Software Tools

Census Mapping Tool in MIT Geodata Repository

The MIT GIS lab has loaded US Census 2000 Population and Housing detailed tables (summary file 1 and 3) into the MIT Geodata repository with an interface to make it easy to map any of this data in ArcGIS. The beta version of this tool has started with the states of Massachusetts and Louisiana with block, block group, tract and ZCTA geographies. Explore the new tool in the MIT GIS Lab or learn more about it and download it onto your laptop.

PCensus

PCensus for ArcGIS with Demographic Updates (from Claritas) integrates detailed demographic data with customizable graphing, reporting, and mapping tools. Users can define areas of interest with pre-defined census boundaries, circles, drive time, and custom boundary files. PCensus is available on the Windows computers in the MIT GIS Lab. More information about Pcensus can be found in the user guide.

GeoLytics

GeoLytics provides demographic data with built-in mapping capabilities that create thematic maps for instant spatial display of demographic information. Geolytics software contains nation-wide tract-level data from the 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses. Comparing data from different census years can be a difficult task due to changing geographic boundaries. Geolytics' Normalized Data Product line adjusts and weights the census data to account for changes in geographies making comparisons between cenus years much easier. Geolytics also provides digital access to hard to find census data dating back to 1970. Geolytics software is available on the "Census" computer in the MIT GIS Lab. A listing of Geolytics cd's available in the MIT Libraries can be found in Barton by doing an Advanced Search by Publisher = Geolytics.

Social Explorer

Social Explorer provides online tools that assist in creating visual displays and reports of demographic data in the US from decennial censuses from 1940 through the present on multiple levels including census tracts, county and nationwide. A fast and easy way to create maps and reports based on population characteristics such as age, sex, marital status, employment, education and more. A recent collaboration with the Association of Religious Data Archives adds data from over 360 collections, including data about religious trends and religious buildings and landmarks which can be mapped with data from the census.

Harvard-MIT Data Center (HMDC)

The Harvard-MIT Data Center (HMDC) is a resource for MIT affiliates to store and retrieve data. It houses data collections from ICPSR (including some numeric census data dating back to 1790), the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, and others.

US Census Bureau

• Access Tools - Interactive internet tools, census data and extraction and processing software, downloads and direct file access.


• TheDataWeb - Network of online data libraries from multiple U.S. federal agencies and individual researchers. Access to data is via DataFerrett.


• Gateway to Census2000 data - access population totals, rankings, comparisons, summaries and reports, as well as redistricting and apportionment data. Check Barton for product availability in the MIT libraries.

This page was last updated on 09/21/07