ParseForge
US Census Bureau Scraper
parseforge/us-census-bureau-scraper
Developer toolsOtherNews & media
Scrapes US Census Bureau data tables by keyword, dataset, year, or geography. Returns each record as a flat row with all fields. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
- Total users
- 6
- Monthly active
- 0
- Total runs
- 267
- Bookmarked
- 2
- Rating
- Not rated yet
- Last modified
- 12 days ago
Overview
US Census Bureau Scraper
Scrape US Census Bureau data tables by keyword, dataset, year, or geography. Get population, income, housing, and other official statistics in a flat, ready-to-analyze format. No API key or registration required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
The Census Bureau's official API requires a key, has rate limits, and returns deeply nested JSON that is hard to flatten. This Actor searches public Census data tables directly, filters by dataset, year, and geography, and returns each record as one clean row. It covers ACS, Decennial Census, Population Estimates, and more.
| Who uses it | What they scrape US Census Bureau for |
|---|---|
| Market researchers | Pull demographic and economic indicators for a specific geography to size a market. |
| Data journalists | Get official population, income, or housing figures for a story without manual downloads. |
| Real estate analysts | Compare census tract or ZIP code statistics to evaluate neighborhood trends. |
| Academic researchers | Collect consistent multi-year Census data for longitudinal studies. |
| Policy analysts | Retrieve small-area income and poverty estimates for program evaluation. |
What it does
This Actor collects US Census Bureau data tables by keyword, dataset, year, or geography, and returns each record as a flat row.
- 🔎 Keyword search: Enter a term like 'population' or 'income' to find matching Census tables.
- 📊 Dataset filter: Choose from ACS 1-Year, ACS 5-Year, Decennial Census, Population Estimates, and more.
- 🗓️ Year filter: Limit results to a specific vintage, such as 2021 or 2020.
- 📍 Geography filter: Select nation, state, county, tract, ZIP code, or other levels.
- 📦 Flat output: Each record is returned as a single row with all fields in one schema.
Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.
What you can do with US Census Bureau data
📈 Track demographic trends.
A market researcher runs the Actor with dataset 'ACS 5-Year Estimates' and geography 'county:*' to compare median income across counties for a site selection report.
🏘️ Analyze neighborhood data.
A real estate analyst filters by geography 'zip code tabulation area' and keyword 'housing' to pull housing characteristics for a list of ZIP codes.
📰 Fact-check with official data.
A journalist uses the Actor to retrieve the latest population estimates for a state and cites the Census Bureau in an article.
🎓 Build a research dataset.
An academic researcher collects Decennial Census data for multiple years and geographies to create a panel dataset for a study.
🏛️ Evaluate policy impact.
A policy analyst pulls Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for specific counties to assess program eligibility.
Why choose this scraper
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| No API key | Start scraping immediately without registering for a Census API key. |
| Flat schema | Every record is a simple row, no nested JSON to parse. |
| Multiple datasets | Access ACS, Decennial Census, Population Estimates, and more in one Actor. |
| Flexible filters | Combine keyword, dataset, year, and geography to narrow results. |
| Export ready | Download as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML for analysis. |
How it compares
No other Store actor targets US Census Bureau the same way, so the honest comparison is with the alternatives teams actually weigh.
| US Census Bureau Scraper | Build it in-house | By hand | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Run it now, zero config | Days of engineering | None, but hours per pull |
| When US Census Bureau changes | Maintained for you | You fix it | You re-learn the page |
| Proxies, retries, anti-bot | Built in | Your problem | Browser only |
| Output | Fixed JSON schema, CSV/Excel export | Whatever you build | Copy-paste |
| Cost | Pay per result | Engineering time | Analyst hours |
Configure the run
Drive the Actor with a search query, dataset, year, and geography. Filters run as each table is read, so only matching records reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.
A first run with the defaults:
{
"searchQuery": "population",
"maxItems": 10
}
A larger pull:
{
"searchQuery": "population",
"maxItems": 200
}
Pricing
Pay-per-result: $0.009 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.
| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $0.90 |
| 1,000 results | $9.00 |
| 10,000 results | $90.00 |
New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.
Free users
Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.
Run it
- Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
- Open the US Census Bureau Scraper.
- Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
- Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.
Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.
Use with AI agents (MCP)
Give an AI agent live access to US Census Bureau through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/us-census-bureau-scraper"
Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.
Troubleshooting
Why am I getting no results?
Your search query or filters may be too restrictive. Try a broader keyword, remove the year filter, or select a different dataset. Also check that the geography is valid for the dataset.
Why do I get an error about geography?
Some geographies require a state parameter. For example, use 'county:*' with a state filter, or specify a state code. Check the input description for details.
The run is slow or times out.
Reduce maxItems or narrow your filters. Large geographies like 'us' with many years can return a lot of data.
The output has missing fields.
Different datasets have different fields. The Actor returns all available fields for each record, but some may be empty if the dataset does not include them.
Can I get data for a specific ZIP code?
Yes, use geography 'zip code tabulation area' and provide the ZIP code. Note that not all datasets include ZIP code level data.
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Census API key? | No. This Actor accesses public Census data tables directly and does not require an API key or registration. |
| What datasets can I scrape? | You can filter by dataset, including ACS 1-Year and 5-Year Estimates, Decennial Census, Population Estimates, County Business Patterns, and more. |
| Can I filter by geography? | Yes. Choose from nation, state, county, place, tract, ZIP code tabulation area, and many other levels. Some geographies require a state parameter. |
| How do I search for a specific table? | Use the searchQuery input with a keyword like 'population' or 'income'. The Actor returns all matching tables. |
| Can I limit results by year? | Yes. Use the year input to filter by vintage, such as 2021 or 2020. |
| What format is the output? | Each record is a flat row with all fields in one schema. You can export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. |
| Is there a limit on how many records I can get? | You can set maxItems up to 1,000,000 records per run. |
| Does this Actor handle pagination? | Yes, it automatically paginates through results until maxItems is reached or no more data is available. |
| Can I get data for all states at once? | Yes. Use geography 'state' with a wildcard like 'state:*' to get data for all states. |
| What if I get no results? | Check your search query and filters. Try a broader keyword or remove the year filter. Some datasets may not have data for certain geographies. |
Related actors
Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.
🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.
⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by U.S. Census Bureau. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.
Input
| Field | Type | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| searchQuery | string | Search term to find Census tables (e.g., 'population', 'income', 'housing'). | population |
| maxItems | integer | How many census records to collect per run. | 10 |
| year | string | Filter results by year/vintage (e.g., '2021', '2020'). Optional. Recent years: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, etc. | not set |
| dataset | string (19 options) | Filter by dataset type. Common options: ACS 1-Year Estimates, ACS 5-Year Estimates, Decennial Census, etc. | not set |
| geography | string (17 options) | Filter by geography level. Note: Some geographies require state parameter. Use format like 'state:*' for all states, 'county:*' for all counties, or specific codes. | not set |
Pricing
from $6.00 per 1,000 results
| Charged for | What it is | Price each |
|---|---|---|
| Actor Start | Charged when the Actor starts running. Number of events charged depends on Actor memory (one event per GB, minimum one event). | $0.005 to $0.0075 |
| result | Single result in the default dataset. | $0.006 to $0.009 |
Tiered: the lower figure is the price on a higher Apify plan. Billing and the free credit live on Apify.
API
One POST returns the dataset directly. Same shape for every scraper in the library, so swapping the slug is the only change.
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/parseforge~us-census-bureau-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"helloWorld": 123
}' Examples
Input that runs as-is.
{
"helloWorld": 123
} Reviews
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Issues
We build and maintain this scraper, so a problem with it comes to us. Report it on the Apify listing and the thread stays attached to the scraper where the next person can find it: open an issue.
Broken and urgent, or you would rather not post in public? Write to parseforge@protonmail.com and it reaches the people who wrote it.