Skill1k repo starsupdated 12d ago

census-data

The census-data skill queries the US Census Bureau API to retrieve demographic, population, housing, and economic statistics organized by geography. Use it when users request information about US population counts, median household income, poverty rates, housing values, educational attainment, or other census-tracked metrics at state, county, or other geographic levels. Do not use it for international data, real-time economic indicators, or historical data predating 1790.

View source Repository: ScienceClaw

Install in Claude Code

Copy

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/beita6969/ScienceClaw /tmp/census-data && cp -r /tmp/census-data/skills/census-data ~/.claude/skills/census-data

Then start a new Claude Code session; the skill loads automatically.

Definition

SKILL.md

# US Census Data Skill

Query the US Census Bureau API for demographics, population, and economic data.

## When to Use

- "What's the population of Texas?"
- "Show demographic breakdown by county"
- "Get median household income for California"
- "Compare poverty rates across states"

## When NOT to Use

- Non-US data (use world-bank-data)
- Real-time economic data (use financial APIs)
- Historical pre-1790 data

## Setup

Get a free API key at https://api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html

```bash
export CENSUS_API_KEY=your_key_here
```

## API Base

```
https://api.census.gov/data/
```

## Common Commands

### ACS 5-Year Estimates (Most Used)

```bash
# Total population by state
curl -s "https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs5?get=NAME,B01001_001E&for=state:*&key=$CENSUS_API_KEY"

# Median household income by state
curl -s "https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs5?get=NAME,B19013_001E&for=state:*&key=$CENSUS_API_KEY"

# Population by county in California (state FIPS=06)
curl -s "https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs5?get=NAME,B01001_001E&for=county:*&in=state:06&key=$CENSUS_API_KEY"

# Poverty rate by state
curl -s "https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs5?get=NAME,B17001_001E,B17001_002E&for=state:*&key=$CENSUS_API_KEY"
```

### Decennial Census

```bash
# 2020 total population by state
curl -s "https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N&for=state:*&key=$CENSUS_API_KEY"
```

### Common Variables

| Variable | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| B01001_001E | Total population |
| B19013_001E | Median household income |
| B17001_002E | Population below poverty |
| B25077_001E | Median home value |
| B15003_022E | Bachelor's degree holders |
| B02001_002E | White alone population |

## Notes

- Free API key required for most queries
- ACS 5-year estimates are most reliable for small geographies
- FIPS codes identify states (e.g., 06=CA, 36=NY, 48=TX)
- Rate limit: 500 requests/day without key, more with key
- Variables list: https://api.census.gov/data/2022/acs/acs5/variables.html