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Regional Analysis Using Census Bureau Microdata at the Center for Economic Studies

Regional science research requires data sets with detailed geography. Dissemination of data sets with sufficient geographic specificity challenges statistical agencies in terms of protecting respondent privacy. The U.S. Census Bureau first released decennial census microdata in the 1960s. Today, public versions of largely demographic surveys enjoy widespread use but limit the geographic detail of individual observations. With business data, firm and establishment distributions are highly skewed, preventing release of public use microdata versions. To support its own statistical programs by giving external researchers access to internal versions of public use data files, the Census Bureau created the Center for Economic Studies (CES) and a national network of Research Data Centers (RDCs). This model permits researchers access to confidential economic and demographic data under secure, controlled conditions. This article describes the CES-RDC enterprise, provides descriptions of available data sets and their spatial identifiers, and outlines issues and challenges facing the RDC network.