ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are statistical entities developed by the
ZIP code
. Defining the extent of an area is necessary in order to tabulate census data for that area.
ZCTAs are generalized area representations of the
addresses use a given ZIP code. In assembling census statistical units to create ZCTAs, the Census Bureau took the ZIP code used by the majority of addresses in each census unit at the time the data was compiled. As a result, some addresses end up with a ZCTA code that is different from their ZIP code. ZCTAs are not developed for ZIP codes that comprise only a small number of addresses.[3]
Several ZCTAs represent ZIPs that no longer exist due to realignment by the USPS.
There are approximately 42,000 ZIP Codes and 32,000 ZCTAs. The reason that there is not one ZCTA for every ZIP Code is that only populated areas are included in the Census data, and thus ZIP Codes that only serve PO Boxes have no corresponding ZCTA.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "American Community Survey".
- ^ ZIP Code Information, U.S. Census Bureau
- ^ United States Census Bureau ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs)
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau data provided by GreatData.com". Retrieved 5 February 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2000 United States Census TIGER maps of ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.