Last revised: July, 2007

Finding Federal Statistics

Scope: This is a guide to statistics produced by the U.S. federal government. It is not meant to be exhaustive, but it will expose you to the variety of sources of statistical information in the federal government. Librarians have selected many useful statistical sources for the Government Documents & Maps Reference Collection on the 4th Floor. Take a peek! For more information about statistical information, ask at the Government Documents Reference Desk.

Quick Statistics

• Statistical Abstract of the United States (Print and electronic)
  This is your first stop when looking for recent federal statistics. The Statistical Abstract is a digest of major statistics from many U.S. agencies. It includes guides to sources of statistics from the government, non-government, states and some foreign statistics, both in print and electronic versions. TIP: To use the online Statistical Abstract it is best to find the table you need by first looking in the index. Not all tables or appendices are available online.

  LOCATION: UMCP McKeldin Library, Government Documents Reference
  CALL NUMBER: C 3.134: date
  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-03.html

• American FactFinder
  Search for data from four different data sets: the 2000 Census (with limited 1990 data as well), the American Community Survey (1996 and forward), the 1997 Economic Census, and the Population Estimates of 2001 and 2002 (to supplement the 2000 Census). Users can display what they want in tables or maps (including reference or thematic maps). This website is updated frequently by the Census Bureau.

  http://factfinder.census.gov/

• County and City Databook (Print and electronic)
  This reference tool zooms in on counties and cities and provides detailed tables of Census data broken down by regions.

  LOCATION: UMCP McKeldin Library, Government Documents Su Docs
  CALL NUMBER: Su Docs C 3.134/2: C 83/2/
  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/ccdb.html

• Historical Census Browser
  Browse quick summary Census data from 1790 to 1960. Users can make their own tables (down to the county level of detail) with Census data. Note that the questions asked for each Census differs from year to year. This website was made with a grant from the National Science Foundation to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).

  http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census/

• Historical Decennial Census of Population Volumes
  View PDF files of volumes from the Census of Population for the years 1790-1890, and 1980-2000. This is an ongoing project by the Census Bureau to scan in historic documents. More decennial census years will be scanned in over time.

  http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/index.htm

• Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970
  This is your first stop when looking for historical federal statistics. It is the historical equivalent of the Statistical Abstract of the United States.

  LOCATION: UMCP McKeldin Library, Government Documents Reference
  CALL NUMBER: HA202.H57 1989 pt. 1 and 2

return to top

Guides to Federal Statistics

• American Statistics Index (ASI)
  Comprehensive annual index to U.S. federal statistical information and publications. A set of microfiche complements the ASI.

  LOCATION: UMCP McKeldin Library, Government Documents Reference
  CALL NUMBER: Z7551.A4

• Making Sense of the Census
  A University of Maryland Research Guide to finding and using information from the U.S. Census.

  http://www.lib.umd.edu/MCK/GUIDES/census.html

• FedStats
  This website is an index to federal statistical information available on the Web. Users can search for information by Topic, Map Statistics, Agencies (that produce statistics), Subject and by Statistical Collections, to name a few.

  http://www.fedstats.gov/

return to top

Frequently Requested Publications

Agricultural Statistics American Housing Survey Budget of the United States Government Bureau of Labor Statistical Publications CIA World Factbook

Defense Almanac Digest of Education Statistics Health, United States National Survey on Drug Use & Health Uniform Crime Reports

return to top