U.S. Census Bureau Geographic Support: A Response to Changing Technology and Improved Data

Abstract

The TIGER system was developed by the Geography Division of the U.S. Census Bureau to support agency censuses and surveys. The system has been crucial to meeting the demands placed on the U.S. Census Bureau. It has been widely used by the public for a large and diverse number of uses. As public uses evolved, demands evolved. In parallel, technology and spatial data collection evolved. TIGER should now support a larger purpose. This article discusses some developments of the TIGER system and presents some of the key components of TIGER modernization: improvement of positional accuracy, connection to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and improved geographic analysis.