil division (MCD) – A type of governmental unit that is the primary
governmental or administrative subdivision of a county. MCDs are identified by a
variety of terms, such as town (in 8 states), township, and/or district, and include both
functioning and nonfunctioning governmental entities.
Non-city style address – An address that does not have a house number and/or street
name or may not include a complete house number and street name address. This
includes rural route and box number address and highway contract route addresses, etc.,
which may include a box number, post office boxes and drawers, and general delivery.
Occupied housing unit – A housing unit is classified as occupied if it is the usual place
of residence of the individual or group of persons living in it at the time of enumeration
or if the occupants are only temporarily absent; for example, away on vacation.
Occupied rooms or suites of rooms in hotels, motels, and similar places are classified as
housing units only when occupied by permanent residents, that is, individuals for whom
the facility is their usual place of residence.
Place – A concentration of population either legally bound as an incorporated place
or identified by the Census Bureau as a census designated place.
Regional Census Center – One of 12 Census Bureau centers responsible for the Census
Bureau’s office and field operations within its region.
Shapefile – Spatial and attribute file used to represent geographic features such as streets
and boundaries. Shapefiles can represent point, line, or area features and require GIS or
mapping software.

Glossary

36

37
Street segment – The portion of a street or road between two features that intersect that
street or road, such as other streets or roads, railroad tracks, streams, and governmental
unit boundaries. The Census Bureau records the known address ranges for every street
segment with city-style addresses.
Structure Point – A dot on a Census Bureau map, used to show the location of
one or more living quarters. 4-digit number plus 1-digit alpha character assigned
within a census block to each structure point. Structure points are stored in the
TIGER® database.
®

Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER ) – A
computer database that contains a digital representation of all map features (streets,
roads, rivers, railroads, lakes, and so forth) required to support Census Bureau
operations, the related attributes for each, and the geographic identification codes for all
entities used by the Census Bureau to tabulate data for the United States, Puerto Rico,
and Island Areas.
Vacant housing unit – A habitable structure containing living quarters that is not
occupied. New housing units not yet occupied are classified as vacant housing units if
construction has reached a point where exterior windows and doors are installed and final
usable floors and a roof are in place. Vacant units are excluded if open to the elements,
or if there is positive evidence, such as a sign on the house, that the housing unit is to be
demolished or has been condemned.

37

Glossary

38
U.S. Census Bureau Regional Census Centers
Toll Free 1-866-511-5822
Atlanta RCC: Geography

Detroit RCC: Geography

285 Peachtree Center Avenue NE

300 River Place Drive, Ste. 2950

Marquis II Tower, Ste. 1000

Detroit, MI 48207-4184

Atlanta, GA 30303-1230

(313) 396-5002

Boston RCC: Geography

Kansas City RCC: Geography

1 Beacon Street, 7th Floor

2001 NE 46th Street, Ste. LL100

Boston, MA 02108-3107

Kansas City, MO 64116-2051

(617) 223-3600

(816) 994-2020

Charlotte RCC: Geography

Los Angeles RCC: Geography

3701 Arco Corporate Drive, Ste. 250

9301 Corbin Avenue, Ste. 1000

Charlotte, NC 28273

Northridge, CA 91324-2406

(704) 936-4200

(818) 717-6701

Chicago RCC: Geography

New York RCC: Geography

500 West Madison Street, Ste. 1600

330 West 34th Street, 13th Floor

Chicago, IL 60661-4555

New York, NY 10001-2406

(312) 454-5600

(212) 971-8800

Dallas RCC: Geography

Philadelphia RCC: Geography

2777 N Stemmons Freeway, Ste. 200

1234 Market Street, Ste. 340

Dallas, TX 75207-2514

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3780

(214) 267-6920

(215) 717-1000

Denver RCC: Geography

Seattle RCC: Geography

6950 W Jefferson Avenue, Ste. 250

19820 North Creek Parkway N, Ste. 100

Lakewood, CO 80235-2032

Bothell, WA 98011-8227

(720) 475-3600

(425) 908-3010

(404) 332-2711


File Typeapplication/pdf
File Title2010 Decennial Census
AuthorBureau Of The Census
File Modified2009-10-09
File Created2009-10-09

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