Downloadable Data
Finding Data


Historical datasets are out there and they're free! But...

...beware. Downloading datasets is for advanced users or the very brave of heart. If you haven't worked with large datasets and you aren't familiar with statistical software (SPSS, SAS, Stata etc.), you may find yourself a tad confused when you visit these sites. You can download and use the data in Excel, but it's not really designed for that. If you're fine, you know how to do it, you've got this stuff under your belt, well then read on...


IPUMS + NHGIS

The people to go to are the great folks at the Minnesota Population Center, run out of the University of Minnesota. They have digitized and made available A LOT of data (all free), and historical U.S. census data is at the center of it all. They've got two main projects (and corresponding websites) where you can find what you are looking for.

If you're after microdata (individual-level data), head to IPUMS where you can find 1% and 5% samples for census years 1850 through 2000. Because the census surveyed households instead of individuals from 1790 through 1840, these first six censuses are not a part of IPUMS. Be warned. This site is a little rough going for new users. You might want to start out with their User's Guide or even better their FAQs.

If you're a GIS mapper after county or state-level data, go to NHGIS. Even better, start with their “how to” manual, which is amazingly straightforward. (It uses pictures.) Another 5 letter acronym, NHGIS translates to National Historical Geographic Information System, and it has both data and boundary files, both going back to 1790. It's much more user friendly than its IPUMS sister.

DataFerrett

Let's say you're looking for datasets, but not historic ones. And let's say you're willing to download a program (free, government-made). Go ahead and try out DataFerrett.




Read On!

History of IPUMS [PDF]