Using IPUMS Census Microdata for Research

Nicholas Wolf | nicholas.wolf@nyu.edu

Data Services | NYU Libraries

slides.com/nwolfdss/ipums

Using Census Data

Key data-serving census databases:

 

Spatial-Unit Focused (State, County, Tract, etc.)

Infoshare

National Historical GIS

Geolytics Neighborhood Change Database

 

Microdata (Person- and Household-Level Samples)

Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), Minnesota Population Center

 

Using Census Data

IPUMS Strengths and Caveats:

 

• Harmonized (even across years), good integrity, excellent documentation, flexible variable choices, and not aggregated

 

but...

 

• Sampled, so best when used for national-level or comparative studies (i.e. be careful about drawing conclusions about local conditions)

Using Census Data

IPUMS in Action:

Upshot Blog, "Mapping Migration in the United States," New York Times, 15 August 2014

Using Census Data

Datasets:

2010-2013 ACS 1% Sample (csv) with following variables:

YEAR                STATEFIP       MORTGAGE       HCOVANY

DATANUM      COUNTY        MORTGAG2       EMPSTAT

SERIAL             CITY               RENTGRS            EMPSTATD

HHWT              PUMA            PERNUM

REGION           GQ                 PERWT

 

2010-2013 ACS 1% Sample (SPSS)