How we compare
There are many ways to access Census data. Here's how CensusAPI stacks up against the alternatives.
| Feature | Census Bureau API Official government data source | Google Data Commons Knowledge graph + data integration | Geocodio Geocoding + demographic append | Commercial Demographics APIs Esri, Precisely, etc. | CensusAPI Semantic Census metrics + trends |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Semantic metric names Human-readable names like "median_income" vs raw codes like "B19013_001E" | |||||
5yr + 10yr time trends Pre-computed historical comparisons with change calculations | |||||
Derived/computed metrics Percentages, ratios, and indices calculated from raw variables | |||||
Statistical guardrails Confidence flags, MOE warnings, and data quality indicators | |||||
Transparent provenance Source tables, formulas, and methodology documented in response | |||||
Census tract support Granular neighborhood-level geography | |||||
ZCTA/ZIP support Query by ZIP code with ZCTA mapping | |||||
REST API Standard HTTP endpoints with JSON responses | |||||
Pre-computed (fast) Metrics materialized for sub-100ms responses |
vs. Census Bureau API
The Census Bureau API is the authoritative source—we use it as our upstream data source. But it's designed for data access, not application development. You get raw variables like B08301_021E, not answers like "13.3% work from home."
Census API requires you to:
- • Know which of 1,400+ tables has your variable
- • Decode cryptic variable codes
- • Pull multiple years and compute changes
- • Handle margins of error manually
- • Build and maintain transformation logic
CensusAPI gives you:
- • Semantic metric names
- • Pre-computed derived values
- • Built-in 5yr and 10yr trends
- • Confidence assessments
- • Documented formulas and provenance
vs. Google Data Commons
Data Commons is impressive—a knowledge graph that links Census data with other sources (WHO, World Bank, etc.). It's great for research and exploration. But it's not optimized for building applications that need fast, insight-ready metrics.
Key differences:
- Scope: Data Commons integrates many datasets. We focus specifically on making Census/ACS data usable.
- Trends: We pre-compute 5yr and 10yr changes. Data Commons requires you to fetch multiple years and compute.
- Guardrails: We flag low-confidence estimates. Data Commons doesn't provide statistical guidance.
- Performance: Our metrics are pre-materialized for sub-100ms responses.
vs. Geocodio
Geocodio is excellent at what it does: geocoding addresses and appending demographic data to those points. If you need "what's the median income at this address?"—Geocodio is great.
Where CensusAPI differs:
- Time dimension: Geocodio returns current snapshots. We include historical trends and computed changes.
- Geography-first: We're optimized for "tell me about this ZIP/county/tract" queries, not address-based enrichment.
- Depth: We expose the full metric registry with provenance and methodology documentation.
vs. Commercial Demographics APIs
Companies like Esri and Precisely offer polished demographic APIs. They're well-documented, fast, and feature-rich. But they're expensive, and often blend Census data with proprietary estimates without clear methodology.
CensusAPI advantages:
- Transparent: Every response includes source tables, formulas, and methodology. No black boxes.
- Affordable: Free tier for exploration. Pro tier at a fraction of enterprise pricing.
- Focused: We do one thing well: Census/ACS data, made usable.
The bottom line
If you're building an application that needs demographic insights—not just raw data—CensusAPI saves you weeks of work. We handle the table lookups, variable decoding, time alignment, formula computation, and quality assessment so you don't have to.