Users looking for population counts for intercensal years should use the population estimates. Estimates should be used if all that is need is counts of the population either in total or for subgroups based based age, sex, basic race, and basic hispanic origin. If other socio-demographic factors are part of your analysis, use a source with more socio-demographic information.

Estimates are calculated by updating the exact count of the population taken 100% count questions in the Decennial Census. The data used in the updates include: births, deaths, and domestic and international migration. The following sites serve as sources.

Historically estimates are available for the nation, states, metropolitan areas, and counties. Since 2000 data is also available for cities and towns.

• American FactFinder
  The Population Estimates Program is listed under "Detailed Data." Annual estimates are reported for county, places, and county subdivisions starting with 2001. Note for the most current year, state level data are released ahead of estimates at lower levels.


• Census Bureau's Population Estimates Web Page
  This page has current and historic data (back to pre-1980). For some years data are available by age groups and race.


• ICPSR
  From the ICPSR collection contains a selection of population estimates files, some dating to the 1970s. Search ICPSR data holdings for the phrase "population estimates" in the title field.


• Population and Housing Estimates for Areas in New York State
  Data are reported for NYS and for the counties and sub-county areas (towns, villages, cities) in the state. Some data are reported back to 1960 and some by age, sex, race, and hispanic origin.


• Population Estimates Reports by State (from the Missouri Census Data Center)
  The MCDC republish the annual estimates with an easy-to-use web menu. Data is reported by state, county, and Metropolitan/Micropolitan areas starting with the 2004 estimates. Totals are given by age, sex, hispanic origin and basic race. The format is PDF.


• Regional Economic Accounts (from BEA)
  This a link to the Bureau of Economic Analysis' interactive reporting system. Along with the economic data, population estimates (total population only) are available for states, metropolitan areas and counties. The estimates are in either table CA05 for areas other than counties and for counties in "Single Line" (then choose either table CA05N or CA05). This interface allows for downloading data across years.


• U.S. Population 1969-2003 (from National Cancer Institute)
  Annual county-level population estimates based on race categories are available for the total population, for 19 age groups, and for single year ages.


• U.S. Census Populations With Bridged Race Categories
  Race bridging is a method used to make multiple-race and single-race data collection systems sufficiently comparable. The files at this site contain population estimates by year, county, single-year of age, bridged-race, Hispanic origin, and sex for years 1990 forward. The bridged race categories used are the four race categories specified under the 1977 standards (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander).