Log in links for this page

MassGIS Data: 1990 U.S. Census - Block Groups

December 1995

This datalayer is the 1990 U.S. Census block group depiction of the boundaries of census block groups.

Table of Contents

Downloads

Overview

This datalayer was produced from 1992 U.S. Census enhanced TIGER/Line files for the fourteen counties of Massachusetts. This datalayer is known as the block group datalayer because it includes the boundaries of census block groups only. This datalayer does not contain the TIGER linework which define census blocks and is not suitable for address matching--such data is contained instead in the Census Block datalayer. This datalayer is intended for use in conjunction with Census Bureau data summarized at the census block group level, including matrices included in the 1990 STF-3a publication.

The layer is named CENSUS1990BLOCKGROUPS_POLY.

Production

The 1990 Census Block Group layer was created by the DEP GIS Group in ArcInfo Workstation using coverage data. The process involved concatenating matchids from the census county code, census tract, and block group number with water bodies coded as 'W', dissolving the original tiger/line coverages on the matchids and finally joining the dissolved coverages with the census STF-3A file at the Census Bureau-defined block group level. Block groups are areas which include a variable number of census blocks and are used as the summary level for much of the Census Bureau's demographic data. Block groups typically have a population of about 1,000 people.

A good amount of demographic data items from the Census Bureau's STF-3a matrices were appended to the polygon attribute tables of these coverages. Items MINPER and SCORE were also added to the polygon attribute table. MINPER, the percentage of minority population, was calculated by summing the following items: NONHISBLK, NONHISASN, NONHISIND, NONHISOTH, HISWHT,HISBLK,HISASN,HISIND and HISOTH, multiplying the value by 100 and then dividing the result by POP100. SCORE categories are based on the percentages of MINPER.

Attributes

 

 

he polygon attribute table contains the following data items:

ITEM NAME WIDTH TYPE DESCRIPTION
MATCHID-150 10 C Matchid
BLCKGR 1 C 1990 Census Block Group
TRACTBNA 6 C 1990 Census Tract
CNTY 3 C 1990 Census County Code
HU100 4 B Number of Housing Units
POP100 4 B 100-percent count of Persons
PERSONS 4 B Sample Count of Persons
HOUSEHOLDS 4 B Households
WHITES 4 B Caucasian
BLACKS 4 B African American
AMERINDS 4 B American Indian
ASIANS 4 B Asian
OTHER 4 B Other Race
HISPANICS 4 B Persons of Hispanic Origin
NONHISWHT 4 B Non-Hispanic Caucasian
NONHISBLK 4 B Non-Hispanic African American
NONHISASN 4 B Non-Hispanic Asian
NONHISIND 4 B Non-Hispanic American Indian
NONHISOTH 4 B Non-Hispanic Other Race
HISWHT 4 B Hispanic Caucasian
HISBLK 4 B Hispanic African American
HISIND 4 B Hispanic American Indian
HISASN 4 B Hispanic Asian
HISOTH 4 B Hispanic Other Race
PIHH1 4 B 1 Person in Household
PIHH2 4 B 2 People in Household
PIHH3 4 B 3 People in Household
PIHH4 4 B 4 People in Household
PIHH5 4 B 5 People in Household
PIHH6 4 B 6 People in Household
PIHH7 4 B 7 People in Household
INC<5000 4 B Income < $5000
INC<10000 4 B Income = $5000-$9999
INC<12500 4 B Income = $10000-$12499
INC<15000 4 B Income = $12500-$14999
INC<17500 4 B Income = $15000-$17499
INC<20000 4 B Income = $17500-$19999
INC<22500 4 B Income = $20000-$22499
INC<25000 4 B Income = $22500-$24999
INC<27500 4 B Income = $25000-$27499
INC<30000 4 B Income = $27500-$29999
INC<32500 4 B Income = $30000-$32499
INC<35000 4 B Income = $32500-$34999
INC<37500 4 B Income = $35000-$37499
INC<40000 4 B Income = $37500-$39999
INC<42500 4 B Income = $40000-$42499
INC<45000 4 B Income = $42500-$44999
INC<47500 4 B Income = $45000-$47499
INC<50000 4 B Income = $47500-$49999
INC<55000 4 B Income = $50000-$54999
INC<60000 4 B Income = $55000-$59999
INC<75000 4 B Income = $60000-$74999
INC<100K 4 B Income = $75000-$99999
INC<125K 4 B Income = $100000-$124999
INC<150K 4 B Income = $125000-$149999
INC>150K 4 B Income >= $150000
BLKPER 4 B African American Percentage of Total Population
WHTPER 4 B Caucasian Percentage of Total Population
INDPER 4 B American Indian Percentage of Total Population
ASNPER 4 B Asian Percentage of Total Population
OTHPER 4 B Other race Percentage of Total Population
HISPER 4 B Hispanics Percentage of Total Population
SUMRACE 4 B Summary of Five Races
PUBWAT 4 B Water from Public/Private Water Supply System
DRILLWELL 4 B Water from a Drilled Well
DUGWELL 4 B Water from a dug Well
OTHWAT 4 B Water from Some Other Sources
PUBSEW 4 B Public Sewer System
SEPTIC 4 B Septic Tanks/Cesspool
OTHSEW 4 B Other Means of Sewage Disposal
VAL<15K 4 B House Value < $15000
VAL<20K 4 B House Value = $15000-$19999
VAL<25K 4 B House Value = $20000-$24999
VAL<30K 4 B House Value = $25000-$29999
VAL<35K 4 B House Value = $30000-$34999
VAL<40K 4 B House Value = $35000-$39999
VAL<45K 4 B House Value = $40000-$44999
VAL<50K 4 B House Value = $45000-$49999
VAL<60K 4 B House Value = $50000-$59999
VAL<75K 4 B House Value = $60000-$74999
VAL<100K 4 B House Value = $75000-$99999
VAL<125K 4 B House Value = $100000-$124999
VAL<150K 4 B House Value = $125000-$149999
VAL<175K 4 B House Value = $150000-$174999
VAL<200K 4 B House Value = $175000-$199999
VAL<250K 4 B House Value = $200000-$249999
VAL<300K 4 B House Value = $250000-$299999
VAL<400K 4 B House Value = $300000-$399999
VAL<500K 4 B House Value = $400000-$499999
VAL>500K 4 B House Value >= $500000
MEDHHINC 4 B Median Household Income
MEDHHVAL 4 B Median Housing Value
MINPER 4 B Percentage of Minority Population
SCORE 1 I 0 = Percentage of Minority Pop. LE 25
2 = Percentage of Minority Pop. GT 25% and LE 50%
3 = Percentage of Minority Pop. GT 50% and LE 75%
4 = Percentage of Minority Pop. GT 75%
 
WATER 1 C 'W' = Water body

Other Census Metadata

Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

Please do not include personal or contact information.
Feedback