Community Information by Zip Code

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Zip Code Basics

• Zip Code Look-up (U.S. Postal Service). Search by address, city, or business name to find zip codes. If found, the appropriate ZIP+4 Code will be returned. Can also find city name by zip code. Includes a link to the Postal Service's Zip Code FAQs.
• What is a Zip Code Tabulation Area? (Census Bureau).
• MABLE/Geocorr2K: Geographic Correspondence Engine with Census 2000 Geography--Relate U.S.Counties, Zip Codes, Census Tracts, Congressional Districts, etc.
• To obtain a list of all Zip Codes within a state, county, or place (i.e. city), follow the directions provided at the end of the Census Bureau's Zip Code Statistics page.
• Some companies provide free samples of data. (They hope to inspire you to purchase their products). Examples include ZipFind and ZipCodeDownload, which offer free searches to find the distance between Zip Codes and/or Zip Codes within a certain radius of another Zip Code. Another example is Zip Codes in a County from Melissa Data.
• Cartographic Boundary Files (Census Bureau) includes downloadable boundary files for the 2000 Census 5-digit and 3-digit Zip Code Tabulation Areas.
• The ZIP Code Resources Page lists other tools and includes a discussion about problems encountered when using Zip Codes to represent geographic areas.

Information about People and Households by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

Census of Population and Housing and related demographic sources

• American Factfinder (Census Bureau) provides official Census of Population and Housing 2000 data online. (Tip: Finding Census 2000 Data by Zip Code is a useful online guide that gives explicit directions on how to use American Factfinder to get Zip Code level data). The Reference Maps section of the Census Bureau's American Factfinder allows you to create an online map showing what the Census Bureau uses for Zip Code boundaries.
• MCDC Demographic Profiles, 2000 Census (Missouri State Census Data Center). Generate a Zip Code level demographic profile based on Census 2000 sample data. The reports include a series of hyperlinks to metadata and the underlying census data that can be downloaded using the site's uexplore web utility.
• Community Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics, a print source with demographic and marketing variables.
• ZIP Code Statistics (Census Bureau). Census Bureau products that offer Zip Code level information, many of which are for sale.
• Easy Analytic Software Inc. (The Right Site). Click on the logo for Free Census 2000 reports. Many ads for the company's commercial products also appear on the site.
• Yahoo! Real Estate Neighborhood Profiles (Yahoo!) Includes demographics, cost of living, housing characteristics and selected quality of life data (climate, and indexes for air quality, crime, and culture) by Zip Code.
• ZIPskinny (ZIPSkinny.com). Provides basic demographic data from Census 2000 and comparisons with nearby Zip Codes.
• Demographics USA. ZIP Edition a print source with demographic and marketing variables.
• Quality of Life in American Neighborhoods : Levels of Affluence, Toxic Waste, and Cancer Mortality in Residential Zip Code Areas. Print source published in 1986 includes selected population data from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing by Zip Code as well as toxic waste information.

Other

• Individual Tax Statistics by Zip Code (Internal Revenue Service). Recent data is for sale; some older data is available online.
• OASDI Beneficiaries by State and ZIP Code, 2008 (Social Security Administration). Data on Social Security's retired, disabled, and survivor recipients. Site includes a link to other editions of the report.
• National Priorities Project Database includes Zip Code-level statistics on military recruits and active service in the military.
• Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice)

Sources covering California only

• Birth and Death Profiles by Zip Code (California Department of Public Health). Most recent statistics and links to more than a decade of older data.
• Rand California (Oviatt Library subscription). Includes, among other statistics:
  • Birth Statistics by Zip Code. Reports births by totals, age, education, race and fertility rates for California zip codes.
  • Death Statistics by Zip Code. Reports deaths by totals, age, gender, race and cause for California zip codes.
• State of California Megan's Law Sex Offender Locator. Searchable several ways, including by zip code.

Sources covering Los Angeles area only

• Zip Code Data Book (United Way of Greater Los Angeles). Zip Code data/estimates on demographic, household economic, and health topics for communities in Los Angeles County, including both tables and maps. Many tables are based on government data.
• United Way of Greater Los Angeles Social Reports. Series of reports, some of which include data down to the zip code level, on children, women, and ethnic groups in Los Angeles. Reports typically include statistics on a wide variety of topics, comparisons between different ethnic groups, and more. See also the agency's searchable Research Catalog, which links to other studies.
• Healthy City. Community service and policy research tool for all of Los Angeles County. Provides a large database of community resources/services and localized demographic and health data on a GIS mapping platform. Geographic level choices for data and mapping include zip code.
• MPA Market Profile Analysis: Consumer and Business Demographic Reports. Print source from Donnelley Marketing which the Oviatt library owns for Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and Orange County, California.
• Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley Virtual Library. While statistical compilations at this site generally are by community name within the San Fernando Valley, some of the data is mapped by individual Zip Code. Site includes the San Fernando Valley Almanac and Factbook.
• SFVERC Zip Code Data includes San Fernando Valley community profiles by Zip Code.

Other cities and regions in California

• San Diego Area
  • SANDAG Profile WareHouse (San Diego Association of Governments).
• Ventura County
  • Ventura County Public Health Department includes maps with zip code boundaries in some publications. An example is a 2002 map of poverty in Ventura County included in Community Health Status Report 2008 (PDF).

Sources covering other states only

• Georgia 2000 Information System offers demographic data and projections at a variety of geographic levels, including Zip Code, for the state of Georgia. Includes other southeastern states as well for some data/geographic levels.

Education Information by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

• Search for Public Schools (National Center for Education Statistics). Search by Zip Code to identify community schools, then view the data available on each school and its students.
• American Factfinder (Census Bureau). Population and housing data from Census 2000 searchable by zip code. Educational attainment and language spoken at home data is in Summary File 3 (SF3). (Tip: Finding Census 2000 Data by Zip Code is a useful online guide that gives explicit directions on how to use American Factfinder to get Zip Code level data).

Sources covering California only

• Rand California (Oviatt Library subscription). Includes the following, many of which are based on data from government sources available via the California Department of Education (but searchable at that site by school name/district rather than by Zip Code); some data series are more current than others:
  • Academic Performance Index. Introduced in California public schools in 1999, the Academic Performance Index measures the academic performance and progress of individual schools and establishes growth targets for future academic improvement. For older data, see also Public High School Performance Statistics, which reports the number of student dropouts, college attendance, courses taken and completion rates at high schools in California.
  • Enrollment Statistics. Reports the number of enrolled students at a specified grade level by district and school in California.
  • Enrollment by Ethnicity Statistics. Reports the number of enrolled students by ethnic background at a specified grade level by district and school in California.
  • English Learner Statistics. Reports the number of enrolled students with limited English proficiency by language and grade level for counties, schools, and school districts in California.
  • Summary Standardized Testing and Reporting Program Statistics.
  • Public School SAT Scores Reports SAT and ACT test scores by ethnicity and gender for schools and school districts in California.
  • School District Demographic Statistics. Reports class size, staffing, and pupil-teacher ratio for California's schools by county or Zip Code.
  • Schools Computer and Internet Access Statistics. Reports on the availability of computers and Internet access in California's schools, school districts and counties.
  • English Learner Students Redesignated as Fluent-English Proficient Statistics. Reports student transition from limited English language skills to fluent English for California's schools and school districts.
  • Fluent English Proficiency Statistics. Data on fluency in English for students in California schools.
  • Teacher Demographic Statistics. Reports number, average age, gender, degrees, and race of California teachers by county, school, and school district.

Health Information by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

• American Factfinder (Census Bureau) has official Census of Population and Housing 2000 data online. 2000 Census data provides a wealth of demographic data including poverty status (use the Summary File 3 data set), information on disability status (use the Summary File 3 data set), and Group Quarters Populations (including numbers of people in nursing homes, hospices, etc; use the Summary File 1 data set). Tip: Finding Census 2000 Data by Zip Code is a useful online guide that gives explicit directions on how to use American Factfinder to get Zip Code level data.
• Quality of Life in American Neighborhoods : Levels of Affluence , Toxic Waste, and Cancer Mortality in Residential Zip Code Areas. Print source published in 1986 includes selected population data from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing by Zip Code as well as toxic waste information.
• Locator Services:
  • Medline Plus Directories (National Library of Medicine). Many of the directories of health care providers, specialists, hospitals, etc. that this site links to include zip code access. (Those that don't offer zip code information usually offer some other type of geography-based access).
  • American Hospital Directory The Free Hospital Information section of this site allows you to search for hospitals by zip code. Provides summary statistical information about each hospital.
  • Hospital Compare (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) Compare the quality of care local hospitals provide (based on care for adult patients with certain medical conditions).
  • AMA Doctor Finder (American Medical Association). Basic professional information on virtually every licensed physician in the United States. Search for medical specialty (zip code searchable) or name.
  • Nursing Home Compare (Medicare). Detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the United States, including inspection reports, quality measures, number of beds, staffing, and type of ownership.
  • Find a Registered Dietician (American Dietetic Association).
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Resource for locating drug and alcohol abuse treatment programs. Searchable by Zip Code.
  • FDA Certified Mammography Facilities (U.S. Food and Drug Administration).
  • Eldercare Locator (Administration on Aging)

Sources covering California only

• Birth and Death Profiles by Zip Code (California Department of Public Health). Most recent statistics and links to more than a decade of older data.
• Rand California (Oviatt Library subscription). Includes the following, many of which are based on data from government sources:
  • Medi-Cal Eligibility Statistics by Managed Care Program. Reports the number of persons eligible by managed care program at the 3-digit zip code level.
  • Medi-Cal Eligibility Statistics. Reports the number of persons eligible by gender, ethnicity, age, language, and associate program participation. Beginning in 2003 the data is available only at the 3-digit zip code level rather than the 5-digit level previously available.
  • Birth Statistics by Zip Code. Reports births by totals, age, education, race and fertility rates for California zip codes.
  • Death Statistics by Zip Code. Reports deaths by totals, age, gender, race and cause for California zip codes.
  • Drug and Alcohol Use Statistics. Reports hospital records detailing the number of admissions for drug and alcohol treatment and the characteristics of persons admitted for treatment for drug and alcohol abuse at the state, county, city and zip code levels in California.

Sources covering Los Angeles area only

• Zip Code Data Book (United Way of Greater Los Angeles). Zip Code data/estimates on demographic, household economic, and health topics for communities in Los Angeles County. Includes both tables and maps.
• Healthy City. Community service and policy research tool for all of Los Angeles County. Provides a large database of community resources/services and localized demographic and health data on a GIS mapping platform. Geographic level choices for data and mapping include zip code.
• Health Data Resource Inventory (Los Angeles County).
• Perinatal Indicators (PDF; Los Angeles County) includes zip code level information (tables or maps) on live births, fetal and infant deaths, teen births, and entry into prenatal programs. For this report from other years, visit the Maternal, Child, & Adolescent Health 's Research, Evaluation, and Planning Unit Program and scroll down to the Perinatal Indicator reports.

Other cities and regions in California

• Ventura County
  • Ventura County Public Health Department. Maps included in some publications.

Environmental Information by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

• Search Your Community (Environmental Protection Agency) Environmental information searchable by Zip Code. Includes information from various sources, including the Toxics Release Inventory database (which can also be searched by Zip Code from its own site).
• Enforcement & Compliance History Online (Environmental Protection Agency)
• EnviroMapper (Environmental Protection Agency).
• TOXMAP Environmental Health e-Maps (National Library of Medicine)
• AIR Data Reports and Maps (Environmental Protection Agency). Site offers maps and charts of air pollution information; some information is by Zip Code. Much of the other information is available at the county level.
• Yahoo! Real Estate Neighborhood Profiles (Yahoo) Demographics, cost of living, housing characteristics and selected quality of life data (climate, and indexes for air quality, crime, and culture) by Zip Code.
• Quality of Life in American Neighborhoods : Levels of Affluence, Toxic Waste, and Cancer Mortality in Residential Zip Code Areas. Print source published in 1986 includes selected population data from the 1980 Census of Population and Housing by Zip Code as well as toxic waste information.
• ZIP-Code Insulation Program (U. S. Department of Energy). Recommended insulation level for your new or existing house.
• Earth's 911 (Earth 911). Recycling facilities and other community specific environmental resources.

Sources covering California only

• What Smog Check Program Area are you in? (California Bureau of Automotive Repair).

Sources covering Los Angeles only

• Los Angeles County Vector Control Districts by Zip Code (PDF)

Business Statistics by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

• Zip Code Business Patterns by NAICS (Census Bureau). Total number of establishments and number of establishments by employment-size classes by detailed industry. Data on mid-March employment, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll are summarized by ZIP Code without industry detail. Data are collected annually. See also the earlier Zip Code Business Patterns by SIC.
• Economic Census
  • ZIP Code Statistics from the Economic Census (Census Bureau). Establishments, sales, payroll, paid employees by NAICS industry.
• Census of Agriculture
  • National Agricultural Statistics Service Quick Stats includes 2007 Census of Agriculture data by Zip Code.
  • 2002 Census of Agriculture ZIP Code Tabulations of Selected Items (U.S. Department of Agriculture).
• ZIP Code Statistics (Census Bureau). Census Bureau products that offer Zip Code level information, many of which are CD-ROMs for sale. This page also includes directions on how to obtain a list of all Zip Code Tabulation areas that are within a specific city or county.
• FDIC Institutions Directory (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Look up the locations of all offices (branches) of banks or thrifts insured by the FDIC. Use the search for Offices to access by the information by zip code.
• Home Sales Information (Yahoo). Database of home sales prices. Searchable by specific address or Zip Code.
• Domania (Domania.com). Home sales information, searchable by specific address or Zip Code.
• Media Tracker (The Center for Public Integrity) enables you to find out who owns the media in your area. Searchable by zip code, though results returned are usually for a broader area.

Sources covering California only

• Rand California (Oviatt Library subscription). Includes the following:
  • Housing Foreclosure Statistics. Contains the number of housing foreclosures since 2002 (with a data archive for 1995-2002 that includes the number of foreclosures, prior price paid for properties, and period of ownership) for most California counties, cities, and zip codes.
  • Housing Prices and Transaction Statistics. Reports the number of transactions, sales prices and dimensions of residential housing for most California counties, cities and zip codes by housing category since 2002 (with a houseprice data archive for 1991-2002).

Sources covering Los Angeles area only

• MPA Market Profile Analysis: Consumer and Business Demographic Reports. Print source from Donnelley Marketing which the Oviatt library owns for Los Angeles County, Ventura County, and Orange County, California. Latest copies are on the Reference Room Business Table.
• Residential Vacancy Data (City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: distributed by the Los Angeles Housing Department).
• Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley Virtual Library. While statistical compilations at this site generally are by community name within the San Fernando Valley, some of the data is mapped by individual Zip Code. Site includes the San Fernando Valley Almanac and Factbook.

Political Information by Zip Code

Sources covering the entire United States

• Write Your Representative. Identifies Members of the United States House of Representatives by Zip Codes within their districts.

Sources covering California only

• Statewide Database ZIP Code Reports (University of California Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies). Election related studies.
• Your Legislature. Identifies Members of the California Legislature by Zip Codes within their districts.

Strategies to Find More

• Search the web sites of agencies that collect statistics. Only a core group of organizations, usually government agencies, collect, analyze and publish data at the Zip Code level on a regular basis. Once you know the organization that collects the data in which you are interested, search their web site to see if additional, especially newer, data is available or if the date of future releases is announced. A list of major federal agencies that collect statistics is available via FedStats. State and Local Governments (Library of Congress) provides convenient access to the web pages of state governments.
• Internet search engines allow searches combining Zip Code with other terms. This is particularly useful when you want to find affiliated organizations in a specific community, be they authorized repair dealerships for a company or the local branch of a membership organization. Many companies and other organizations have lists searchable by Zip Code that are available on the internet.
• Library catalogs often allow searching by key word to identify what is available at a specific library. Key word searching allows you to find "Zip Code" where it appears in a title or other searchable field. Library catalogs include print materials such as books and other formats, including online sources. Try using the Oviatt Library's Library Catalog or Other Library Catalogs.
• American Statistics Index and Statistical Reference Index are major indexes that enable you to identify statistics published in the United States. The Oviatt Library owns these in paper copy, the latest are shelved on the Business Index Table in the Reference Room. The online equivalent, the Statistical Universe database, is available at some libraries.