Resources for 1990 Census Data

Mapping Census Data (Previous page)

GIS Services

How to use American FactFinder
(U.S. Census Bureau)

Social Explorer (UNC Only)

Social Explorer (Free Version)

SimplyMap (UNC Only)

Amanda C. Henley
GIS Librarian
Davis Library

ESRI Data & Maps 2000 (UNC Only)
This dataset, which UNC received via the ESRI University Site License maintained by ITS, includes shapefiles of census geographic data with many 1990 Census demographic variables as attributes. The dataset is located on the campus network (maintained by ITS), isis.unc.edu (often assigned to the J: drive). Data is available at the following geography levels: State, County, Tract, and Block Group. Complete metadata for these data is also located on AFS, in the same location as the shapefiles. Census data from ESRI Data & Maps 2000 is in Geographic Coordinate System, NAD83.

• 1990 States

• 1990 Counties

• 1990 Tracts

• 1990 Block Groups

Census 2000 (and 1990) TIGER/Line Data (Free from ESRI)
Click on “Preview and Download”. Select state of interest. Select by County or Layer. Click on “Submit Selection”. Check the box next to the county(ies) of interest (there is a 20 MB download limit). Click “Proceed to Download”. Click “Download File”. This data is in Geographic Coordinate System, NAD83.
1990 Demographic attributes are not available from this site. Downloadable Layers include census geographic boundaries for 1990 and 2000 (county, tract, block group and block) as well as demographic variables from the 2000 census that can be joined to the attribute tables of boundary files. Other geographic data available for download include: American Indian/Alaska Native areas, CMSA/MSA polygons, congressional districts, roads, rivers, urban areas, designated places, key geographic locations, landmarks, hydrography, roads, rails, misc. transport, school districts, state legislative districts, traffic analysis zones, voting districts, and water.

The National Historical Geographical Information System (NHGIS) "is a project to create and freely disseminate a database incorporating all available aggregate census information for the United States between 1790 and 2000" [Source: website, accessed 04/24/06]. Tabular data and boundary files (shapefile format) are available for download.

CensusCD + Maps 1990 from GeoLytics. Extract data down to the block group. Available from Davis Research and Instructional Services - Data Services in the "By Title" CD cabinet. This product allows users to choose the variables they want, and extract them at the mapping unit they are interested in, down to the block group. Data can be exported in dbf or shapefile format. GeoLytics Products are installed on E-Docs machines 1, 2, and 3. GeoLytics' 1990 spatial data is in Geographic Coordinate System, NAD83. See our Guide to Using GeoLytics Census CD-Rom Products.
For a listing of variables available from this product, see the Variables list on the GeoLytics Website.

CensusCD Blocks 1990 from GeoLytics. Extract data down to the block level geography. Available from Davis Research and Instructional Services - Data Services, in CD cabinet number 5 (organized alphabetically by title). This product allows users to choose the variables they want, and extract them for their area of interest; variables will be provided at the block level. Data can be exported in dbf or shapefile format. GeoLytics Products are installed on E-Docs machines 1, 2, and 3. GeoLytics' 1990 spatial data is in Geographic Coordinate System, NAD83. See our Guide to Using GeoLytics Census CD-Rom Products.
For a listing of variables available from this product, see the Variables list on the GeoLytics Website.

Printed copy of the 1990 Census available in Davis Library Research and Instructional Services, row 12.

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