• Finding Demographic Information from the 1990 Census on the Census Website
  • Getting there
  • Choosing Geographic Areas(s)
  • Choosing Data Option(s)
• FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on the Census
  1. What is the difference between 100% and sample data?
  2. What does STF stand for?
  3. What sorts of data are available?
  4. Should I choose STF1 or STF3?
  5. Why is less information available for smaller areas than for larger ones?
  6. Should I use the Census website or the CD-Roms?
  7. Are maps available?
• Using Census CD-Roms

Finding Demographic Information from the 1990 Census on the Census Website

Getting there-

• Click on File, New, and select Navigator Window. (this will give you a new window, allowing you to refer back to this window with these instructions.)
• Go to URL: www.census.gov
• Click on “Access Tools” in the column of buttons at the left side.
• Under “Interactive Internet Tools”, click on “1990 Decennial Census Lookup”.
• You will need either “STF1A” or “STF3A”. (see FAQs below for explanation of what these files contain.) Generally, STF3A has more detailed statistics because it is from the census long form.
• You will be led through a series of pages to select your desired geographical area.

Choosing Geographic Area(s)

• Remember this: as you go through the pages to choose your area(s), you need to specify what you want with BOTH the radio buttons and the scrolling window below them. Your choices will determine what page of options you see next.
• Example: Choosing Census Tracts for Claremont, CA
• Click on the option for “Go to level State--County (*Tracts and Block Groups)”, click to highlight “California”, then click on the “Submit” button.
• HINT: To choose more than one option in the scrolling window, press the Shift or Control key.
• Click on the option for “Go to level State--County--Census Tract (*Block Groups) click to highlight “Los Angeles County”, then click on the “Submit” button.
• Click on the option for “Retrieve the areas you've selected below”, click on the Tract numbers that you want to retrieve, then click on the “Submit” button.
• HINT: Ask the Reference Desk Librarian for the Thomas Bros. 1990 census tract map for Los Angeles County if you’re unsure of the tract numbers you want. Or, ask for the TIGER Street Index for other areas, so you can search by street and find the census tract/block number.

Choosing Data Option(s)
• You are now presented with the “Choose a data retrieval option:” page. Select “Choose TABLES to retrieve (population, race breakdowns, etc.)” and click on “Submit”.
• The next page lists 282 data elements for Population and Housing. If you choose “Race”, be sure to also choose “Persons of Hispanic Origin” and “Hispanic Origin by Race”. (Census considers Hispanic to be an ethnicity, not a race.) Click in the check boxes at the left margin to indicate your choices.
• HINT: Do not choose more than 10-15 data elements, to avoid overloading and freezing the computer.
• Click on “Submit” at the top of the page when you’ve made your choices.
• You are now presented with the “Choose a data retrieval option:” page. Choose “HTML”. (If you want to load this data to a spreadsheet for analysis, choose “Tab-delimited format.”) Click on the “Submit” button.
• Your choices will be displayed for you.

1990 CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the difference between 100% and sample data?
   100% data is based on the responses given on both the "long" and "short" census forms. Sample data comes from the additional questions answered by the 15% of households which received the census "long" form.
2. What does STF stand for?
   It stands for Summary Tape File. STF1 is the 100% data, and STF3 is the sample data.
3. What sorts of data are available?
   100% Data (STF1)
   POPULATION:
   relationship of persons in household
   sex
   race
   age and year of birth
   marital status
   Hispanic origin
   HOUSING:
   type of housing
   number of rooms
   owned or rented
   value of home or monthly rent
   meals included in rent
   vacancy characteristics
   Sample Data (STF3)
   POPULATION:
   place of birth
   citizenship
   year of entry to U.S.
   education
   ancestry
   residence in 1985
   language spoken at home
   ability to speak English
   veteran status
   disability
   fertility
   ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
   employment/unemployment status
   place of work
   journey to work
   year last worked
   type of employment (occupation, industry, class of worker)
   income in 1989
   HOUSING:
   year moved into residence
   number of bedrooms
   plumbing facilities
   kitchen facilities
   telephone
   number of vehicles
   type of heating fuel
   source of water
   type of sewage disposal
   year residence was built
   residence part of a condominium
   residence part of a farm
   yearly costs: utilities, taxes, insurance, mortgages, other fees
4. Should I choose STF1 or STF3?
   To determine which best matches your needs, first determine:
   -What geographic level of information is desired? Do you want a national summary, an individual state, county, or smaller area?
   -What questions do you want answered? See #2 above for a broad list of data element categories.
   -For what group of people? If you have a special population in mind (the aged, for example), Special Tabulations on that group may be available. Look at the Census home page under “Special Topics A-Z”.

5. Why is less information available for smaller areas than for larger ones?
   Less data is available for smaller areas (places less than 10,000, block level, etc) because of the need to protect the privacy of individuals.

6. Should I use the Census website or the CD-Roms?
   Generally, you should use the website over the CD-Roms. Why?
   - You won’t need a librarian to load it for you.
   - You can use any computer that has web access in the library, your dorm or home.
   - You can choose more than one geographic area at a time.
   - You can see the list of data elements all on one page.
   - You can choose more than one data element at a time.
   - It’s easier to print.
   - You can email the data.
   - The data is available in one place, instead of 200+ CDs.
   When should I use the CD-Roms?
   - When the web is down.
   - A “General Profile” is available, that lists the most commonly used data elements. However, depending on the geographic area, you will still sometimes be required to list and print out the data elements one at a time.
   - Please contact a librarian for help using the CD-Roms.
7. Are maps available?
   Electronic maps can be generated on the Census website. From the “Access Tools” page, select “U.S. Gazeteer.” This tool is graphics intensive, sometimes slow to load, and needs some experimentation by the user to adjust or display boundaries, scale, etc. It is powerful, however, and by choosing a small area you can have it display densities for specified themes such as population or race.

   The Libraries also own CensusCD+Maps. It is a privately published CD-Rom, based on Census data, with custom searching and map software. It is available only in the Honnold/Mudd Search Center, accessed from the Databases by Title list.

   A third option is the Thomas Bros. Census Tract maps at the Honnold/Mudd Reference Desk. Maps are available for the counties of Los Angeles/Orange and Riverside/San Bernardino, for the 1990 Census only. They do not circulate.

   Maps can also be generated by using LANDVIEWIII, a cooperative effort between the EPA and the Census Bureau primarily for management of toxic waste sites (brownsfields). Ask at the Reference Desk, or read about it and download it (one county at a time) at http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/html-doc/lv3.htm.

   Consult the Honnold/Mudd Reference Desk Librarians for paper maps published by the Census Bureau for previous censuses, or for other areas.

Using Census CD-Roms

1990 Census CD-Roms are listed in Blais. You are encouraged to use the Census Website, or CensusCD+Maps if at all possible, since they are more recent and easier to use than the older CDs. Please consult Ruth Schooley or Mary Martin for further help in using Census CD-Roms.