1980
In New York, small towns are defined as census county divisions (CCDs) or minor civil divisions (mcds).
- Open Social Explorer. Go to TABLES (across the top). Scroll down to open the link for the 1980 census.
- Under List Geographies, click the link to "Show all Geography Types."
- Under County, select Minor Civil Division/Census County Division.
2000 and 2010
2000
A brief questionnaire is sent to every household. A longer, more detailed questionnaire is sent to 1-in-6 households.
- SF 1 -- Data is from the short list of questions asked of every household
- SF 3 -- Data is from a much longer, more detailed, list of questions asked of 1-in-6 households, e.g., sample data
Very small towns can often be found under .....County Subdivision.
Search: Social Explorer or the Census Bureau data explorer.
2010
A brief questionnaire is sent to every household. More detailed data is available from the American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is a continuous, "rolling" survey of 1-in-8 households. Data is released in 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year estimates.
- SF 1-- Data is from a short list of questions asked of every household
- ACS (American Community Data) Sample Data: ACS 1-year estimates, ACS 3-year estimates, ACS 5-year estimates
Search: Social Explorer or Census Bureau data explorer.
About the 2010 Decennial Census and the American Community Survey
Beginining in 2010, the census is very different from the earlier, decennial census.
In 2000, and a number of earlier censuses, there was a short-form that went out to every household (SF 1), and a much longer form that went out to 1-in-6 households (SF 3). Beginning in 2010, the census includes only the short-form questions. The American Community Survey was designed to replace the long-form. See: Differences Between the ACS and the Decennial Census.
"..the 2010 (and on), Census data products contain data derived from the short-form census questionnaire: age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, relationship, housing tenure (owner- and renter-occupied housing units) as opposed to more characteristics captured from the long-form in past censuses. Current data on the traditional census long-form subjects are available from the American Community Survey." [Census Bureau] See: Questions asked in the 2010 Census.
NOTE: According to the Census Bureau, beginning with the 2010 Census, data will be disseminated mainly through data.census.gov. Visit data.census.gov on the Census Bureau's website. Data will include demographic profiles, summary files of aggregated data, and reports.