Ms.

Holder
GEO Tech
US Census Data

Name: Constance Fagon

Why/how is the Census important in the study of Geography?

Overview:
- Every 10 years the United States government conducts a census, or a tabulation of every citizen living in
the country. Last year the United States Census Bureau is conducted its 2010 Census count across the
country. Geographers use the Demographic Data from the results of the Census to describe the
composition and make-up of populations around the country at various scales; from national, to regional,
to state, to county, to town, and even to local neighborhoods.
Directions:
- In this exercise, you will investigate Data from the last Census to compare the population composition
of the entire United States, the state of Connecticut and your current town.
To begin:
1. Look at the categories below and brainstorm predictions.
2. HOW TO FIND NATIONAL DATA & HOW TO FIND CONNECTICUT DATA
3. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/09000.html
4. HOW TO FIND TOWN DATA
Select the pull down menu under connecticut cities. SELECT YOUR CITY.
If your town is not there select OTHER PLACES NOT LISTED. This will take you to a
new screen then select Find a city or town (place name). Click on your town in the drop
down menu. If your town is not there click on the town that is nearest to your town.
Some of the columns you my need to leave blank.
Data Category
National Data
1. Population Total 318,857,056

Connecticut Data
3,596,677

Town Data
29,044

2. Persons under
18 years old
3. White/nonHispanic
persons
4. Black persons

23.3%

21.8%

21.5%

13.0%

77.6%

54.7%

13.2%

11.3%

34.3%

5. Hispanic
persons

16.3%

13.4%

8.4%

6. Asian persons

5.3%

4.3%

4.5%

89.2%

86.0%

217,947

36.0%

$69,461

$79,528

7. High school
92.1%
graduates 25+
8. Bachelors
21,263,779
degree or higher
25+
9. Median
$53,046
Household
Income

10. Persons Below

14.5%
the Poverty
level
Discussion Questions:
1. How might geographers use this data?

10.7%

5.3%

Geographers may use this data to prove a point or support an argument that has been made.
2. List 2 areas of data which you find most surprising/interesting? Why?
I found the median household income for Windsor surprising because I wouldve thought the average
household income number would be highest in the national data but it wasnt in fact it was the lowest
and the highest in Windsor. I also was kind of surprised to see that over half of the people who live in
Windsor are white, because I didnt think there were that much white people in Windsor.
3. What areas of the data were most similar?
An area where the data was most similar is the population of people under 18 in all three category.
4. What areas of the data were different from national to state?
Areas where the data was different was the population total, the white population, bachelors degree or higher
25+ and the median household income.
5. What areas of the data were different from state to town
The areas that were different from state to town is the population total, white people, black, Hispanic people,
bachelors degree or higher 25+ and the median household income.

6. Write a brief description(paragraph) of the population composition of your town

I honestly didnt know any of this information. But I didnt think they were a lot of Hispanics or Asians.
That lived in Windsor. I didnt think that over half of the people who live in Windsor were white. 86%
percent of people in Windsor graduated from high school. The average household income in Windsor is
$79,528. 36% of people who live in Windsor has a bachelors degree. 34.3% people are black in
Windsor. The towns population is 29,044.