getCensus: Retrieve Census data from a given API

In censusapi: Retrieve Data from the Census APIs

Retrieve Census data from a given API

Description

Retrieve Census data from a given API

Usage

getCensus(
  name,
  vintage = NULL,
  key = NULL,
  vars,
  region = NULL,
  regionin = NULL,
  time = NULL,
  show_call = FALSE,
  convert_variables = TRUE,
  year = NULL,
  date = NULL,
  period = NULL,
  monthly = NULL,
  category_code = NULL,
  data_type_code = NULL,
  naics = NULL,
  pscode = NULL,
  naics2012 = NULL,
  naics2007 = NULL,
  naics2002 = NULL,
  naics1997 = NULL,
  sic = NULL,
  ...
)

Arguments

name	The programmatic name of your dataset, e.g. "timeseries/poverty/saipe" or "acs/acs5". Use listCensusApis() to see valid dataset names. Required.
vintage	Vintage (year) of dataset, e.g. 2014. Not required for timeseries APIs.
key	A Census API key, obtained at https://api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html. If you have a CENSUS_KEY or CENSUS_API_KEY stored in your .Renviron file, getCensus() will automatically use that key. Using a key is recommended but not required.
vars	List of variables to get. Required.
region	Geography to get.
regionin	Optional hierarchical geography to limit region.
time	Time period of data to get. Required for most timeseries APIs.
show_call	Display the underlying API call that was sent to the Census Bureau. Default is FALSE.
convert_variables	Convert columns that are likely numbers into numeric data. Default is TRUE. If false, all columns will be characters, which is the type returned by the Census Bureau.
year, date, period, monthly, category_code, data_type_code, naics, pscode, naics2012, naics2007, naics2002, naics1997, sic	Optional arguments used in some timeseries data APIs.
...	Other valid arguments to pass to the Census API. Note: the APIs are case sensitive.

Value

A data frame with results from the specified U.S. Census Bureau dataset.

Examples

# Get total population and median household income for Census places
# (cities, towns, villages) in a single state from the 5-year American Community Survey.
acs_simple <- getCensus(
  name = "acs/acs5",
  vintage = 2022,
  vars = c("NAME", "B01001_001E", "B19013_001E"),
  region = "place:*",
  regionin = "state:01")
head(acs_simple)

# Get all data from the B08301 variable group, "Means of Transportation to Work."
# This returns estimates as well as margins of error and annotation flags.
acs_group <- getCensus(
  name = "acs/acs5",
  vintage = 2022,
  vars = "group(B08301)",
  region = "state:*")
head(acs_group)

# Retreive 2020 Decennial Census block group data within a specific Census tract,
# using the regionin argument to precisely specify the Census tract, county,
# and state.
decennial_block_group <- getCensus(
	name = "dec/dhc",
	vintage = 2020,
	vars = c("NAME", "P1_001N"),
	region = "block group:*",
	regionin = "state:36+county:027+tract:220300")
head(decennial_block_group)

# Get poverty rates for children and for people of all ages beginning in 2000 using the
# Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates API
saipe <- getCensus(
  name = "timeseries/poverty/saipe",
  vars = c("NAME", "SAEPOVRT0_17_PT", "SAEPOVRTALL_PT"),
  region = "state:01",
  time = "from 2000")
head(saipe)

# Get the number of employees and number of establishments in the construction sector,
# NAICS2017 code 23, using the County Business Patterns API
cbp <- getCensus(
	name = "cbp",
	vintage = 2021,
	vars = c("EMP", "ESTAB", "NAICS2017_LABEL"),
	region = "county:*",
	NAICS2017 = 23)
head(cbp)

censusapi documentation built on April 3, 2025, 11:47 p.m.