University of Nebraska Kearney

Census STF3A:  1990 Census of Population and Housing, Summary Tape File 3 Local Sample Data (STF3A)

1.    What is it?

     A set of statistical CD-ROMs, containing data from the U.S. 1990 Census of Population and Housing. This set contains what is called "sample data," meaning that the information is based on the fifteen percent of households who received the "long form" during the 1990 census.

     There is information about people, families, households and housing units at the state, county, municipality, American Indian reservation, and other levels, down to the block group level. There are questions in such areas as ancestry, language, place of work, means of transportation, educational attainment, income, number of bedrooms, rent, and plumbing facilities. (Other sets of CD's including Block Statistics, Summary Tape File 1A and 3C have additional data.)

     The information is stored on a number of separate CD-ROMs. The library has the following discs. Data for some states takes up more than one disc. Geographic names in parentheses refer to counties. The discs are shelved in the government documents collection under the call numbers given.

  Call number: C 3. 282/2: (numbers, as below)

     :CD 90-3A-01 Alabama
     :CD 90-3A-02 Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon :CD 90-3A-03 Arizona, Utah
     :CD 90-3A-4 Arkansas
     :CD 90-3A-5/992-3 California, Los Angeles County
     :CD 90-3 A-06 California, Los Angeles-Anaheim-Riverdale CMSA (except Los Angeles County), Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, San Diego MSA, San Diego County
     :CD 90-3 A-07 California, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose CMSA, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Counties, Salinas, Seaside, Monterey MSA, and Monterey County
     :CD 90-3A-08 California, (remainder of state, except as listed above)
     :CD 90-3A-09 Colorado, New Mexico
     :CD 90-3 A-10 Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont
     :CD 90-3A-11/992-2 Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland
     :CD 90-3A-12 Florida, Alachua-Lee
     :CD 90-3A-13 Florida: Leon - Washington
     :CD 90-3A-14 Georgia
     :CD 90-3A-15 Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming
     :CD 90-3A-16 Illinois, Adams County - Cook County
     :CD 90-3A-17 Illinois, Crawford County-Macoupin County
     :CD 90-3A-18 Illinois, Madison County-Woodford County
     :CD 90-3A-19 Indiana, Adams County - Lawrence County
     :CD 90-3A-20 Indiana, Madison County - Whitley County
     :CD 90-3A-21 Iowa, Adair County - Iowa County
     :CD 90-3A-22 Iowa, Jackson County - Wright County
     :CD 90-3A-23 Kansas
     :CD 90-3A-24 Kentucky
     :CD 90-3A-25 Louisiana
     :CD 90-3A-26 Massachusetts, New Hampshire
     :CD 90-3A-27 Michigan, Alcona-Grand Traverse
     :CD 90-3A-28 Michigan, Gratiot-Midland
     :CD 90-3A-29 Michigan, Missaukee-Wexford
     :CD 90-3A-30 Minnesota, McLeod-Yellow Medicine
     :CD 90-3A-31 Minnesota, Aitkin-Lyons
     :CD 90-3A-32 Mississippi
     :CD 90-3A-33 Missouri, Adair County - Livingston County
     :CD 90-3A-34 Missouri, McDonald County - Wright County
     :CD 90-3A-35 Nebraska
     :CD 90-3A-36/992-2 New Jersey: Atlantic County-Hunterdon County
     :CD 90-3A-37/992-2 New Jersey: Mercer County-Warren County
     :CD 90-3A-38 New York: Albany County-Oneida County (except Bronx, Kings, and New York)
     :CD 90-3A-39 New York: Onondaga County-Yates County (except Queens and Richmond Counties)
     :CD 90-3A-40 New York: Bronx County, Kings County, New York County, Queens County, Richmond County
     :CD 90-3A-41 North Carolina, Alamance County - Jackson County
     :CD 90-3A-42 North Carolina, Johnston County - Yancey County
     :CD 90-3A-43 North Dakota
     :CD 90-3A-44 Ohio, Adams County - Greene County
     :CD 90-3A-45 Ohio, Guernsey County - Morgan County
     :CD 90-3A-46 Ohio, Morrow County - Wyandot County
     :CD 90-3A-47 Oklahoma
     :CD 90-3A-48 Pennsylvania, Adams County - Dauphin County
     :CD 90-3A-49 Pennsylvania, Delaware County - Perry County
     :CD 90-3A-50 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County - York County
     :CD 90-3A-51 South Carolina
     :CD 90-3A-52 South Dakota
     :CD 90-3A-53 Tennessee
     :CD 90-3A-54 Texas, Anderson County - Dimmit County
     :CD 90-3A-55 Texas, Donley County - Karnes County
     :CD 90-3A-56A Texas, Kaufman County - Reagan County
     :CD 90-3A-56B Texas, Real County - Zavala County
     :CD 90-3A-57/992-2 Virginia
     :CD 90-3A-58/992-2 Washington
     :CD 90-3A-59 West Virginia
     :CD 90-3A-60 Wisconsin, Adams County - Manitowoc County
     :CD 90-3A-61 Wisconsin, Marathon County - Wood County
     :CD 90 -3A - PR Puerto Rico

2. Who produces it?

     U.S. Commerce Department, Census Bureau.

3. Are there guides to using it?

     See: 1990 Census of Population and Housing,Summary Tape File 3A, Technical Documentation Manual:  C 3. 282/2:  990/CD/doc.

4. Is it updated?

     More specialized data sets about topics such as the aged and racial minorities was published in 1994 on CD-ROM. 

     1990 census data is online:  http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen1990.html 

     Reports from the 2000 census are also online:  http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html

5. Can the CD-ROM be checked out?

     Yes.

6. Sudoc number (discs' basic call number in Calvin T. Ryan Library):

     C 3. 282/2: CD 90-3/A-(numbers, see above)

7. Is there a paper equivalent in Calvin T. Ryan Library?

     See C 3. 223/23: 990 CPH-5-(numbers). Several series of paper documents for each state have been released. Paper reports do not have the geographic or subject detail that the CD's have.

8. Tricks:

         a. USING IT:

     The format is similar to the Census STF1A CD-ROMs. Select a geographical division and press Enter. For many users "Place" is the best choice. (A Technical Documentation Manual defines the various geographical terms.)

     Once you have arrived at a particular geographical division, you can press Enter with the cursor on "General Profile", or move the cursor to some specific topic, such as data by race, by age, etc.

     If you select "General Profile" you will have a choice of four profiles: Social Characteristics Labor Force and Commuting Income and Poverty Housing Characteristics. If you choose any category other than "General Profile", you can press B to Browse; that is, to compare information of the same type from places at the same geographical level.

b. HELP:
 

     None available on screen. A glossary of terms may be available; see bottom of screen. See manual, 3., above also.

c. PRINTING:
 

     Press P. If you want to print the data on the screen, press Enter when the cursor is over "Complete Table for This Area".

     If you want to print what you saw under Browse, move the cursor to "Single Item for Several Areas" and press Enter. Move cursor to "Print table to printer." Press Enter.

d. COPYING (DOWNLOADING):
 

     To copy in screen format: Place a portable storage device in drive. When you arrive at the data you want to download press P. If you want to copy the data on the screen, press Enter when the cursor is over "Complete Table for This Area" If you want to copy what you saw under Browse, move the cursor to "Single Item for Several Areas" and press Enter. Press Enter with cursor over "Print table to file". When the screen says: File Name C:\ erase the C:\ and type (drive letter):\smith where smith is the name you want to file the data under. Press Enter.

     To copy as data: Place a portable storage device in drive. When you arrive at the data you want to copy, press C. Follow directions on the screen.

f. GETTING OUT:

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