Free Zip Code and Geo-Coded Data Sets
February 12, 2010 9:49 AM   Subscribe

What are interesting, free zip code (or geo coded) data sets that you've been able to play with?

I have a side project whereby I am playing with zip code related data and I'm interested in extending the analysis and output in new and interesting directions. I'd love to find free public information that is available on a granular zipcode / geocode level that I can then put into my growing database to conduct analysis and share with the world.

I want to download the entire data set and not do something sneaky like scrape it all.

Thanks all in advance!
posted by mtstover to Computers & Internet (4 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Free, public, and zip coded data sets? The Census data is probably where you want to start. You can view summary tables, but there's also the ability to download pretty much all of the data sets. The data can be broken down geographically into zip codes, census tracts, or even blocks.
posted by bassooner at 11:19 AM on February 12, 2010


Lately, I've been working with EPA's 2002 National Air Toxics Assessment, a database containing concentrations of a large number of air pollutants by census tract, county, and state.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 11:19 AM on February 12, 2010


Lots of stuff to go through here.
posted by look busy at 11:43 AM on February 12, 2010 [2 favorites]


That's why we built Infochimps!
Check out all the datasets just added to map IP addresses via geolocation to census demographics. Elsewhere on the site, we have the state exam scores over the past six years for every (anonymized) student in the state of Texas, grades 3-11: including demographics, school and thus zip code, and other fields. These are two examples -- there's a lot more.

I'd also check out geocommons, open street map, geonames, DBpedia and Freebase.

As you produce interesting derived datasets, please add them to the collection: for sale (we take a commission) or under an open license (we make it free for anyone in the world).
posted by mrflip at 2:13 PM on February 17, 2010


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