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The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program designs and develops information resources to help understand the social and spatial context of education in the United States. It uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to create custom indicators of social, economic, and housing conditions for school-age children and their parents. It also uses spatial data collected by NCES and the Census Bureau to create geographic locale indicators, school point locations, school district boundaries, and other types of data to support spatial analysis.
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Decennial Census

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts a census of the population and housing in years ending in “0” to meet the requirements of Article I of the United States. Constitution. NCES has collaborated with the U.S. Census Bureau since the 1970 Census to create custom data products that provide information about education-related populations and areas. Historically, these data primarily came from the decennial census long form. Prior to 2010, the decennial census had two components: the short form census and the long form survey. The short form collected name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, relationship, and housing tenure from every household in the United States. The long form was sent to about one in six households, and it asked additional questions related to social, economic, and household characteristics. In 2010, the decennial census was limited to the short form because of the implementation of the American Community Survey. The EDGE program provides demographic, social, economic, and housing data products for school districts from the 1990 and 2000 Census long form surveys. Those products contain detailed tables for three key population groups: the total population, school-age children, and parents of school-age children. EDGE data from the 2010 Census are basic demographic characteristics from the short form. These products are available for the nation, states, and school districts.

Decennial Census Tables

The decennial census tables provide detailed cross-tabulations of Census variables. The tables from 1990 and 2000 are based on the decennial long form survey of population and housing. Tables were made about the total population and were also iterated for child-specific and parent-specific population groups. The 2010 tables are cross tabulations of basic population characteristics for the total population using the short form questions. The data previously provided by the decennial long form can now be found from the American Community Survey – Education Tabulation.

Total Population

Data from the 2010 census contains cross tabulations for the total population based on the full population count. Data from prior decennial censuses contain detailed cross tabulations from a variety of topic areas using the decennial census long form survey. The links below contain data for the nation, states, and school districts. Additional products and geographic areas are available for the total population from the Decennial Census on the U.S. Census Bureau website.

2010  
2000*  
1990  

2000 School District Tabulation File (6.79 MB)
* 2000 Supplemental Race File and Race Info
* 2000 Redistricting File

Children

The decennial census children’s tabulations provide demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of school-age children with separate iterations based on enrollment and school type. All iterations contain data for nation, states, and school districts. The tabulation includes iterations for:

  1. All children (persons ages 0-17 and 18/19 year olds who have not graduated from high school)
  2. Children who are grade-relevant to a school district
  3. Grade-relevant children who are enrolled in school
  4. Grade-relevant children who are not enrolled in school
  5. Grade-relevant children who are enrolled in public school
  6. Grade-relevant children who are enrolled in private school
2000  

Parents

The decennial census parents' tabulations provide demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of the parents of school-age children with separate iterations based on enrollment and school type. All iterations contain data for nation, states, and school districts. The tabulation includes iterations for:

  1. All parents of children
  2. Parents of children who are grade-relevant to a school district
  3. Parents of grade-relevant children who are enrolled in school
  4. Parents of grade-relevant children who are not enrolled in school
  5. Parents of grade-relevant children who are enrolled in public school
  6. Parents of grade-relevant children who are enrolled in private school

2000