ABAG's Projections 2000 by Census Tract
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Census Tracts are geographic areas defined by the Census Bureau. In heavily populated areas a Tract is smaller than a city. For example, San Francisco's Chinatown (a small area) is covered by three Tracts. In more rural areas, such as parts of eastern Alameda county, Tracts cover very large geographic areas.
What is Projections 2000 by Census Tract? ABAG released Projections 2000 in December 1999. That report includes a tremendous amount of valuable data for cities and counties in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Region. Projections 2000 by Census Tract is a separate, companion series of projections for each of the 1,382 Census Tracts in the Bay Area. Why would I want data at the Census Tract level?
Let's say you're looking to locate a small business in San Francisco. Getting data for the
whole city isn't going to do you much good. You need data for a certain part of the city.
In other words, data for a certain district or neighborhood. This is where Tract level data
is most valuable.
Perhaps you're filling out a grant application and need information on the demographic and
economic characteristics of people in your immediate vicinity. Again, Census Tract projections
are the way to go because getting data for the whole city just doesn't cut it.
If you need data for areas smaller than a whole city you have two choices. Zip code data and
Census Tract data. Both are available from the 1990 US Census online using the
Lookup Server. However, ABAG only does
projections (to the year 2020) for Census Tracts. A lot has changed since 1990, thus making ABAG's
Projections 2000 by Census Tract a valuable resource. What data are included and how is it available? Data are provided either as printouts (one Tract per page in a neatly organized table) or in MS Excel format. Please look at the sample printout which has ordering information and pricing for individual tract orders (this is in Adobe PDF format -- you need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader for this). You may wish to download the readme.txt file for definitions of the variables you'll find in the Excel file. (Print it out, or save it to your hard drive. This file is already included with orders placed through the Web.) As you will see in the sample, data are provided on Jobs (six industry sectors), Population (four categories), Income (mean household in 1995 dollars), Land Use Data (residential and commerical/industrial available and developed), and Population by Age (five age ranges). Data are available from 1990 to 2020 in five-year increments for nearly all of the statistics presented, thus giving you a forecast well into the next century! How Do I Know What Tract Numbers I Need?
You need to look at a map that shows Census Tract numbers and boundaries or have someone look
at one for you. You can order/purchase such a map from either the Census
Bureau or Thomas Bros. or visit a library near you that
has Census Tract maps (call first to make sure they have them - the MTC/ABAG Library
in the MetroCenter in Oakland has them. They are located at 101 8th Street across from the Lake Merritt BART Station and can be reached at (510) 464-7836.).
Most Census Tracts in the Bay Area have four digits (e.g., 4030). Technically, all tracts have a
decimal point and another two digits (e.g., 3423.05 or 4030.00). If the digits to the right of the decimal are "00" then it's alright to leave them off, otherwise they are needed.
San Francisco City/County Tract numbers have three digits to the left of the decimal (e.g., 123.98 or 101.00 or 101). Ordering & Pricing Information
Take a look at the order form with sample printout available online, if you haven't already done so. The sample has prices for ordering individual Census Tracts. ABAG members will receive a 20% discount off the prices shown. Ordering a whole county or the entire region will save you money (prices below).
Get the data you need immediately through our convenient, secure online ordering system. You'll be able to download the data in a MS Excel 4.0 file right
away using your VISA, MasterCard or Amex if you are ordering:
***If you wish to order individual Tracts and/or printouts (i.e., you're not ordering an entire county, the whole region, or an S.F. District) call the MTC/ABAG Library at (510) 464-7836 or call (510) 464-7966 for help identifying Tract numbers. When you're ready to place an order for individual Tracts, call (510) 464-7966.***
***Orders not placed through the Web will be assessed shipping/handling charges and additional fees apply if you order both printouts and digital data (on diskette). Large orders for printouts will be charged accordingly for increased shipping charges.***
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Order Online • Back to Projections 2000 Main Page • Back to Publications
last updated by atp 7/05/00