The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) & Boundary Validation Program (BVP)

10_RespondentGuide_DigitalBAS_Local

The Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)

OMB: 0607-0151

⚠️ Notice: This form may be outdated. More recent filings and information on OMB 0607-0151 can be found here:

2023-10-24 - No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
2022-10-14 - No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection

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Boundary and Annexation Survey
Respondent Guide: Digital BAS
Issued August 2009

SECTION

SECTION TITLE

PAGE

1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2
2.1
2.2
3
4
5
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.3.1
5.3.2
5.3.3
5.3.4
5.3.5
5.4
5.4.1
5.4.2
5.4.3
5.5
5.5.1
5.5.2
5.6
5.6.1
5.6.2
5.6.3
5.6.4
5.6.5
5.6.6
5.7
5.7.1
5.7.2
5.7.3
5.7.4
5.7.5
5.7.6
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5

Introduction to the Digital Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
Overview of the BAS
State Specific Arrangements and Agreements
Legal Disputes
Key Dates for Digital BAS Participants
Topological Relationships and Spatial Accuracy
Topological Relationships in the MAF/TIGER Database
GIS and Spatial Accuracy
Census Bureau Provided Shapefiles
Census Bureau Geocoding
Updating the Census Bureau Shapefiles
General File Setup Guidelines
Changing Our Coordinate System to Match Yours
Boundary Changes
Annexations and Deannexations
Boundary Corrections
New Incorporations
Geographic Corridors
Geographic Offsets
Linear Feature Updates
Adding, Deleting, Renaming, and Recoding Linear Features
Special Note Regarding Linear Feature Updates for the 2010 Census
Address Range Break Updates
Area Landmarks, Hydro Areas, and Point Landmarks
Area Landmark / Hydro Area Updates
Point Landmark Updates
Reviewing Changes to the Census Bureau Shapefiles
Boundary-to-Feature Relationships
Large Boundary Corrections
Required Attribute Information Included
Appropriate Metadata Included (Projection Information)
Linear Feature Updates
Additional Review Information
Submitting Digital Data
County Submissions & Individual Entity Submissions (Change Polygons)
County Submissions & Individual Entity Submissions (Whole Entity Polygons)
Linear Feature, Area Landmark / Hydro Area & Point Landmark Updates (Not Req’d)
Compressing the Digital Files
Submitting Digital Files via File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Additional Information
Paperwork Reduction Project
State Arrangements and Agreements
Census Bureau Regional Census Centers – Contact Information
Data Dictionary
2010 Digital BAS – Example Process

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1. Introduction to the Digital Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
1.1 Overview of the BAS
The Census Bureau conducts an annual survey called the Boundary and Annexation Survey
(BAS) to collect information about selected legally defined geographic areas, such as counties
(and equivalent areas), incorporated places, minor civil divisions (MCDs), and federally
recognized American Indian reservations, including off-reservation trust lands and tribal
subdivisions. The BAS also provides an opportunity for participants to review the names and
geographic relationships for these areas. Title 13, U.S. Census Code authorizes this survey.
BAS information is used to provide a record for reporting the results of the decennial and
economic censuses, and to support the Population Estimates Program and the American
Community Survey. Maintaining correct boundaries and boundary-to-feature relationships
through the BAS helps ensure that the appropriate population is assigned to each entity.
In compliance with the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16, the BAS supports the
Census Bureau’s spatial data steward responsibilities for the Federal Geographic Data
Committee and the Geospatial One-Stop by updating the inventory of, and boundaries for,
governmental units. In addition, the BAS is the source of up-to-date information on boundaries,
codes, and names for the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Map and the Geographic
Names Information System. The BAS is also the source for changes in the boundaries of
incorporated places, minor civil divisions (MCDs), counties (and equivalent areas), and federally
recognized American Indian areas, which include reservations and off-reservation trust lands.
1.2 State Specific Arrangements and Agreements
The Census Bureau has established a number of arrangements or agreements with states for
reporting boundary changes. It is very important that you review Appendix 2 to see if your state
has special requirements.
1.3 Legal Disputes
If it comes to our attention that areas of land are in dispute between two or more jurisdictions, we
will not make annexations or boundary corrections until the parties come to a written agreement,
or there is a documented final court decision regarding the matter/dispute. If you have questions
concerning this, please contact the Census Bureau Legal Office at 301-763-2918.
1.4 Key Dates for Digital BAS Participants
All changes received by March 1st will be reflected in the Population Estimates Program and the
American Community Survey. If the Census Bureau receives your updates by April 30th, they
will be included in your BAS materials next year, as well as the 2010 Census.
To change your method of participation in BAS from Digital BAS to paper, you must notify the
Census Bureau by January 15th. You can contact the Census Bureau by phone at (800) 972-5651
or by email at [email protected]. (Note: To change from Digital BAS to MAF/TIGER

Partnership Software (MTPS), simply use the MTPS program disc provided along with the
instructions found in the MTPS Respondent Guide, which can be found on the data disc or on the
BAS website.)
Additionally, to participate in Digital BAS your entity must meet the following requirements:
1. You must have the ability to edit a Census Bureau shapefile 1 extract of your entity. We
require that you update the Census Bureau shapefile with boundary and boundary-related
feature changes, rather than submit a shapefile from your own local Geographic
Information System (GIS).
2. You must provide information for the BAS point of contact, the person updating the
shapefiles, and the highest elected official for your entities.
3. You must provide legal documentation numbers and effective dates for all legal boundary
changes (annexations and deannexations).
If you have any questions or concerns about the participation requirements, please contact the
Geography Division Legal Areas Team at 301-763-1099 or email [email protected].

2. Topological Relationships and Spatial Accuracy
The Geography Division of the Census Bureau is responsible for developing geographic
applications and executing the geographic and cartographic activities needed to support the
Census Bureau in collecting and disseminating census data. For the past twenty years, the
Census Bureau’s TIGER and Master Address File (MAF) have become the two most critical
geographic resources for supporting the Census Bureau in its collection and dissemination of
data.
The following section will describe how the Census Bureau uses a topologically integrated
system and how this differs from a traditional GIS system using separate layers of data.
2.1 Topological Relationships in the MAF/TIGER Database
For its use in MAF/TIGER, topology can be described as the relationship between different
levels of geography. MAF/TIGER is a topologically integrated geographic database in which the
topological structures define the location, connection, and relative relationship of streets, rivers,
railroads, and other features to each other, and to the numerous geographic entities for which the
Census Bureau tabulates data for its censuses and sample surveys. Instead of having a layer for
each feature class (i.e. roads, block boundaries, place boundaries, and school district boundaries)
1

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 the ubiquitous use of the shapefile format as a medium for
GIS data exchange, the Census Bureau is providing this data in shapefile format. You should encounter no problems when
importing these shapefiles into your local GIS software. However, if you are using GIS software that does not contain a shapefile
translator, please contact the Census Bureau for further instructions (301-763-1099) or e-mail [email protected].

all information is stored in one layer or file. Examples 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 provide a visual
interpretation of how a file is topologically integrated in MAF/TIGER.

Example 2.1.1: This example shows how a road in MAF/TIGER can also represent a block boundary, place
boundary and a school district boundary.

Example 2.1.2: This example shows four different feature classes are topologically integrated into one layer. The
file is topologically integrated so that the one road represents not only a road, but also a block boundary, place
boundary, and a school district boundary.

2.2 GIS and Spatial Accuracy
In a GIS, feature classes are not often topologically integrated. Instead feature classes stand
alone in separate layers that contain a high level of spatial or coordinate accuracy. When
overlaying these layers in a GIS one may find that the layers may not be coincident with one
another as they are in the MAF/TIGER database. Examples 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 show how files that
are not integrated may appear in a GIS when they are overlaid on top of one another.
The spatial differences found between the local GIS file and the Census Bureau’s integrated file
are often very small (i.e. often less than five or ten feet) and can create boundary-to-feature
relationship issues for the Census Bureau. Section 5.6 provides instructions on how to review
your digital submission for small spatial boundary corrections, as well as some of the potential
consequences of making spatial boundary corrections that dissolve the topological relationships

present in the MAF/TIGER database. An example process detailing a suggested method for
making your boundary changes correctly can be found in Appendix 5.

Example 2.2.1: This example shows four different feature classes, each with a high level of spatial accuracy,
overlaid. Notice how the topological relationship is compromised. The block, place, and school district boundaries,
which are supposed to be coincident with the road feature, are now not aligned with this feature in several locations.

Example 2.2.2: This example depicts a situation where a local GIS place boundary is not coincident (topologically
related) with a road feature. Assuming that the Census Bureau boundary is coincident with the road feature, making
the changes represented by the arrows would dissolve the topological relationship in MAF/TIGER. Later sections
will describe how to review these spatial boundary corrections, as well as discuss some of the consequences of
dissolving the relationships in MAF/TIGER.

3. Census Bureau Provided Shapefiles
The Census Bureau provides all Digital BAS participants with entity layers in ESRI shapefile
format. The number of polygon-based shapefiles that the Census Bureau sends to each Digital
BAS participant depends on the type of entities contained within each county. However, each
participant, regardless of the number of geographic entities, receives only one shapefile for the
linear feature network for each county. See Table 3.1 for the names of the shapefiles that you
will be receiving.
Geographic Entity Type

Shapefile Naming Convention

County

bas_2010_county_.shp

Minor Civil Division

bas_2010_mcd_.shp

Incorporated Place

bas_2010_place_.shp

Consolidated City

bas_2010_concity_.shp

Edges (Roads, Rail, Hydro, etc)

bas_2010_edges_.shp

Area Landmarks

bas_2010_arealm_.shp

Point Landmarks

bas_2010_pointlm_.shp

Hydro Area

bas_2010_water_.shp
Table 3.1

Note: represents the two-digit state code and three-digit county code.

All shapefiles provided by the Census Bureau are in the following unprojected geographic-based
coordinate system:









Geographic Coordinate System – North American Datum 1983 (GCS NAD83)
Angular Unit: Degree (0.017453292519943299)
Prime Meridian: Greenwich (0.000000000000000000)
Datum: D_North_American_1983
Spheroid: GRS_1980
Semi-major Axis: 6378137.000000000000000
Semi-minor Axis: 6356752.314140356100000000
Inverse Flattening: 298.257222101000020000

4. Census Bureau Geocoding
Knowledge of two of the Census Bureau’s geocoding methods is critical for creating your Digital
BAS submission correctly. These two methods include using a MAF structure point to geocode
an address, and geocoding addresses based on the street centerline (feature matching).

When a MAF structure point is available, the Census will geocode to the location of the structure
point which was originally captured using GPS during an earlier Census Bureau operation.
However, if there is no structure point available, the Census Bureau will geocode to the street
centerline.
Based on the geocoding methods used by the Census Bureau, it is very important to review your
Digital BAS submission to ensure that your changes are topologically related to features where
appropriate, and to create and code geographic offsets and corridors wherever necessary.

5. Updating the Census Bureau Shapefiles
The following section will describe how to update the Census Bureau shapefiles to reflect any
boundary changes or linear feature changes that have occurred since the last BAS survey. There
will also be a brief discussion of the procedures that should be followed to submit boundary
changes and associated documentation. (An example process can be found in Appendix 5 to
supplement this brief description.) Furthermore, there will be a short section on steps that should
be taken to review your digital file before submitting it to the Census Bureau.
If the Census Bureau has any problems processing the submitted boundary or feature file, you
will receive a feedback document, by email, requesting clarification of the issue(s). If we cannot
resolve the problem prior to our project deadline, your updates will not be incorporated into
MAF/TIGER. We will continue to work with you to resolve these issues before the next BAS
cycle.
5.1 General File Setup Guidelines
When you receive your shapefiles, follow these guidelines before beginning actual updates:
 Open the CD to verify that it contains the correct shapefiles for the entity that you will be
updating.
 Copy the shapefiles into a directory on your server/hard drive.
 Open the shapefiles in a GIS.
5.2 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, that allow 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 shapefile extracts 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 coordinate
systems.

After completing your updates, you may submit the boundary shapefile using your local
coordinate system/projection provided that the shapefile's coordinate system contains a defined
projection file (i.e., *.PRJ file) or spatial reference materials (i.e., metadata).
5.3 Boundary Changes
In order to update MAF/TIGER, you must create a separate change polygon layer for each
updated entity type (i.e., county, MCD, and place). The change polygons must be created in
relation to the current MAF/TIGER boundary.
Appendix 5 provides an example process for creating annexation, deannexation, boundary
correction, new entity, geographic corridor, and geographic offset change polygons. The Census
Bureau also requests that you review any boundary changes (change polygons) that you create.
Section 5.6 contains information on what to look for when reviewing your change polygons.
If a boundary update crosses into a new county and additional shapefiles are needed, please
contact the Census Bureau’s geographic Legal Areas Team at 301-763-1099 or e-mail
[email protected].
5.3.1 Annexations and Deannexations
The Census Bureau will accept annexations and deannexations from counties, MCDs, and
incorporated places. Individual change polygons must be created in relation to the MAF/TIGER
database. Each annexation or deannexation change polygon must have the required attributes
and corresponding change type populated, as seen in Table 5.3.1.1. The Census Bureau will
snap any annexation or deannexation to a MAF/TIGER feature when it exists within thirty feet
of that feature.
DOCU

AREA

(Not Required in GA)

(Required in GA)

NAME

CHNG_TYPE

EFF_DATE

Annexation

‘A’

Deannexation

‘D’

RELATE

Georgia
only
Georgia
only

Table 5.3.1.1

5.3.2 Boundary Corrections
The Census Bureau will also accept specific boundary corrections from counties, MCDs, and
incorporated places. As with annexations and deannexations, individual change polygons must
be created for each boundary correction that is made. Each boundary correction must also have
the required attributes and corresponding change type populated, as seen in Table 5.3.2.1.

Boundary Correction
(Add Area)

Boundary Correction
(Remove Area)

NAME

CHNG_TYPE

EFF_DATE

DOCU

AREA

RELATE

‘B’

‘IN’

‘B’

‘OUT’
Table 5.3.2.1

Because the Census Bureau uses a topologically integrated database, not all types of boundary
corrections can be processed for inclusion into MAF/TIGER. The list below provides an outline
of the types of boundary corrections that we will and will not be able to accept through Digital
BAS.
The Census Bureau will accept boundary corrections…


in situations where the existing boundary has been digitized incorrectly or appears in the
incorrect location due to other Census Bureau processes.



where the overall shape of the geographic entity is maintained, and no feature-toboundary relationships are dissolved.

The Census Bureau will not accept boundary corrections…


along county boundaries unless there is a written agreement between the two counties
that documents the correct location of the boundary.



between adjacent incorporated places or adjacent MCDs unless the county submitting the
changes is part of a consolidated county agreement or there is a written agreement
between the two incorporated places or MCDs.



that dissolve boundary-to-feature relationships (i.e. roads, rivers, railroads, etc.) if the
difference is less than thirty feet.



which are greater than one square mile. These boundary corrections may be part of
annexations which were never reported to the Census Bureau. If so, effective dates and
legal documentation numbers should be provided.



that have a width of less than thirty feet (over the entire polygon).

Please remember that the Census Bureau will snap any boundary correction to a MAF/TIGER
feature when it exists within thirty feet of that feature.
5.3.3 New Incorporations
County participants may submit new incorporations (for incorporated places and minor civil
divisions) through Digital BAS. As with other change types, an individual change polygon must
be created for each new incorporation. Each change polygon must have the required attributes
and corresponding change type populated, as seen in Table 5.3.3.1.

New Incorporation

NAME

CHNG_TYPE

EFF_DATE

DOCU

‘E’

AREA

RELATE

Table 5.3.3.1

Please contact the BAS unit at 1-800-972-5651 for the required documentation for new
incorporations.
5.3.4 Geographic Corridors
The Census Bureau geocodes addresses based on the street centerline. If the geocoding of these
addresses would result in the population being assigned to the incorrect geographic entity, we
recommend the creation of a geographic corridor.
A geographic corridor is an area that includes only the road right-of-way and does not contain
any structures addressed to either side of the street. Example 5.3.4.1 shows a corridor being
created where the incorporated place owns the right-of-way but the housing units are not
included in the incorporated place. Example 5.3.4.2 shows that the right-of-way belongs in the
unincorporated area, while the housing units are included in the incorporated place. In both
examples the incorporated place is shown in color.

Example 5.3.4.1

Example 5.3.4.2

As with all other types of geographic changes, individual change polygons must be created for
each geographic corridor that is created. Each geographic corridor change polygon must have
the required attributes populated and corresponding change type, as seen in Table 5.3.4.1. In the
RELATE field, please provide the distance between the centerline and the entity boundary (e.g.
“(30,30)” for 30 feet on each side of the centerline).

Geographic
Corridor

NAME

CHNG_TYPE

‘C’

EFF_DATE

DOCU

AREA

RELATE

Distance
Table 5.3.4.1

5.3.5 Geographic Offsets
A geographic offset is an area claimed by a geographic entity that is only on one side of the road
and does not include structures addressed to that side of the road.
The Census Bureau is aware that many governments base their legal boundaries on cadastral
(parcel-based) right-of-way mapping. Our maps are based on spatial data that is topologically
integrated, and this makes maintenance of geographic offsets inefficient. Snapping your entity
boundary to the centerline wherever applicable will also help to establish more accurate
population counts. Example 5.3.5.1 depicts a cadastral (parcel-based) boundary map and
Example 5.3.5.2 shows how the boundary should be reflected when it is sent to the Census
Bureau.

Example 5.3.5.1

Example 5.3.5.2

Ultimately, if you do prefer to create geographic offsets, you must create individual change
polygons to represent each geographic offset. Each geographic offset change polygon must have
the required attributes and corresponding change type populated, as seen in Table 5.3.5.1. In the
RELATE field, please provide the distance between the centerline and the entity boundary (e.g.
“(30)” for 30 feet).

Geographic
Offset

NAME

CHNG_TYPE

‘F’

EFF_DATE

DOCU

AREA

RELATE

Distance
Table 5.3.5.1

5.4 Linear Feature Updates
5.4.1 Adding, Deleting, Renaming, and Recoding Linear Features
If you have reviewed your features using our linear feature network, and have determined that
the Census Bureau needs to add, remove, rename or recode a linear feature you may submit your
modifications in a separate linear feature update layer. Each linear feature update must have the
required attributes and corresponding change type populated, as seen in Table 5.4.1.1
CHNG_TYPE

Add Feature
Delete Feature
Rename Feature
Recode Feature

‘AL’
‘DL’
‘CA’
‘CA’

TLID

X
X
X

FULLNAME

MTFCC

X
X

Table 5.4.1.1

A list of MTFCC codes can be found at:
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/cfcc_to_mtfcc.xls
5.4.2 Special Note Regarding Linear Feature Updates for the 2010 Census
Please note that the Census Bureau has spent the last six years improving the spatial accuracy of
the roads in our MAF/TIGER database through the MTAIP project. Many organizations
throughout the country who maintain geographic information in digital form have worked with
us on this project.
At this point, the Census Bureau is moving forward with our 2010 Census field canvassing and
collection activities. This means that we are no longer processing widespread spatial corrections
to our street network. What is critical for the success of the 2010 Census data tabulation is the
location of roads relative to the entity boundary. As long as the road is within the correct entity,
the population and housing will be properly reported. The guidelines below explain what types
of linear feature updates we can accept at this point in time.
Street Update Guidelines



If a road is missing and it forms the boundary for the area you are defining, add the road
and provide the name.



If you cannot correctly delineate the boundary for an entity you are updating because the
feature you need to follow is incorrectly located, mislabeled or distorted in the Census
Bureau’s file, we request that you put the boundary on the problematic feature in our file.
This will establish for us what feature you want the boundary to follow. In addition, we
request that you report the problem area to the Census Bureau by sending information to
[email protected] describing the incorrect feature including the TIGER Line Identifier

(TLID) and the specific entity boundary affected. This can be done using an image file,
PDF, or other medium showing the appropriate correction.


Do not spatially realign street features by merging your roads into our spatial file and
flagging your roads as adds and our roads as deletes.



You may add new subdivisions that are not in our database.

5.4.3 Address Range Break Updates
An address range break is a notation indicating the addresses that fall within the boundaries of a
governmental entity. This information will not be displayed on your map but can be inserted
when you move a boundary that intersects a street, or you add a street that intersects a boundary.
This will help the Census Bureau to assign the correct addresses to your jurisdiction.
Address breaks may be submitted to the Census Bureau as part of the linear feature update layer.
See Example 5.4.3.1 for more information on what an address break would look like. As with
other linear feature updates, address breaks must have the required attributes and corresponding
change type populated, as seen in Table 5.4.3.2.

Example 5.4.3.1: This example depicts where a participant would record an address break. In the Census Bureau’s
‘Edges’ layer please be sure to fill in the correct attribute fields to show the location of the address range break.
This would include the CHNG_TYPE, LTOADD, RTOADD, LFROMADD, and RFROMADD fields.

CHNG_TYPE

Address
Breaks

FULLNAME

MTFCC

LTOADD

RTOADD

LFROMADD

RFROMADD

‘CA’
Table 5.4.3.2

5.5 Area Landmarks, Hydro Areas, and Point Landmarks
5.5.1 Area Landmark / Hydro Area Updates
Area landmarks and hydrographic areas are updated in a similar manner to legal boundary
changes (i.e. annexations, deannexations, etc.). However, area landmarks and hydro areas are
not legal entities, so no documentation or effective dates are required. In order to submit area
landmark and hydro area updates please create a separate change polygon layer. Updates that
can be made to area landmarks and hydro areas include: boundary corrections (adding and
removing area), creating a new area landmark or hydro area, removing an area landmark or
hydro area, or changing the name. Refer to Example 5.5.1.1 for what a sample boundary
correction to an area landmark would look like.

Example 5.5.1.1: This example shows an example boundary correction to Park A. Please refer to the example
process in Appendix 5 for more information on how to create change polygons for area landmark and hydro areas.
Note: While the example process in Appendix 5 refers to legal boundary changes the process used to create the
change polygons for area landmarks and hydro areas is the same.

Each area landmark or hydro area update must have the required attributes and corresponding
change type populated, as seen in Table 5.5.1.2.

Boundary Correction
(Add Area)

Boundary Correction
(Remove Area)

FULLNAME

CHNG_TYPE

RELATE

‘B’

‘IN’

‘B’

‘OUT’

‘D’

Delete Landmark
Change Landmark Name

‘G’

New Landmark

‘E’

Table 5.5.1.2

The example process in Appendix 5 will provide you with the information on how to create
change polygons. While the sample process is written for legal boundary changes, the same
methods apply for creating change polygons for area landmarks and hydro areas.
Please be advised that due to heavy workloads for boundary changes to legal areas, changes to
area landmarks and hydrographic areas may not be added to the database until after the next
year’s BAS materials are created. You may need to wait two BAS cycles in order to see these
changes reflected in your materials.
5.5.2 Point Landmark Updates
Updates to point landmarks may also be made. In order to submit point landmark updates,
please create a separate point landmark update layer. The updates to point landmarks include:
adding a new point landmark, deleting an existing point landmark, and renaming a point
landmark. Each point landmark update must have the required attributes and corresponding
change type populated, as seen in Table 5.5.2.1.

New Point Landmark

FULLNAME

CHNG_TYPE

MTFCC

‘E’

‘D’

Delete Point Landmark
Change Name

‘G’

Table 5.5.2.1

Please be advised that due to heavy workloads for boundary changes to legal areas, changes to
point landmarks may not be added to the database until after the next year’s BAS materials are
created. You may need to wait two BAS cycles in order to see these changes reflected in your
materials.

5.6 Reviewing Changes to the Census Bureau Shapefiles
A comprehensive review of each change polygon and feature update layer is an important aspect
of your Digital BAS submission. Any annexation, deannexation, or boundary correction must be
reviewed to ensure that it is an intentional change. This section will cover critical items that are
important to that review.
5.6.1 Boundary-to-Feature Relationships
Each annexation, deannexation, and boundary correction change polygon should be reviewed to
determine if the correct boundary-to-feature relationships are being created or maintained. The
Census Bureau is aware that many governments base their legal boundaries on cadastral (parcelbased) right-of-way mapping; however we base our maps on spatial data that is topologically
integrated. Therefore we encourage you to snap boundaries to street centerlines (or rivers,
railroads, etc.) wherever applicable. This will help to establish a more accurate population count
for your entity.
The following examples show situations where the boundary changes should be snapped to
existing linear features. As a reminder, the Census Bureau will snap any boundary change that is
created within thirty feet of an existing linear feature to that feature.

Example 5.6.1.1: Both the boundary correction adding area and the boundary correction removing area are not
snapped to existing linear features in the MAF/TIGER database. Both boundary corrections should be snapped to
the centerline or population may be assigned to the incorrect entity.

Example 5.6.1.2: This is an example of an annexation that has been created without snapping to the existing
centerline in the MAF/TIGER database. The boundary of the annexation should be snapped to the centerline;
otherwise, the population may be assigned to the incorrect entity.

The Census Bureau will not accept “spatial” boundary corrections that dissolve the current
relationship between an existing boundary and linear feature. Any boundary correction that
creates thirty feet or less of gap or overlap between the existing linear feature and boundary will
not be able to be incorporated into the MAF/TIGER database. The examples below display the
types of “spatial” boundary corrections that will not be accepted.

Example 5.6.1.3: In the image above the participant has created very small “spatial” boundary corrections that
dissolve the relationship with the river. These boundary corrections will not be incorporated in to MAF/TIGER.

Example 5.6.1.4: In the image above the participant has created very small “spatial” boundary corrections that are
dissolving the boundary-to-feature relationship with multiple streets. Incorporating these changes would affect the
population counts for the entity. Therefore the Census Bureau will not accept these small “spatial” boundary
corrections.

5.6.2 Large Boundary Corrections
The Census Bureau will not accept large boundary corrections to an entity without the
appropriate legal documentation numbers and effective dates. Oftentimes these large boundary
corrections may be legal boundary changes that occurred in the past and were never reported to
the Census Bureau. However, we still do require that you submit the appropriate legal
documentation number and effective date so that we may incorporate your change into the
MAF/TIGER database. See Example 5.6.2.1 for an example of some large boundary corrections
that we would not be able to accept without the appropriate documentation.

Example 5.6.2.1: Without the appropriate documentation we will not accept large boundary corrections like those
highlighted in the above image.

Please note that there may be a few instances when large boundary corrections do need to be
made as a result of incorrect digitizing or where the boundary appears in the incorrect location
due to other Census Bureau processes, such as MTAIP, which could have rubbersheeted your
boundaries.
5.6.3 Required Attribute Information Included
It is important that each change polygon is reviewed to determine that the correct attribute
information is included. Without the correct attribute information we will be unable to process
your file and incorporate the changes into the MAF/TIGER database. Reference Section 5.3 for
the required attribute information and corresponding change type codes for each type of update
that you make.

5.6.4 Appropriate Metadata Included (Projection Information)
It is important that the appropriate projection information in the metadata is included. Each
update layer submitted must also contain a *.prj file so that the Census Bureau can convert the
projection back to GCS_NAD83 when necessary. This is critical for us to be able to process the
file and incorporate the updates into the MAF/TIGER database.
5.6.5 Linear Feature Updates
The Census Bureau also asks you to review your feature changes to ensure that all changes align
with the features currently in the MAF/TIGER database. As a reminder, the Census Bureau has
improved the feature network using a locally provided source to assure connectivity and
topology through the MAF/TIGER Accuracy Improvement Project (MTAIP). If your linear
feature changes do not align with current MAF/TIGER linear features, the Census Bureau may
not be able to incorporate the linear feature updates that you have submitted. Example 5.6.5.1
shows something you should look for when reviewing your linear feature updates.

Example 5.6.5.1: The image on the left depicts new road features that were added to the existing feature network,
but do not connect to existing road features. The image on the right shows the correction and how the new roads
now connect to the existing road features.

5.6.6 Additional Review Information
As documented in Section 5.3, the Census Bureau will not make any boundary change that
affects an adjacent legal entity without the appropriate documentation. We ask that you please
review any change polygon that affects an adjacent entity to determine if this is an intentional,
legal change.
It is important to emphasize that the Census Bureau will snap any annexation, deannexation, or
boundary correction to a MAF/TIGER feature when it exists within thirty feet of that feature.
This helps to maintain the boundary-to-feature relationships in MAF/TIGER and will ensure
correct housing tabulation counts for your entity.

5.7 Submitting Digital Data
The Census Bureau requires that each participant submit at least two shapefiles, with the
potential of more depending on which types of changes need to be made. These layers are
described below:


Change Polygon Layers (County, Minor Civil Division, Incorporated Place, and
Consolidated City)
o These layers consist of the changes that you would like the Census Bureau to
make to your entity(s).
o A layer of change polygons should be created for each level of geography that
changes are being submitted for.



Whole Modified Entity Layer (County, Minor Civil Division, Incorporated Place, and
Consolidated City)
o These layers should only contain the complete and current boundary for the entity
being updated.
o A whole entity layer should be created for each level of geography that change
polygons are being created for.



Feature Update Layer (required only if there are feature (road, river, railroad, etc.)
additions, deletions, name changes, recodes, or address range breaks)
o If you have linear feature updates that you would like the Census Bureau to make,
include a linear feature update layer with only the feature segments that you
would like us to correct.



Area / Hydro Landmark Layer (required only if there are area / hydro landmark updates)
o If you have area landmark updates, please include an area landmark / hydro area
update layer with only the area landmark changes that you would like us to make.



Point Landmark Layer (required only if there are point landmark updates)
o If you have point landmark updates, please include a point landmark update layer
with only the point landmark changes that you would like us to make.

5.7.1 County Submissions and Individual Entity Submissions (Change Polygons)
Table 5.7.1.1 provides the change polygon naming conventions for county submissions, county
subdivisions, incorporated places, and consolidated cities.

Participant

Changes Submitted For:

Shapefile Naming Conventions

County

bas__changes_county

County

Minor Civil Division

bas__changes_cousub

County

Incorporated Place

bas__changes_incplace

Minor Civil Division

bas__changes_cousub

Incorporated Place

bas__changes_incplace

Consolidated City

bas__changes_concity

Table 5.7.1.1: The change polygon layer naming conventions: represents the BAS year, and
represents your BAS entity ID, which can be found on the data CD.

5.7.2 County Submissions and Individual Entity Submissions (Whole Entity Polygons)
Table 5.7.2.1 provides the whole entity polygon naming conventions for consolidated county
submissions, county subdivisions, incorporated places, and consolidated cities.
Participant:

Changes Submitted For:

Shapefile Naming Conventions

County

bas__WholeEntity_county

County

Minor Civil Division

bas__WholeEntity_cousub

County

Incorporated Place

bas__WholeEntity_incplace

Minor Civil Division

bas__WholeEntity_cousub

Incorporated Place

bas__WholeEntity_incplace

Consolidated City

bas__WholeEntity_concity

Table 5.7.2.1: The whole entity polygon layer naming conventions: represents the BAS year, and
represents your BAS entity ID, which can be found on the data CD.

5.7.3 Linear Feature, Area Landmark / Hydro Area, and Point Landmark Updates (Not
Required)
Table 5.7.3.1 provides the update layer naming conventions for the edges, area landmark, and
point landmark update layers.
Participant:

Changes Submitted For:

Shapefile Naming Conventions

All Participants

Edges

bas__LN_Changes

All Participants

Area / Hydro Landmarks

bas__Alndk_Changes

All Participants

Point Landmarks

bas__Plndk_Changes

Table 5.7.3.1: The naming conventions for the edges, area landmark, and point landmark update layers:
represents the BAS year, and represents your BAS entity ID, which can be found on the data CD.

5.7.4 Compressing the Digital Files
Please compress ALL update materials (including change polygon shapefiles, whole entity
shapefiles, linear feature updates, landmark updates, and a text or other file with your contact
information) into a single ZIP formatted file named bas__return (where
represents the BAS year and represents your BAS entity ID, which can be found on the
data CD).
5.7.5 Submitting Digital Files via File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
We request that you submit your Digital BAS response through the Census Bureau’s “Send A
File” FTP utility. The “Send A File” utility is located at:
http://www2.census.gov/cgi-bin/basupload
Source Information >> File to Send: >> Browse
Browse to the location where your file is stored to submit it to the Census Bureau.
Notify by Email >> Census Bureau Employee’s E-Mail Address:
Please type [email protected] so that the Legal Areas Team is notified whenever a file is
submitted to the FTP site. Please also include your e-mail address in the Sender’s E-Mail
Address field so that we can notify you that we have received your file.
Enter the Verification Code seen on the screen and click the Upload button to FTP your Digital
BAS file to the Census Bureau. If you have any questions on the “Send A File” FTP utility
please contact the Legal Areas Team at 301-763-1099 or email [email protected].
5.7.6 Additional Information
The Census Bureau recommends using FIPS codes to identify entities such as counties, minor
civil divisions, and incorporated places. Using a standard coding scheme facilitates the digital
exchange of data.
These codes can be found in the Census Bureau shapefiles or can be obtained at:
http://geonames.usgs.gov/domestic/download_data.htm
If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Legal Areas Team at 301-763-1099 or
email [email protected].

Appendix 1: Paperwork Reduction Project
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the BAS review will take most respondents from 1 to 6
hours to complete. This includes the time needed to read the instructions, assemble materials,
organize and review the information, and report any needed changes. This estimate is based on
80 percent of all areas having few or no changes. However, for areas with many changes, it may
take 20 hours or longer to complete the survey. 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 0607-0151
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road
Room 3K138
Washington, DC 20233
Or you may e-mail comments to:
[email protected]
Note: Use “Paperwork Project 0607-0151” as the subject.
Please include a copy of your message addressed to:
[email protected].

Appendix 2: State Arrangements and Agreements
The following states have special arrangements or agreements with the Census Bureau for
conducting the BAS. These agreements are described in the special notes below. Additional
agreements may be posted to our BAS website
(http://www.census.gov/geo/www/bas/bashome.html) if they are finalized after posting this
guide.
1. Alaska
2. California
3. Georgia
4. Kentucky
5. Louisiana
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. New York
9. Puerto Rico
10. Virginia
11. West Virginia
12. Wisconsin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Alaska
Alaska Statutes (AS 29 and AS 44) stipulate that the Local Boundary Commission be
involved in the development of all boundary changes to incorporated places including
annexations, incorporations, or dissolutions. The Local Boundary Commission within the
Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development has designated
the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development as the agency to provide the
Census Bureau with boundary changes through the annual Boundary and Annexation Survey.
The Census Bureau and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development are
working together to consolidate the updates of legal boundaries in Alaska. This ensures that
the Census Bureau will obtain the boundary information it needs from a single source.
Please note that any governmental boundary changes, incorporations, dissolutions, and
mergers for your borough or city, effective on or before January 1st, will be submitted by the
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding legal boundaries for your borough or city
you may contact Ingrid Zaruba at 907-465-2439 or by email at:
[email protected]

2. California
The California State Board of Equalization serves as the Certifying Official for all local
governments in California. The Board certifies to the Census Bureau the legality of boundary
changes made by California municipalities. To assist them, please enter the final resolution
number adopted by the city council as approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission
(LAFCO) for each boundary change in the DOCU attribute field. Do not report the resolution
number that initiated the action. Also, please enter the date on the certificate of completion
issued by the LAFCO in the EFF_DATE attribute field.
3. Georgia
The Georgia Code stipulates that all annexations and deannexations to incorporated places be
reported to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The Census Bureau has an
ongoing working relationship with this state agency to conduct the annual Boundary and
Annexation Survey. A list of entities that reported boundary changes to the Georgia
Department of Community Affairs is provided to the Census Bureau each year. By
agreement, boundary changes to incorporated places not on this list will not be incorporated
into the Census Bureau’s geographic database.
Please ensure that all annexation and deannexation information has been reported to the
Department of Community Affairs, per the Georgia Code. The Georgia Code is available at
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/. You may report your boundary changes to the Department of
Community Affairs online or print a boundary change report form at
http://www.georgiaplanning.com/annex.htm. Printed forms can be mailed to:
Annexation Reports
Georgia Department of Community Affairs
60 Executive Park South, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-2231
The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) serves as the Certifying Official for all local
governments in Georgia. DCA certifies to the Census Bureau the legality of boundary changes
made by Georgia municipalities. To assist them, please enter the final resolution or ordinance
number adopted by the city for each boundary change, as it was reported to DCA. If no
resolution or ordinance number was assigned by your city then use the DCA-ID number assigned
by DCA to your annexation report. Enter this number in the DOCU attribute field. Also, please
enter the effective date, as officially recorded by DCA, into the EFF_DATE attribute field. The
DCA-ID number and official effective date for annexations can be obtained at
http://www.GeorgiaPlanning.com/annex.htm. If you have any concerns about this data, contact
Terry Jackson at 404-679-4946.

4. Kentucky
The Kentucky Revised Statutes stipulate that all boundary changes to incorporated places
within Kentucky be reported to the office of the Secretary of State. Reports of boundary
changes are forwarded by the Secretary of State to the Division of Geographic Information
for mapping. The Census Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with this state agency
to conduct our annual Boundary and Annexation Survey. The Kentucky Division of
Geographic Information provides a list of incorporated places which reported boundary
changes to the Census Bureau each year. By agreement, boundary changes to incorporated
places not on this list will not be incorporated into the Census Bureau’s geographic database.
Please ensure that boundary change information has been reported to the Office of the
Secretary of State, per the Kentucky Revised Statutes. The Kentucky Revised Statutes are
available at http://www.lrc.ky.gov/statrev/frontpg.htm. All boundary changes should be
submitted to:
The Land Office Division
Secretary of State
Room T40, Capitol Annex
700 Capital Ave.
Frankfort, KY 40601
If you would like to review the data that the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information has
assembled for your entity, please visit http://kygeonet.ky.gov/. If you have any concerns about
this data, please contact Kim Anness at 502-564-1450.
5. Louisiana
The MCD used in Louisiana for Census Bureau data tabulations is the parish governing authority
district. These districts are the same as the Police Jury Districts or the Parish Council Districts
used for the election of members of the police jury or parish council. Please review the
boundaries of the parish subdivisions in your parish carefully to ensure that the names and
boundaries conform to these districts. Do not report election precincts or election districts or any
other areas that are not used in apportioning the representatives of the police jury or parish
council. If you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
Bill Blair
Director of Demographic Services (House and Senate)
PO Box 44486
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Telephone: 225-342-2591
Fax: 225-342-0768
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your parish, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.

6. Michigan
Michigan law stipulates that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Michigan be reported to the office of the Secretary of State. The Census
Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our annual
Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated places
and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each year.
The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.
The Office of the Great Seal, located within the Department of State, serves as the Certifying
Official for all local governments in Michigan. This office certifies to the Census Bureau the
legality of boundary changes made by Michigan municipalities. To assist them, please enter
the job number assigned by the Secretary of State’s office for each boundary change in the
DOCU attribute field. Do not report the ordinance or resolution number that initiated the
action. Also, please enter the date the change was filed with the Secretary of State in the
EFF_DATE attribute field.
7. Minnesota
Minnesota statutes stipulate that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Minnesota be reported to the office of Strategic and Long-Range Planning.
The Census Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our
annual Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated
places and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each
year. The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.
8. New York
The New York Department of State, Division of Corporations and State Records serves as the
Certifying Official for all local governments in New York. The Division certifies to the Census
Bureau the legality of boundary changes made by New York municipalities. Please be advised
that the state can certify only those boundary change actions enacted by Local Law pursuant to
Section 714 of the General Municipal Law.
The Secretary of State’s Office has recommended a way local governments can assist in this
effort. Please enter the final Local Law number into the DOCU field and the date the annexation
was filed with the Secretary of State in the EFF_DATE field of the attribute table.
9. Puerto Rico
Under Puerto Rico law, boundary changes to municipios and barrios are reported to the Census
Bureau by the Puerto Rico Planning Board only. The Puerto Rico Planning Board will report all
boundary changes, approved by the Puerto Rico Government, effective on or before January 1st
of each year.
The Census Bureau and the Puerto Rico Planning Board collaborate to consolidate the updating
of legal boundaries at the commonwealth level, after they have been approved by the Puerto Rico
30

Legislature. The Planning Board maintains the most up-to-date boundary information for all
municipios and barrios in Puerto Rico.
If you would like to review the boundary data that the Puerto Rico Planning Board has for your
municipio and/or barrios, please visit http://www.jp.gobierno.pr. If you have any concerns about
this data, contact Ms. Lillian Torres-Aguirre at 787-723-6200 ext. 2501.
10. Virginia
The districts used for the election of representatives to the County Board of Supervisors are used
by the Census Bureau for data tabulation and will be represented as minor civil divisions
(MCDs) in Census Bureau data products. These districts usually are termed magisterial districts,
but can have other designations, such as election or supervisor districts. Please review the
boundaries of the MCDs in your county carefully to ensure that the names and boundaries
conform to the areas functioning as districts for the election of county supervisors.
Do not report taxing districts, districts used for the recording of land titles, or any other type of
district that is not used in apportioning the representatives of the county board. If these districts
are not called magisterial districts, put the correct description of the areas above the first data line
showing the “NAME OF MUNICIPALITY OR MINOR CIVIL DIVISION” in Question 3. If
you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
U.S. Census Bureau
Geography Division
Geographic Areas Branch
Legal Areas Team
Washington, DC 20233-7400
Telephone: 301-763-1099
Fax: 301-457-4710
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your county, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.
11. West Virginia
The MCD used in West Virginia for Census Bureau data tabulations is the magisterial district.
Magisterial districts are the divisions of the county used for the election of county commissioners
and members of the school board. Please review the boundaries of the county subdivisions in
your county carefully to ensure that the names and boundaries conform to the areas called
magisterial districts. Do not report taxing districts, districts used for the recording of land titles,
or any other type of district that is not used in apportioning the representatives of the county
board.

If you have a question about which MCDs you are to report, please contact:
Patricia Hamilton
Certified Association Executive
West Virginia Association of Counties
2211 Washington Street East
Charleston, WV 25311
Telephone: 304-346-0591
Fax: 304-346-0592
E-mail: [email protected]
If you report changes or corrections to the districts in your county, please ensure that you also
report the effective date of each change.
12. Wisconsin
Wisconsin law stipulates that all boundary changes to incorporated places and minor civil
divisions within Wisconsin be reported to the office of Secretary of State. The Census
Bureau has an ongoing working relationship with a state agency to conduct our annual
Boundary and Annexation Survey. The state agency provides a list of incorporated places
and minor civil divisions which reported boundary changes to the Census Bureau each year.
The Census Bureau uses this list to determine who should get a BAS package.

Appendix 3: Census Bureau Regional Census Centers - Contact
Information
Atlanta Regional Census Center

Detroit Regional Census Center

Marquis II Tower, Suite 1000

Detroit, MI 48207

Phone: (404) 332-2711

Fax: (313) 567-2119

285 Peachtree Center Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30303-1230

300 River Place Dr, Suite 2950
Phone: (313) 396-5002

Fax: (404) 688-4329

TDD: (313) 259-5169

[email protected]

E-mail:

Boston Regional Census Center

Kansas City Regional Census Center

Boston, MA 02108-3107

Kansas City, MO 64116-2051

One Beacon St, 7th Floor

2001 NE 46th St, Suite LL100

Phone: (617) 223-3600

Phone: (816) 994-2020

Email:

E-mail:

Fax: (617) 223-3675

[email protected]

Fax: (816) 298-9614

[email protected]

Charlotte Regional Census Center

Los Angeles Regional Census Center

Charlotte, NC 28273

Northridge, CA 91324-2406

Fax: (704) 909-6714

Fax: (818) 717-6778

3701 Arco Corporate Dr, Suite 250
Phone: (704) 936-4200
E-mail:

9301 Corbin Ave, Suite 1000
Phone: (818) 717-6701
TTY: (818) 717-6705

[email protected]

E-mail:

Chicago Regional Census Center

New York Regional Census Center

500 W Madison St, Suite 1600

330 W 34th St, 13th Floor

Phone: (312) 454-2705

Phone: (212) 971-8800

Chicago, IL 60661-4555

[email protected]

New York, NY 10001-2406

Fax: (312) 448-1510

Fax: (212) 971-8990

[email protected]

E-mail:

Dallas Regional Census Center

Philadelphia Regional Census Center

Dallas, TX 75207-2514

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3721

2777 N Stemmons Fwy, Suite 200
Phone: (214) 267-6920

1234 Market St, Suite 340
Phone: (215) 717-1000

Fax: (972) 755-3705

Fax: (215) 253-8001

E-mail:

[email protected]

Denver Regional Census Center

Seattle Regional Census Center

Denver, CO 80235

Bothell, WA 98011

Fax: (720) 962-4606

Fax (425) 908-3020

TTY: (214) 655-5363
[email protected]
6950 W Jefferson Ave, Suite 250
Phone: (720) 475-3600
E-mail:

[email protected]

E-mail:

19820 North Creek Pkwy, Suite 100
Phone: (425) 908-3010
E-mail:

[email protected]

Appendix 4 – Data Dictionary
-County and Equivalent Areas ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

COUNTYNS

String

ANSI feature code for the county or equivalent feature

NAMELSAD

100

String

Name with translated LSAD code

LSAD

String

Legal/Statistical Area Description code

FUNCSTAT

String

Functional status

CLASSFP

String

FIPS 55 class code describing an entity

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of area update

EFF_DATE

Date

Effective date or vintage

DOCU

120

String

Supporting documentation

FORM_ID

String

Record ID (MTPS / Web BAS only)

AREA

Double

Area of update

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

NAME

100

String

Entity name

VINTAGE

String

Vintage of the data

ATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

COUSUBFP

String

FIPS 55 county subdivision code

NAMELSAD

100

String

Name with translated LSAD

COUSUBNS

String

ANSI feature code for the county subdivision

LSAD

String

Legal/Statistical Area Description

FUNCSTAT

String

Functional status

CLASSFP

String

FIPS 55 class code describing an entity

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of area update

EFF_DATE

Date

Effective date or vintage

DOCU

120

String

Supporting documentation

FORM_ID

String

Record ID (MTPS and Web BAS only)

AREA

Double

Area of update

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

NAME

100

String

Entity name

VINTAGE

String

Vintage of the data

-County Subdivisions Shapefile-

-Incorporated Place ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD
STATEFP

LENGTH
2

TYPE
String

DESCRIPTION
FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

PLACEFP

String

FIPS 55 place code

NAMELSAD

100

String

Name with translated LSAD

PLACENS

String

ANSI feature code for the place

LSAD

String

Legal / Statistical Area Description

FUNCSTAT

String

Functional status

CLASSFP

String

FIPS 55 class code describing and entity

PARTFLG

String

Indicates if only part of a feature is represented

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of area update

EFF_DATE

Date

Effective date or vintage

DOCU

120

String

Supporting documentation

FORM_ID

String

Record ID (MTPS and WebBAS only)

AREA

Double

Area of update

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

NAME

100

String

Entity name

VINTAGE

String

Vintage of the data

-Consolidated City ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

CONCITYFP

String

FIPS 55 place code

NAMELSAD

100

String

Name with translated LSAD

PLACENS

String

ANSI feature code for the place

LSAD

String

Legal/Statistical Area Description

FUNCSTAT

String

Functional status

CLASSFP

String

FIPS 55 class code describing an entity

PARTFLG

String

Indicates if only part of a feature is represented

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of area update

EFF_DATE

Date

Effective date or vintage

DOCU

120

String

Supporting documentation

FORM_ID

String

Record ID (MTPS and Web BAS only)

AREA

Double

Acreage of update

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

NAME

100

String

Entity name

VINTAGE

String

Vintage of the data

-Edges ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

TLID

Double

Permanent edge ID

TFIDL

Double

Permanent face ID (left)

TFIDR

Double

Permanent face ID (right)

MTFCC

String

MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code

FIDELITY

String

FULLNAME

String

SMID

String

BBSPFLG

String

CBBFLG

String

2010_BBSP

String

New BBSP flag

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of linear feature update

LTOADD

String

Left To address

RTOADD

String

Right To address

LFROMADD

String

Left From address

RFROMADD

String

Right From address

ZIPL

String

Left zip code

ZIPR

String

Right zip code

Indication to a respondent when their entity boundary has
changed through spatial enhancement
Decoded feature name with abbreviated qualifier, direction,
and feature type
Spatial Tmeta ID
Redistricting data project participant’s submitted request of
an EDGE for selection as a block boundary
Indicates the status of an EDGE for a selection as a block
boundary

-Area Landmark ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS State Code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS County Code

MTFCC

String

MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code

FULLNAME

120

String

Area landmark name

AREAID

String

Object ID

ANSICODE

String

ANSI code for area landmarks

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of area landmark update

EFF_DATE

Date

Effective date or vintage

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

BAG

String

Block area grouping

-Hydro Area ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

ANSICODE

String

ANSI code for hydrography area

MTFCC

String

MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code

FULLNAME

120

String

Hydro landmark name

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of hydro area update

HYDROID

String

Object ID

RELATE

120

String

Relationship description

-Point Landmark ShapefileATTRIBUTE FIELD

LENGTH

TYPE

DESCRIPTION

STATEFP

String

FIPS state code

COUNTYFP

String

FIPS county code

POINTID

String

Object ID

MTFCC

String

MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code

FULLNAME

120

String

Point landmark name

CHNG_TYPE

String

Type of point landmark update

Appendix 5: 2010 Digital BAS – Example Process
Note: This example uses an incorporated place participant as the subject. A county reporting for incorporated places may use the
same process.

1. Opening Census Bureau Shapefiles
Enclosed with your Digital BAS Materials should be a ZIP file with all of the necessary
shapefiles as well as a PDF copy of this 2010 Digital BAS Respondent Guide. Use these
materials to create your Digital BAS submission for 2010. If any questions arise please do
not hesitate to contact the Census Bureau at 1-800-972-5651.


Open the CD, copy the data to your hard drive/serve, and unzip the data to ensure that
the correct data has been sent to your entity. For an incorporated place both the
incorporated place and edges layers are critical: bas_2010_place_.shp and
bas_2010_edges_.shp. You should have a set of shapefiles for your
county(ies), as well as all adjacent counties.

Note: represents the two-digit state code and three-digit county code.


We suggest that you make an extra copy of the data in case a file becomes corrupted,
an error is made, etc.

2. Symbolizing Layers in ArcGIS
To most effectively create change polygons it is good to have symbolization that easily
distinguishes between different types of linear features and geographic areas.
Symbolizing linear features in the edges layer:


Using the Layer Properties for the Edges layer symbolize the linear features by
grouping like MTFCC codes (i.e. codes sharing the same first character).



Table A5.2.1 will show you which MTFCC types should be grouped and their
recommended symbolization.
MTFCC 1st Character…

Linear Feature Type

Hydrology

Non-Visible Feature (boundary)

Railroad

Road
Table A5.2.1

Symbolizing geographic areas:
38

Symbol



Symbolize the place layer using Fill Color of RGB (255,235,190) with no outline.

Note: If you are a county participant with many adjacent incorporated places you may
want to use different colors to distinguish one place from another.


Example A5.2.2 depicts how the incorporated place layer and the edges layer would
look after they are symbolized as described above.

Example A5.2.2

3. Creating and Splitting Lines
Not all linear features that are needed to create change polygons will necessarily exist in the
MAF/TIGER database. Therefore it will likely be necessary to create and split lines to form
your changes. The existing and newly created linear features will be selected to form and
create the boundary changes which will be submitted to the Census Bureau.
Creating new linear features


Table of Contents >> Selection

Uncheck the incorporated place layer so that the only layer that can be selected while
editing is the edges layer.



Activate Editor Toolbar >> Start Editing



Task should be set to Create New Feature and Target should be set to the edges layer
(bas_2010_edges_.shp)



Editor >> Snapping…

Vertex, Edge, and End should be checked for the edges layer. Using snapping will ensure
that newly created lines will be coincident with linear features currently in MAF/TIGER.


Create new linear features using the Sketch tool



On the Editor Toolbar select the Attributes button
into the MTFCC attribute field

and enter the code “P0001”

An MTFCC must be added to each new linear feature so that it is displayed on the map if
you have symbolized your linear features as suggested above. Use “P0001” as the
default non-visible feature value. (Note: If you wish to submit linear feature changes it is
best to create those in a separate process. It is not necessary to submit changes for nonvisible boundaries to the Census Bureau.)
Reminder! Click Editor >> Save Edits often so that work is not lost.
Splitting linear features


Activate Editor Toolbar >> Start Editing

If you are continuing on from creating new linear features this step will have already
been completed. Check to see that the Task, Target, and Snapping match what was
selected above.


Select a linear feature that needs to be split using the Edit Tool
Toolbar

on the Editor



Click the Split Line tool
after the line that should be split is selected. Click in the
location where you wish to split the line.

Examples A5.3.1 and A5.3.2 display why it may be necessary to split lines when creating
change polygons. In Example A5.3.1 the intended boundary change is indicated with
grey hatching. However, you can see that when selecting lines to form the boundary
change, additional linear features are selected. Example A5.3.2 shows where two
existing MAF/TIGER linear features can be split to create the desired boundary change.


Click Editor >> Save Edits after all linear feature updates have been made

Example A5.3.1

Example A5.3.2

4. Selecting Lines and Creating Change Polygons
After creating and splitting any necessary linear features, those features can be selected to
form change polygons. Each change polygon must be created and coded separately. The
steps below show how any type of boundary change polygon can be created.
Creating change polygons


Activate the Editor Toolbar >> Start Editing

Verify that the edges layer is the only selectable layer in the Table of Contents


Select the linear features that comprise the boundary of a change polygon (i.e. an
annexation, deannexation, or incorrect area) using the Edit Tool by holding the Shift
key while selecting each linear feature segment



Activate the Topology Toolbar



In the Editor Toolbar switch the Target from the edges layer to the incorporated place
layer

In order to create change polygons using the linear features which have been selected the
Target in the Editor Toolbar must be switched to the incorporated place layer. Then
using the Topology Toolbar and the Construct Features tool, change polygons can easily
be created.


With all linear features that compose a single boundary change selected, click the
Construct Features



tool on the Topology Toolbar

Click OK on the Construct Features dialog box. The default Cluster Tolerance can
be accepted

The polygon will become part of the incorporated place; however, it will not have any
attribute values associated with it. Example A5.4.1 displays the selected linear features
for the boundary change. In Example A5.4.2 you can see how the desired boundary
change is created from the selected lines and the construct features tool.

Example A5.4.1

Example A5.4.2

The next section will describe how to appropriately attribute each boundary change.
5. Attributing Change Polygons
After each change polygon has been created, it must be correctly attributed so that the
boundaries can be appropriately updated in the MAF/TIGER database. You may also elect
to update the attributes for each change polygon after you have created all of your boundary
changes. The following steps will explain how to correctly attribute each type of boundary
change. The tables in section 5.3 in the guide indicate the attributes that are required for each
type of boundary change.
Annexations


Table of Contents >> Selection

Check the incorporated place layer. This will enable you to select the change polygons
that you have created. The edges layer can remain checked, or unchecked, however you
prefer.


Using the Edit Tool button select the annexation polygon that you have created



With the annexation polygon selected click the Attributes
Toolbar



When the Edit Attributes dialog box appears fill out the mandatory fields required for
an annexation. These include: NAME, CHNG_TYPE, DOCU and EFF_DATE

The CHNG_TYPE for an annexation is ‘A’
42

tool on the Editor

Deannexations


Table of Contents >> Selection

Check the incorporated place layer. This will enable you to select the change polygons
that you have created. The edges layer can remain checked, or unchecked, however you
prefer.


Using the Edit Tool button select the deannexation polygon that you have created



With the deannexation polygon selected click the Attributes
Toolbar



When the Edit Attributes dialog box appears fill out the mandatory fields required for
a deannexation. These include: NAME, CHNG_TYPE, DOCU and EFF_DATE

tool on the Editor

The CHNG_TYPE for a deannexation is ‘D’
Boundary Corrections


Table of Contents >> Selection

Check the incorporated place layer. This will enable you to select the change polygons
that you have created. The edges layer can remain checked, or unchecked, however you
prefer.


Using the Edit Tool button select the boundary correction polygon that you have
created



With the boundary correction polygon selected click the Attributes
Editor Toolbar



When the Edit Attributes dialog box appears fill out the mandatory fields required for
a boundary correction. These include: NAME, CHNG_TYPE, and RELATE

tool on the

The CHNG_TYPE for a boundary correction is ‘B.’ In the RELATE field enter ‘IN’ if
the boundary correction is adding area or ‘OUT’ if the boundary correction is removing
area.
Geographic Corridors


Table of Contents >> Selection

Check the incorporated place layer. This will enable you to select the change polygons
that you have created. The edges layer can remain checked, or unchecked, however you
prefer.



Using the Edit Tool button select the geographic corridor polygon that you have
created



With the geographic corridor polygon selected click the Attributes
Editor Toolbar



When the Edit Attributes dialog box appears fill out the mandatory fields required for
a geographic corridor. These include: NAME, CHNG_TYPE, and RELATE

tool on the

The CHNG_TYPE for a geographic corridor is ‘C.’ In the RELATE field enter the width
of the corridor on each side of the centerline (Left Side, Right Side) (30, 30).
6. Exporting Change Polygons
After creating and coding the change polygons you will want to export them to a separate
change polygon layer, which will be submitted to the Census Bureau. This process will need
to be completed for each level of geography (county, place, MCD) that has changes.


Main Menu >> Selection >> Select by Attributes



Layer should be set to the incorporated place layer (bas_2010_place_.shp).



Method should be set to ‘Create a new selection’.



In the Select * From * Where box an equation should be written so that each polygon
with a change type is selected. Two equations are below:

“CHNG_TYPE” < > ‘ ’
The equation above would select all polygons that have any change type (i.e. all change
polygons which you have created and coded).
“CHNG_TYPE” = ‘A’ OR “CHNG_TYPE” = ‘B’ OR… (etc.)
The equation above can be written to select each change type for polygons that were
created and coded.


Click OK

After clicking OK each change polygon that you created and coded should be highlighted
on the map and in the attribute table. You may want to open the attribute table and sort to
verify that all change polygons with a change type code were selected.



Right click the incorporated place layer >> Data >> Export Data…



Export should be set to ‘Selected features’



Select ‘this layer’s source data’ as the coordinate system to export to



Save the output shapefile to your desired location naming it according to the naming
conventions found in Section 5.7.1. (i.e. bas__changes_incplace).

Once you have exported your change polygon file you should review the file according to
Section 5.6. After you have reviewed your file please ZIP together any change polygon,
feature, and landmark layers, as well as a file with your contact information, and name
the ZIP file according to the guidelines in Section 5.7.4 (i.e. bas__return).
7. FTP the ZIP file to the Census Bureau
The ZIP file that you have created now should be FTP’ed to the Census Bureau. You will do
this using the Census Bureau’s ‘Send A File’ utility.
Using Internet Explorer navigate to http://www2.census.gov/cgi-bin/basupload
This is the ‘Send A File’ utility where you will submit your file to the Census Bureau.


Source Information (Local) >> File to Send: >> Browse…

Browse to the location where your ZIP file is stored.


Notify by Email >> Census Bureau Employee’s Email Address

In the Census Bureau Employee’s Email Address box please enter: [email protected].
Please also enter your email address in the Sender’s Email Address box so that we
may notify you when we receive the file.


Enter the Verification Code in the box provided at the bottom of the screen and click
the Upload button after you confirm that everything on the page is correct.

File Type	application/pdf
Author	cleme309
File Modified	2009-08-19
File Created	2009-08-19