Number of Entities with Data* 1 
Level of 
Decennial Censuses 
1987 Censuses 
Resolution 
Type of Entity 
1980 2 
1990 3 
Economic 4 
Agriculture 5 
Very coarse 
global/ 
national 
Nation (the United States) 1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Regions (of the United States) 1 
4 
4 
4 
... 
studies 
Divisions (of the United States) 1 
9 
9 
9 
... 
States and statistically equivalent entities 
57 2 
57 3 
55 4 
53 5 
Coarse 
Counties and statistically equivalent entities 
3,231 
3348 
3328 6 
3,179 7 
national/ 
state 
County subdivisions and places 
59,451 
60372 E 
7387 19-13 
... 
studies 
Minor civil divisions - MCDs 
30,450 
30,410 E 
Sub-MCDs 
265 
145 
Census county divisions - CCDs 
5,512 
5,562 
... 
Unorganized territories - UTs 
274 
284 
Other statistically equivalent entities 
41 8 
40 9 
— 
... 
Incorporated places 
19,176 10 
19,425 e 10 
6,776 11 
Consolidated cities 
— 
6 
... 
Census designated places - CDPs 
3,733 10 
4,500 Eio 
44 10 
Special economic urban areas - SEUAs 
— 
— 
433 12 
Balance of MSAs 
... 
... 
34 13 
... 
American Indian/Alaska Native entities 
536 
625 E 
... 
... 
American Indian reservations 
278 
310 E 
American Indian entities with trust lands 
37 
50 E 
Tribal jurisdiction statistical areas - TJSAs 
— 
17 
— 
... 
Tribal designated statistical areas - TDSAs 
— 
19 
— 
Alaska Native villages - ANVs 
Alaska Native village 
209 
(See ANVS A) 
— 
— 
statistical areas - ANVSAs 
(See ANV) 217 
— 
Alaska Native Regional Corporations - ANRCs 12 
12 
... 
... 
Metropolitan areas/urbanized areas 
... 
... 
... 
... 
Standard metropolitan 
statistical areas - SMSAs 
Standard consolidated 
323 
... 
... 
... 
statistical areas - SCSAs 
17 
— 
— 
Metropolitan statistical areas - MSAs 
Consolidated metropolitan 
— 
267 
265 
— 
statistical areas - CMSAs 
Primary metropolitan 
— 
21 
21 
— 
statistical areas - PMSAs 
— 
73 
73 
... 
Urbanized areas - UAs 
373 
425 E 
... 
... 
Special purpose entities 
... 
... 
... 
... 
Congressional districts 
435 
435 
— 
— 
School districts 
16,075 
16,000 E 
— 
... 
Medium 
county/ 
Census tracts/block numbering areas 
47,114 
61,500 e 
... 
... 
Block groups 
258398 14 
352300 E 
... 
... 
local 
studies 
Special purpose entities 
... 
... 
— 
... 
Neighborhoods 
28,381 
40,000 E 
— 
— 
Traffic analysis zones - TAZs 
160,000 E 
200,000 E 
— 
— 
Voting districts - VTDs 
36,361 15 
90,000 e is 
— 
— 
ZIP Codes 
37,000 E 
40,000 E 
31,000 E 
31,000 E 
Fine 
Blocks 
2,545,416 16 
7,009,000 E 
- 
... 
local/ 
neighborhood 
studies 
Figure 1 - A Censel Lovers Guide to Census Bureau Data About the United States 
(The Geographic Tabulation Entities of the 1990 and Recent Censuses) 
* Numbers represent conditions as of January 1 in the census year listed except for the 1990 decennial census 
where they represent preliminary counts as of December 31, 1989; final counts of entities for the 1990 decennial 
census will not be available until early 1991. 
1-16 See Notes and Selected References section at the end of this paper for a detailed explanation of each number. 
™ Not applicable E = Estimated number 
495