ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, 5-digit (ZCTA5), 2020 [Minnesota]
U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division
Full Details
- Title
- ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, 5-digit (ZCTA5), 2020 [Minnesota]
- Description
- ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are approximate area representations of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates to present statistical data for each decennial census. The Census Bureau uses tabulation blocks as the basis for defining each ZCTA. Tabulation blocks are assigned to a ZCTA based on the most frequently occurring ZIP Code for the addresses contained within that block. The most frequently occurring ZIP Code also becomes the five-digit numeric code of the ZCTA. Blocks that do not contain addresses but are surrounded by a single ZCTA (enclaves) are assigned to the surrounding ZCTA. Because the Census Bureau only uses the most frequently occurring ZIP Code to assign blocks, a ZCTA may not exist for every USPS ZIP Code. Some ZIP Codes may not have a matching ZCTA because too few addresses were associated with the specific ZIP Code or the ZIP Code was not the most frequently occurring ZIP Code within any of the blocks where it exists. Users are encouraged to refer to the U.S. Census website for more information on ZCTAs: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/zctas.html and to the U.S. Postal Service for more information on ZIP Codes: https://faq.usps.com/, To meet the demand for releasing data at the ZIP Code level, the Census Bureau developed the concept of ZIP Code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). ZCTAs are areal representations of ZIP Codes made up of groupings of census blocks, the smallest level of geography for which the Census Bureau releases statistical data. ZCTAs get around the problem that ZIP Codes do not have distinct geographic boundaries. Designed by the U.S. Postal Service for use in mail delivery, ZIP Codes represent carrier routes made up of individual addresses. A true representation of ZIP Codes would separate out individual housing units and releasing data for them would risk disclosing personally identifiable information. Data users should not use ZCTAs to identify the official USPS ZIP Code for mail delivery. The USPS makes periodic changes to ZIP Codes to support more efficient mail delivery., The Census Bureau delineates ZCTA boundaries once each decade following the decennial census. This dataset was delineated after the 2020 census.
- Creator
- U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division
- Access Rights
- Public
- Format
- Files
- Language
- English
- Date Added
- April 26, 2021
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