Description
The 2015 cartographic boundary KMLs are simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master
Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). These boundary files are
specifically designed for small-scale thematic mapping. When possible, generalization is performed with the intent to maintain the
hierarchical relationships among geographies and to maintain the alignment of geographies within a file set for a given year.
Geographic areas may not align with the same areas from another year. Some geographies are available as nation-based files while others
are available only as state-based files.
After each decennial census, the Census Bureau delineates Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) for the tabulation and dissemination of
decennial census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, American Community Survey (ACS) PUMS data, and ACS period estimates. Nesting
within states, or equivalent entities, PUMAs cover the entirety of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
PUMA delineations are subject to population, building block geography, geographic nesting, and contiguity criteria. Each PUMA is
identified by a 5-character numeric census code that may contain leading zeros and a descriptive name.
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Catalog for the 2015 State-PUMA 1:500,000 KML File | XML | The Entity and Attributes | Open resource |
| KML Files | HTML | Simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER geographic database | Open resource |
| Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles | HTML | Simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER geographic database | Open resource |