The US census (or any countries census) is a fantastic source of information.
Using the US Census, you can uncover fascinating insights about communities across the country. For instance, you can find out what the top earners in each state do for a living, discover the most common languages spoken at home besides English, or learn about the average commute time for workers in different cities. You can also explore data on homeownership rates, educational attainment, and the age distribution of neighborhoods.
But because there's so much data it can be overwhelming finding what you're looking for.
There are three main ways of accessing census data:
Ready made tables on data.census.gov --> good if you're looking for something simple.
Making your own tables using the Micro Data --> good for simple things you can't find in a premade table.
Making your own tables using IPUMS --> good for more complicated or granular data.
Example 1: Finding the right data tables on data.census.gov
This video explains how to search the pre-made tables.
Example 2: Using the Micro Data Tables (MDAT)
If you can't find what you're looking for in the pre-made tables, you can make you own table using the MDAT.
Example 3: Using IPUMS
If you can't find what you're looking for in the pre-made or MDAT tables, then you can use IPUMS.