Where do I turn to find demographic information?

Demography refers to statistical information on population characteristics, such as the number, age, gender, and race of persons in a specific location. People looking for demographics often also want information on income, educational attainment, employment and other social or economic data.

The premier source of demographic information is the U.S. Census Bureau, using their Factfinder Web site. In addition to data from the count of all U.S. residents taken every 10 years, you can find data for areas like counties and larger cities from the most recent American Community Survey, which is updated each year. For smaller areas, like zip codes or census tracts (small geographic units that larger places are divided into), only data from the 2000 census is reported.

Some libraries purchase the Community Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics published by a private data company for more current estimates. Recent estimates or projections for other smaller places are sometimes provided on local government web sites, or you can contact an affiliate of the Maryland State Data Center for advice on how to find specific data, including older data and data for neighborhoods.