Census geography, like other geographic systems, is a system of tracking and sectoring the United States. Census geography is nothing more than a series of building blocks. Just as ZIP+4 Codes constitute 5-digit ZIP Codes in postal geography, individual blocks make up groups of blocks (Block Groups) that build census tracts, and so on in census geography. However, census geography has a greater number of hierarchical levels than postal geography. These levels range from the national (i.e., the United States of America) to small-area (i.e., the size of a city block). The following is the basic census geographic hierarchy:
In 2010, the Census Bureau conducted its 202nd survey of the American population. Every housing unit in the country received questions about its sex, race, age, and housing information such as the number of rooms, value of home or monthly rent, and tenure (amount of time owned or rented).
All of the information collected including population and housing statistics, is available to you. The Census Bureau, however, reports all of this information according to its own system of census geography.