The Next Frontier for IPUMS NHGIS: 1970 and 1980 Census Block Polygons

David Van Riper, Minnesota Population Center
Jonathan Schroeder, University of Minnesota
Tracy Kugler, University of Minnesota

Block summary tables are the most spatially precise data that the Census Bureau releases publicly, and when they are combined with boundary data, researchers have powerful flexibility to customize the scale of spatial analysis. However, there is no reliable digital source of boundary data for 1970 and 1980 blocks. To create these files, IPUMS NHGIS will build on the approach we developed for our census tract and county boundaries, editing the Census Bureau's current block boundary data and using the original papers maps as a guide. This paper will describe the process and resources we are using to generate block polygons and preview our expected release timeline.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 138. Emerging Methods: Project Reflections