Research Guides: *American Studies: Census Data & Other Statistics

Historical Statistics

Statistical Abstract of the US
Statistical Abstract of the U.S. provides statistics on U.S. social and economic conditions and some international data, 1878 to 2012.

Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
Standard source for statistics on American history. Dates of coverage vary, but often from colonial times to the late 1990s across subjects including population, crime, health and more.
Finaeon (formerly Global Financial Data) (GFD) This link opens in a new window
NOTE: Need to register for an account using your Brandeis.edu email and login on GFD/Finaeon in order to use the database. Collection of financial and economic data provided in ASCII or Excel format. Data includes: long-term historical indices on stock markets; Total Return data on stocks, bonds, and bills; interest rates; exchange rates; inflation rates; bond indices; commodity indices and prices; consumer price indices; gross domestic product; individual stocks; sector indices; treasury bill yields; wholesale price indices; and unemployment rates covering over 200 countries.

Census
Provides access to census data and data from surveys such as the American Community Survey, American Housing Survey, and Annual Economic Surveys.
Historical Decennial Censuses (U.S. Census Bureau)
Selected historical decennial census population and housing counts. Covers 1790-2000.
County and City Data Books from ICPSR
Covers the years 1944-1977, 1983, and 1988, and consist of several datasets that include economic, demographic, governmental, and electoral data for diverse areas such as regions, counties, individual states, and cities
Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000
Includes questionnaires and instructions from each census.

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Create maps and reports to illustrate, analyze, and understand demography and social change. Data sets include the US Census from 1790-2010, the American Community Survey, the Religious Congregations and Membership Survey, carbon emissions data from the Vulcan Project, and more.