How can minority populations be determined for a given area?
U.S. Census data has specific definitions of minority groups and can be useful for determining minority populations. Census data is available at the census tract, census block, and block group level. Explanation of how these classifications are defined can be found in U.S. Census publications on social, economic, and housing characteristics, under “Area Classifications,” and at http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/glossary.html. The U.S. Census data also includes economic census data and TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) files, which are a digital database that can be used with mapping or Geographic Information System (GIS) software to show geographic distribution of populations and other census data. The types of data sets and resources available from the U.S. Census Bureau are summarized on their website at http://www.census.gov. Other data can supplement U.S. Census data, if it has a sound basis and gives an accurate assessment of income levels. In
