Census Glossary

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Alaska Native village Represents the densely settled extent of an Alaska Native village, which is a local governmental unit in Alaska.
American Indian reservation Land that has been set aside for the use of the tribe. There are two types of American Indian reservations, federal and state. These entities are designated as colonies, communities, pueblos, ranches, rancherias, reservations, reserves, tribal towns, and villages.
Area The size, in square miles or square meters, recorded for each geographic entity.
Barrio Along with Barrio-Pueblo, the primary legal subdivision of municipios in Puerto Rico. Similar to the minor civil divisions (MCDs) used for reporting census data in 28 states of the United States.
Borough A county equivalent in Alaska, a minor civil division in New York, and an incorporated place in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Census A complete enumeration, usually of a population, but also of businesses and commercial establishments, farms, governments, and so forth.
Census (decennial) The census of population and housing, taken by the Census Bureau in years ending in 0 (zero). Article I of the Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years for the purpose of reapportioning the U.S. House of Representatives.
Census area The statistical equivalent of a county in Alaska. Census areas are delineated cooperatively by the state of Alaska and the Census Bureau for statistical purposes in the portion of Alaska not within an organized borough.  [ top of page ]
Census county division (CCD) A subdivision of a county that is a relatively permanent statistical area established cooperatively by the Census Bureau and state and local government authorities. Used for presenting decennial census statistics in those states that do not have well-defined and stable minor civil divisions that serve as local governments.
Census designated place (CDP) A statistical entity, defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population that is not within an incorporated place, but is locally identified by a name. CDPs are delineated cooperatively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau, following Census Bureau guidelines. Beginning with Census 2000 there are no size limits.
City A type of incorporated place in 49 states and the District of Columbia. In 23 states and the District of Columbia, some or all cities are not part of any Minor Civil Division (MCD), and the Census Bureau also treats these as county subdivisions, statistically equivalent to MCDs.
Commonwealth The legal designation for four states (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia), Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Census Bureau does not use this term in presenting data.
Comunidad Represents a census designated place that is not the representing governmental center of the municipio in Puerto Rico. There are no incorporated places in Puerto Rico. For Census 2000 there are no minimum population requirements. For 1990 comunidades had to have at least 1,000 people.
County and equivalent entity The primary legal subdivision of most states. In Louisiana, these subdivisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the county equivalents are boroughs, a legal subdivision, and census areas, a statistical subdivision. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada and Virginia), there are one or more cities that are independent of any county and thus constitute primary subdivisions of their states. The District of Columbia has no primary divisions, and the entire area is considered equivalent to a county for statistical purposes. In Puerto Rico, municipios are treated as county equivalents.
County subdivision A legal or statistical division of a county recognized by the Census Bureau for data presentation. The two major types of county subdivisions are census county divisions and minor civil divisions. County subdivision not defined- The name assigned to an area of unpopulated coastal water within a county that belongs to no county subdivision.
Decennial census The census of population and housing, taken by the Census Bureau in years ending in 0 (zero). Article I of the Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years for the purpose of reapportioning the U.S. House of Representatives. Title 13 of the U. S. Code provides the authorization for conducting the census in Puerto Rico and the Island Areas.  [ top of page ]
Feature Any part of the landscape, whether natural (such as a stream or ridge), man-made (such as a road or power line), that can be shown on a map.
Housing unit A house, an apartment, a mobile home or trailer, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters, or if vacant, intended for occupancy as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other individuals in the building and which have direct access from outside the building or through a common hall. For vacant units, the criteria of separateness and direct access are applied to the intended occupants whenever possible.
Incorporated place A type of governmental unit incorporated under state law as a city, town (except the New England states, New York, and Wisconsin), borough (except in Alaska and New York), or village and having legally prescribed limits, powers, and functions.
Island Areas Islands included in Census 2000 are: U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. These were formerly called outlying areas.
Minor civil division (MCD) A primary governmental and/or administrative subdivision of a county, such as a township, precinct, or magisterial district. MCDs exist in 28 states and the District of Columbia. In 20 states, all or many MCD's are general-purpose governmental units: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Most of these MCD's are legally designated as towns or townships.
Municipio Primary legal divisions of Puerto Rico. These are treated as county equivalents.
Parish A type of governmental unit that is the primary legal subdivision of Louisiana, similar to a county in other states.
Place A concentration of population either legally bounded as an incorporated place, or identified as a Census Designated Place (CDP) including comunidades and zonas urbanas in Puerto Rico. Incorporated places have legal descriptions of borough (except in Alaska and New York), city, town (except in New England, New York, and Wisconsin), or village.  [ top of page ]
Population All people, male and female, child and adult, living in a given geographic area.
Population density Total population within a geographic entity divided by the number of square miles of land area of that entity.
Reapportionment The redistribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the several states on the basis of the most recent decennial census as required by Article 1, section 2 of the Constitution. Reapportionment does not affect Puerto Rico.
Reference map A map that shows selected geographic boundaries with identifiers along with selected features of a geographic area.
State and equivalent entity The primary legal subdivision of the United States. The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) are each treated as the statistical equivalent of a state for census purposes.
Subbarrio The primary legal subdivision of the barrios-pueblo and some barrios in Puerto Rico. There is no United States equivalent.
Town A type of minor civil division in the New England states, New York, and Wisconsin and a type of incorporated place in 30 states and the Virgin Islands of the United States.
United States The 50 states and the District of Columbia.  [ top of page ]
Village A type of incorporated place in 20 states and American Samoa. The Census Bureau treats all villages in New Jersey, South Dakota, and Wisconsin and some villages in Ohio as county subdivisions.
ZIP Code A ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Code is a five-, seven-, nine-, or eleven-digit code assigned by the U.S. Postal Service to a section of a street, a collection of streets, an establishment, structure, or group of post office boxes, for the delivery of mail. The Census Bureau uses only 5-digit ZIP codes for the addresses and address ranges in most Census 2000 operations.
ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) A ZIP Code Tabulation Area is a geographic area that approximates the delivery area for a five-digit or a three-digit ZIP Code. ZCTAs do not precisely depict the area within which mail deliveries associated with that ZIP Code occur. A five-digit ZCTA ending in "HH" (e.g., "006HH") represents the water area within a three-digit ZCTA that is not associated with any mail delivery route. A five-digit ZCTA ending in "XX" (e.g., "006XX") represents the land area within a three-digit ZCTA that is not associated with any mail delivery route.
Zona Urbana Represents a census designated place that is the governmental center of each municipio in Puerto Rico. There are no incorporated places in Puerto Rico.  [ top of page ]