U.S. Census Bureau

Link to Census 2000 Gateway

Sorting Geographic Areas by Congressional Districts


These instructions may be used to sort geographic area information by congressional district in the following TEXT tables:

These tables have 3 columns of data:

These tables have 2 columns of data:

Instructions for sorting tables with two or three columns of data:

I. Importing the File:

  1. Save the TEXT file from the Internet as a text file.
  2. Open in Excel (or a similar program that works well with databases).
  3. Use the Text Import Wizard that pops up and specify the following:
    1. On Step 1 of 3, set File Type = Fixed Width, click NEXT.
    2. On Step 2 of 3, check the data preview to make sure there are 2 or 3 columns of data (Geographic Area, CD) or (Geographic Area A, Geographic Area B, CD). If yes, click NEXT. If not, manipulate the columns following the directions provided on the Text Import Wizard, and then click NEXT.
    3. On Step 3 of 3, click on "General" over the Congressional District column. This will highlight that column. In the "Column data format" box in the upper right hand corner, click "Text" and then click FINISH.

Only complete this section when working with the CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BY CENSUS TRACTS TABLE:

You will need to associate each census tract with a county by copying the name of the county down the column to each empty cell. For example, in the Connecticut file, copy Fairfield (001) and paste to the empty cells beneath it until you reach Hartford (003). Then do the same with Hartford (003) until you reach Litchfield (005), and so forth.

II. Sorting the File:

  1. Click in the first data cell in Column A.
  2. Click on Data on the menu bar, and then Sort.
  3. Sort by Column B or C (whichever shows congressional district numbers) in ascending order. Under "My list has" the answer should be No Header Row.
  4. Click OK.

Usernote:   Please note that when sorting these text files by congressional district (CD), the records with multiple CDs will sort based on the first CD. For example:

School DistrictCD
UNION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5
WEST CARROLL PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5
WINN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5
IBERVILLE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5,6
POINTE COUPEE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5,6
EVANGELINE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 5,7
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6
EAST FELICIANA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6
LIVINGSTON PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6
SAINT HELENA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6
WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6
WEST FELICIANA PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 6

Note that IBERVILLE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD school district appears only once and it sorts based on the first CD listed. That is, it only appears sorted under CD 5. Users looking for all school districts associated with CD 6, for example, will need to scan through the sorted list looking for additional school districts in CD 6. The same thing will occur if the CD record includes a range, e.g. 5-7 (meaning the school district is in CD 5, 6, and 7).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Author: Geography Division
Created: Apr-28-2005
Last Revised: January 27, 2009 at 09:27:12 AM