Citing Census - Census Research Guide

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Search this Guide Search Census Research Guide Guide to locating statistical data as well as population schedules for a variety of U.S. Censuses. Also has links to information on censuses taken in a variety of other countries.

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How to Cite Census

According to the U.S. Census Bureau - there is "no specific style recommendation for citing information" found ontheir website or in their databases or publications. Please select the most appropriate style for your use from the list below. When the page loads, type "census" in the search box to locate specific sections of information on how to cite the census materials.

• APA Formatting and Style Guide, from Purdue University The OWL program at Purdue has some excellent instructional guides, among them this guide to APA explaining and showing examples for formatting a research paper and citation styles.
• University of Illinois Center for Writing Studies - MLA
• MLA Style Guide from Valencia Community College

APA Style

The citations below are a few specific examples using this style manual; however, it's best to consult the full and most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, which can be found at Parks Library Circulation Desk, BF76.7 .P83 2009.

Government Document:

If a document is contained within a large and complex Web site such as a government agency or university; identify the host organization and the relevant program or department. Title of publication or database should be initalics, and then date retrieved before giving the URL for the document. Precede the URL with a colon.

U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Textiles and Apparel. (2002). U.S. Total Exports in U.S.Dollars. Retrieved from http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/tqexp/htsdata.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2000). Population Profile of the United States: 2000 (Internet Release). Chapter 4. Motherhood: The Fertility of American Women, 2000. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile2000.html.

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• Last Updated: Aug 27, 2025 9:03 AM
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Login to LibApps Report a problem. Subjects: Economics, Government Information, Mathematics & Statistics, Reference, Sociology Tags: census, demographics, economic, housing, manufacturing, maps, metropolitan statistical area, micropolitan statistical areas, population, social characteristics, statistics, tracts