US Census Bureau

aid: us-census-bureau
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/us-census-bureau/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
apis:
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-data-api
    name: Census Data API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Demographics
      - Statistics
      - Open Data
    humanURL: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html
    baseURL: https://api.census.gov/data
    properties:
      - url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/api-user-guide.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://api.census.gov/data.json
        type: APICatalog
      - url: https://api.census.gov/data.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: openapi/census-data-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
      - url: json-schema/census-data-row-schema.json
        type: JSONSchema
      - url: json-schema/census-dataset-metadata-schema.json
        type: JSONSchema
      - url: json-structure/census-data-row-structure.json
        type: JSONStructure
      - url: json-ld/us-census-bureau-context.jsonld
        type: JSONLD
      - url: examples/census-acs5-get-example.json
        type: Example
      - url: examples/census-discovery-list-example.json
        type: Example
      - url: rules/census-data-api-rules.yml
        type: Spectral
    description: >-
      Programmatic access to over 1,700 Census Bureau datasets including the American Community Survey (ACS), Decennial
      Census, Economic Census, Population Estimates, Annual Business Survey, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer
      Statistics, Household Pulse Survey, and more. All endpoints follow the pattern `/data/{vintage}/{dataset}` and
      return a 2D JSON array (header row + value rows). API key required via the `key` query parameter.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-microdata-api
    name: Census Microdata API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Microdata
      - Statistics
      - PUMS
    humanURL: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/microdata-api-user-guide.html
    baseURL: https://api.census.gov/data
    properties:
      - url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/microdata-api-user-guide.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: openapi/census-microdata-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
      - url: examples/census-pums-tabulate-example.json
        type: Example
    description: >-
      Tabulate and query Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) records across the American Community Survey, Current
      Population Survey, and Survey of Income and Program Participation. Supports custom tabulations across record-level
      person and household data using the same `/data/{vintage}/{dataset}` endpoint family with PUMS-specific
      `tabulate=`, `show=`, and recoding parameters.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-tigerweb-rest-services
    name: TIGERweb REST Services
    tags:
      - Government
      - Geospatial
      - GIS
      - Boundaries
      - Mapping
    humanURL: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/TIGERweb_apps.html
    baseURL: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services
    properties:
      - url: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/TIGERweb_apps.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services
        type: Portal
      - url: openapi/census-tigerweb-rest-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
    description: >-
      ArcGIS REST services exposing the canonical Census TIGER/Line geographic boundary layers — states, counties,
      tracts, block groups, blocks, ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, congressional districts, school districts, Public Use
      Microdata Areas, urban areas, and more. Returns GeoJSON, Esri JSON, KML, and PBF. No API key required.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-geocoder-api
    name: Census Geocoding Services API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Geocoding
      - Addresses
      - GIS
    humanURL: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/
    baseURL: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder
    properties:
      - url: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/
        type: Portal
      - url: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/Geocoding_Services_API.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: openapi/census-geocoder-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
      - url: examples/census-geocoder-onelineaddress-example.json
        type: Example
    description: >-
      Free geocoding service that turns addresses into geographic coordinates and Census geographies (state, county,
      tract, block, congressional district, school district). Supports one-line address parsing, structured address
      parsing, address batch geocoding, coordinate reverse geocoding, and benchmark selection (current, 2020, 2010). No
      API key required.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-bds-api
    name: Business Dynamics Statistics API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Economics
      - Business
      - Employment
    humanURL: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/business-dynamics.html
    baseURL: https://api.census.gov/data/timeseries/bds
    properties:
      - url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/business-dynamics.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: openapi/census-bds-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
    description: >-
      Time series API covering U.S. business establishment births, deaths, job creation, and job destruction from 1978
      to the latest reference year. Supports breakdowns by firm age, firm size, sector, state, and metro area via the
      `/data/timeseries/bds` endpoint.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-international-trade-api
    name: International Trade API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Trade
      - Economics
      - Imports
      - Exports
    humanURL: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/international-trade.html
    baseURL: https://api.census.gov/data/timeseries/intltrade
    properties:
      - url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/international-trade.html
        type: Documentation
      - url: openapi/census-international-trade-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
    description: >-
      Monthly U.S. international goods trade — imports, exports, balance of trade, port-level shipments, HS-coded
      commodity flows, country-of-origin/destination — from 2010 to present. Endpoint family
      `/data/timeseries/intltrade/{exports|imports}/{hs|porths|stateports|...}`.
  - aid: us-census-bureau:census-population-clock-api
    name: Population Clock API
    tags:
      - Government
      - Demographics
      - Real Time
    humanURL: https://www.census.gov/popclock/
    baseURL: https://www.census.gov/popclock/data
    properties:
      - url: https://www.census.gov/popclock/
        type: Portal
      - url: openapi/census-population-clock-api-openapi.yml
        type: OpenAPI
    description: >-
      JSON-feed driving the U.S. and world Population Clock — current population estimates plus estimated time intervals
      for births, deaths, and net international migration. Public, no key required.
name: US Census Bureau
tags:
  - Government
  - Federal
  - Demographics
  - Statistics
  - Economics
  - Geospatial
  - Open Data
  - Public Sector
kind: contract
image: https://kinlane-images.s3.amazonaws.com/shared/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
access: 3rd-Party
common:
  - type: Portal
    url: https://www.census.gov
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: Developer Portal
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: API User Guide
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/api-user-guide.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: Microdata API User Guide
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/microdata-api-user-guide.html
  - type: APICatalog
    name: Census Data API Discovery JSON
    url: https://api.census.gov/data.json
  - type: Documentation
    name: Census Data API Discovery Tool
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/updates/new-discovery-tool.html
  - type: SignUp
    name: Request an API Key
    url: https://api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html
  - type: SignUp
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/api-key.html
  - type: TermsOfService
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html
  - type: PrivacyPolicy
    url: https://www.census.gov/about/policies/privacy.html
  - type: Blog
    url: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/director.html
  - type: ChangeLog
    name: Developer Updates
    url: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/updates.html
  - type: GitHubOrganization
    url: https://github.com/uscensusbureau
  - type: SDK
    name: CitySDK
    url: https://github.com/uscensusbureau/citysdk
  - type: Tool
    name: Census Data API MCP Server
    url: https://github.com/uscensusbureau/us-census-bureau-data-api-mcp
  - type: Tool
    name: Census Data API Discovery
    url: https://api.census.gov/data.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: TIGER/Line Geographic Data
    url: https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-line-file.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: TIGERweb Apps
    url: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/TIGERweb_apps.html
  - type: Documentation
    name: Geocoder Services
    url: https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/
  - type: Documentation
    name: data.census.gov Search
    url: https://data.census.gov
  - type: Forum
    name: data.gov Open Data Forum
    url: https://www.data.gov/
  - type: Documentation
    name: data.gov Catalog Entry
    url: https://catalog.data.gov/organization/census-gov
  - type: Support
    name: Census Developer Support
    url: https://ask.census.gov
  - type: ContactForm
    url: https://ask.census.gov/prweb/PRServletCustom/app/ECORRAsk/YACFBFye-rFIz_FoGtyvDRUGg1Uzu5Mn*/!STANDARD
  - type: Email
    name: cnmp.developers.list@census.gov
    url: mailto:cnmp.developers.list@census.gov
  - type: License
    name: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain
    url: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
  - type: RateLimits
    url: rate-limits/us-census-bureau-rate-limits.yml
  - type: Features
    data:
      - Over 1,700 datasets exposed via a single REST API base (api.census.gov/data)
      - American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year, 1-Year Supplemental, 3-Year, and 5-Year detailed and subject tables
      - Decennial Census of Population and Housing (2000, 2010, 2020) Public Law 94-171 and DHC tables
      - Economic Census 2002-2022 with establishment, sales, payroll, employment by industry and geography
      - Population Estimates Program (PEP) — annual intercensal estimates by age, sex, race, Hispanic origin
      - Annual Business Survey (ABS) — women, minority, veteran owned business statistics
      - County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) — annual since 1986
      - Nonemployer Statistics (NES) — businesses with no paid employees
      - Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) — establishment births, deaths, job creation, destruction
      - Household Pulse Survey — near-real-time experimental data on social and economic effects
      - Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) and Job-to-Job Flows from LEHD
      - International Trade — monthly imports and exports, HS commodity codes, port-level
      - Current Population Survey (CPS) basic monthly and supplements (microdata)
      - Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) longitudinal panels
      - Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE)
      - Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE)
      - Population Clock JSON feed for real-time U.S. and world population estimates
      - Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) tabulation API for ACS, CPS, and SIPP
      - TIGERweb ArcGIS REST services — states, counties, tracts, blocks, ZCTAs, congressional districts
      - Geocoding Services API — address to coordinates and Census geographies (free, no key)
      - DCAT-compliant discovery catalog at api.census.gov/data.json
      - CitySDK JavaScript library and official Census Data API MCP server for AI assistants
      - All data released under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public domain dedication
      - Free API key with no published rate limit; one key per email; required for all data queries
    sources:
      - https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about.html
      - https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets.html
      - https://api.census.gov/data.html
      - https://api.census.gov/data.json
      - https://github.com/uscensusbureau
      - https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html
    updated: '2026-05-25'
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
position: Producing
description: >-
  The U.S. Census Bureau is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing data about the American people and
  economy. Established in 1902 and part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Bureau conducts the constitutionally
  mandated Decennial Census every ten years and dozens of ongoing surveys including the American Community Survey,
  Economic Census, Population Estimates, Current Population Survey, and Survey of Income and Program Participation. The
  Census Bureau exposes its statistics through the Census Data API (over 1,700 datasets), the Microdata API for PUMS
  tabulation, the TIGERweb geospatial REST services, and the Geocoding Services API — all free, requiring only a free
  API key for the data endpoints and released into the public domain under CC0.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: info@apievangelist.com
    X: apievangelist
    url: https://apievangelist.com
specificationVersion: '0.16'