About Us

The State Data Center is a unit of the State Library of Iowa. The mission of the State Data Center is to increase the availability of census data in Iowa and to help people use it. The State Data Center is an advocate for policies to improve census data about Iowa.

Our Services

To carry out our mission to the people of Iowa, the State Data Center provides:

• An official Web site of U.S. Census Bureau demographic, social, economic, and housing statistics about Iowa

• Answers to quick data requests

• Custom data tabulations

• Thematic maps

• Statistical profiles of Iowa communities and special population groups

• Consultations on appropriate uses of data

• Referrals to quality data sources

• Training on finding and using statistics about Iowa

Our Customers

The State Data Center serves everyone, including:

• State and local officials
• Libraries
• Teachers and students
• Researchers
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Journalists
• Businesses
• General public

State Data Center Cooperative Programs

State Data Center (SDC)

The State Data Center program is a federal-state cooperative program with the U.S. Census Bureau.

State Data Centers are:

• Official sources of U.S. Census Bureau demographic, social, economic, and housing statistics
• Providers of training, technical assistance, and consultation to data users
• Statewide networks of agencies that providing census expertise to local data users  

The states and the U.S. Census Bureau created the State Data Center program in 1978. A Business and Industry Data Center (BIDC) component was added in 1988. In general, the entire scope of the program is referred to as the State Data Center program. Iowa joined the State Data Center program in 1979; BIDC services were added in 1995. The State Library of Iowa has been the lead agency in Iowa since 1989.

State Data Center (SDC) Program

Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates (FSCPE)

The Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates (FSCPE):

• Prepares and reviews population estimates for states, counties, and incorporated places
• Collects state and local data used in the production of population estimates
• Develops policies on the production, methodologies, and uses of population estimates.

The states and the U.S. Census Bureau created the FSCPE in 1967, adding a Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Projections (FSCPP) later. The State Library of Iowa has been the lead agency for both programs in Iowa since 1989.

Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates (FSCPE)