Sources of Statistics for Legal Writing

The Bureau of the Census provides current and periodic survey information about the United States, published in the form of the Decennial Census (every 10 years), 5-year economic and government censuses, and the American Community Survey (demographics data collected annually). Although most Americans know the census of people, the Census Bureau provides many other resources in addition to its surveys. See links below for census programs:

• Census Bureau Programs and Surveys - a portal to the various programs of the Census Bureau
• Current Decennial Census (for historical data, see below)
  • A count of every U.S. resident on April 1 every tenth year (ending in 0).
• American Community Survey - information gathered annually about economic status, educational attainment, demographics, and more
  • List of topics covered by the ACS
• Census Bureau Economic and Business Statistics - national economic data gathered monthly, quarterly, yearly and every 5 years
• Infographics and Visualizations of demographic statistics derived from the Census Bureau products, from the serious (e.g., marriage and divorce rates) to the whimsical (e.g., holiday-themed names of American cities and towns) 

Historical Census Publications:

• The Statistical Abstract of the United States was published by the Bureau of the Census between 1878 and 2012 and provided an annual compilation of federal statistical data, across agencies. Although it is no longer published, the Statistical Abstract is still useful as a historical resource.
• The Census Bureau's catalog describes its data products, organized by year.
• Past decennial census publications from 1790 to 2010 can be found here.

Using Census Data Tools in Your Research:

• Census Bureau Data Tools - a portal to tools allowing the creation of infographics and visualizations
• Census Bureau Data Explorer - allows users to create tables and maps based upon Census data by applying filters