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Geography Boundaries by
Year
Vintage of Geographic Areas for ACS Estimates
The ACS typically publishes estimates using the latest available geographic boundaries (also known as "vintages").
For ACS 5-year estimates, use the last year of the estimate period to determine the vintage. For example, the following
datasets use the same vintages of geographic boundaries:
2023 ACS 1-year estimates
2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates
To learn more about geographic concepts used in the ACS, check out our geographic handbook Geography and the
American Community Survey: What Data Users Need to Know [/programs-
surveys/acs/guidance/handbooks/geography.html] .
2020
On this page
Vintage of Geographic Areas for ACS Estimates [#vintage-of-geographic-areas-for-acs-estimates]
2020 [#2020]
Legal Areas [#legal-areas]
Statistical Areas [#statistical-areas]
You May Be Interested In [#you-may-be-interested-in]
Legal Areas
Legally defined geographic areas used in the ACS are updated on an annual basis from a variety of programs,
including: the Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) [/programs-surveys/bas.html] , the Redistricting Data Program
[/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo.html] and the School District Review Program [/programs-
surveys/sdrp.html] .
Summar
y Level
Geographic Area
040
State and State Equivalent
050
County or equivalent (Alaska boroughs, Louisiana parishes, Puerto Rico
municipios, independent cities)
Vintage of Geographic Area for 2020 ACS
Estimate Year
January 1, 2020
January 1, 2020
County Subdivision
067
Township, Minor Civil Division (MCD)/Barrio and Barrio-Pueblo
January 1, 2020
Place
160
Incorporated Place
January 1, 2020
American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Home Land
230
Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs)
250/252/25
Federal American Indian Reservation (federal AIR)
4
250/252
State American Indian Reservation (state AIR)
251
American Indian Tribal Subdivision, federal AIR
250/254
Hawaiian Home Land (HHL)
Other Legal Areas
2020 Census
January 1, 2020
2020 Census
January 1, 2020
2020 Census
500
Congressional District, Delegate District DC, Resident Commissioner District
PR
116th Congress of the United States
610/620
State Legislative Districts (Upper and Lower Chambers)
2018 Legislative Session Year
[#ftn4]
950/960/97
0
School District (Elementary, Secondary, Unified)
January 1, 2020
170
Consolidated City
January 1, 2020
Statistical Areas
For statistical areas, boundary changes are mostly associated with updates from each decennial census. Statistical
areas are designed to have stable boundaries over time.
Summar
y Level
Geographic Area
Vintage of Geographic Area for 2020 ACS Estimate
Year
050
County Equivalent (Census Areas in Alaska)
January 1, 2020
County Subdivision
060
Census County Division (CCD)
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
Place
160
Census Designated Place (CDP)/Zona Urbana and Comunidad
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
American Indian/Alaska Native/Hawaiian Home Land
250/252
Tribal Designated Statistical Area (TDSA)
2020 Census
250/252
State Designated Tribal Statistical Area (SDTSA)
2020 Census
250/252
Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area (OTSA)
2020 Census
251
256
258
American Indian Tribal Subdivision (within OTSA)
2020 Census
Tribal Tract
Tribal Block Group
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
250/252
Alaska Native Village Statistical Area (ANVSA)
2020 Census
Other Statistical Areas
310
312
350
352
400
140
150
795
860
Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area
March 6, 2020
/3 [#fn3]
Metropolitan Statistical Area/Micropolitan Statistical Area -
Principal City
March 6, 2020
/2 [#fn2] ,/3 [#fn3]
New England City and Town Area (NECTA)
March 6, 2020
New England City and Town Area - Principal City
March 6, 2020
/2 [#fn2]
Urban Area
Census Tract
Census Block Group
Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)
5-digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)
2010 Census
/4 [#fn4]
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
2020 Census
/1 [#fn1]
2010 Census
/4 [#fn4]
2010 Census
/5 [#fn5]
/1
Changes to the boundaries of legal areas may cause complementary changes to the boundaries of
selected statistical areas.
/2
While the American Community Survey (ACS) data generally reflect the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) definitions of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas; in certain instances the
names, codes, and boundaries of the principal cities shown in ACS tables may differ from the OMB
definitions due to differences in the effective dates of the geographic entities.
/3
The Census Bureau is planning on publishing the updated boundaries for this geographic summary level with the 2023 ACS
release.
/4
The Census Bureau is planning on publishing the updated boundaries for this geographic summary level with the 2022 ACS
release.
/5
The Census Bureau is planning on publishing the updated boundaries for this geographic summary level with the 2021 ACS
release.
Related Information
American Community Survey Data [/programs-surveys/acs/data.html]
Table & Geography Changes [/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/table-and-geography-changes.html]
USER NOTES
Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut for 2022 ACS [/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/user-
notes/2023-01.html]
You May Be Interested In
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Page Last Revised - August 28, 2024