HOME | ABOUT US | CONTACT US
YOUR INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE
REALTOR.ORG/realtormag
.


WEB REVIEW


Demographic Information Made Easy

An official U.S. Census site lets you track state and local demographic information in a variety of formats.

Web Site: American FactFinder

URL: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet

REVIEWED BY CHRISTOPHER M. LEPORINI

What the Site Offers

American FactFinder is a new interactive database search engine provided by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides easy access to the most authoritative source for local, state, and national demographic information. The site can help you quickly find population, housing, industry, and business statistics on your area from the Census 2000 or more recent surveys and reports.You can use this site to research a market area, formulate your marketing strategy, and develop your marketing materials.

Not only does American FactFinder present great depth of information, it also presents this information in a variety of formats. The site allows you to quickly scan demographic information with maps that present Census 2000 data as broad as the nation or as focused as individual census blocks. And the site is equally helpful if you’re looking to mull over more in-depth information.

Plus you can find rankings conducted by the Census Bureau on topics such as the nation’s richest and poorest cities.

Valuable Site Features for Real Estate Professionals

  • Enter a Street Address. Using this search function, you can zero in on local Census 2000 data using a street address. Enter an address, then select whether you are searching for information on the state, county, census tract, or census block levels. The site will then present you with links to tables and maps for that geographic area. It’s the quickest way to find all demographic information available for a defined area.
  • Basic Facts. Access the Census Bureau’s most commonly requested data. Select the topic you want to explore from a pull-down menu, then view it in either table or map form. Some pertinent statistics include housing costs (i.e., value, rent, and owner costs), housing occupancy and tenure, employment and income, educational status, and commuting status in a particular area. You can find information for states, counties, cities, towns, or American Indian reservations.
  • ThematicMaps. Transform dry numbers into understandable maps. This option is available for the following surveys: Census 2000, the 1990 Census, the 1997 Economic Census, and 2001 Population Estimates. You can produce thematic maps that show breakdowns by age, race, income level, and population per square mile, among other subjects. More general information on school districts, zip codes, and census blocks are available in the Reference Maps section.
  • Census 2000 Data Sets. The U.S. government counts the Decennial Census in years ending in zero. This link provides detailed information on the information gathered on the population and housing units during the most recent census.
  • American Community Surveys and 2002 Population Estimates. These surveys fill in the gaps between the Decennial Census surveys and provide the most up-to-date population information on July 1 each year.

    ________________________
    Suggest a Site For Review
    Every week, REALTOR® Magazine Online's Web review editor surfs the Internet to find sites useful to your business and off-hours lives. Have a favorite real estate Web site that you would like to see reviewed? Send your suggestions to Chris Leporini at mediatech@realtors.org. All decisions on which sites will be reviewed are completely at the discretion of REALTOR® Magazine Online's editorial staff. Please note: this column does not review individual practitioner or brokerage sites.

    The column's focus includes free sites, as well as sites that charge for goods and services, but which still offer a free component of practical, sustained value to real estate practitioners, such as a free newsletter or regular news information.
    ________________________
    REALTOR® Magazine Online's "Web Review" summarizes the content of Web sites that may be of interest to members. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online are not responsible for, and nothing in the Web site profile shall constitute NAR's or REALTOR® Magazine Online's endorsement of, the web site, its content, products and services, or its provider. NAR and REALTOR® Magazine Online believe the information contained in this profile was correct and accurate as of the time it was prepared, but do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information and are not responsible for changes in the Web site. Members should conduct their own independent review of the Web site prior to any use of Web site, its content, products, or services to determine their suitability for the member's intended purpose.

    Back to top