The ZCTA locale file is a table (in dBase or SAS format) of NCES locales applied to the Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) included in the Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line boundaries. It provides a way to assign NCES locales to files that include a ZIP Code but do not include other street-level address information needed to make an assignment based on point location. ZCTAs are approximations of United States Postal Service (USPS) 5-digit ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates using census blocks to present statistical data from censuses and surveys. The ZCTA locale assignments are based on NCES locale boundaries and reflect the locale that accounts for the largest areal proportion of the ZCTA. For additional information about the NCES locale criteria, see the Locale Boundaries User’s Manual. Additional information about Census ZCTAs is available at http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/zctas.html.
ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) Locale Assignments File Documentation (354 KB)
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ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) Locale Assignments File Documentation, 2017 (411 KB)
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ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) Locale Assignments File Documentation, 2016 (409 KB)