Three factors usually affect the search for data from the Census Bureau: topic (e.g., population), geography (e.g., my state), and time period (e.g., most recent year). 

People usually want data on a topic for a place in a given year. Generally the larger the geographic area, the more topics and time periods you can find. The Census Bureau has extensive data at the U.S. level and substantial data for states and counties, somewhat less for cities (i.e., incorporated places). At present, we release data for the very smallest areas (census tracts, block groups, and blocks) only once a decade after we tabulate the results of the Population and Housing Census. Eventually the American Community Survey will allow the Census Bureau to release data more frequently for areas as small as census tracts.

The home page (www.census.gov) has key links (People, Business, Geography) to help you. Subjects A to Z gives you a large list of topics through which to search.  You can find the population of a state, county, or city in FedStats.

There are several resources available on our Census 2000 Gateway to help you narrow your search for Census 2000 data including the release schedules by date, geography, and subject. The American FactFinder is an easy-to-use tool for getting data on various kinds of areas from our major data sets such as Census 2000 and the 1997 Economic Census.

Don't overlook FedStats for easy access to data from the Census Bureau and other U.S. government agencies.

And, if you still need help, you can call us at the Customer Services Center at 301-763-INFO (4636) and we'll advise you.