It depends on the type of data you need and whether you need those data at lower levels of geography such as census tract or block level.

View a side-by-side overview of these differences in this fact sheet: Differences Among Demographic Releases.

Looking for all the microdata from the 2020 Census?

• The 2020 Census Privacy-Protected Microdata File (PPMF) is the only data product that provides all privacy-protected records from the 2020 Census. It incorporates all data included in the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File, DHC, and Demographic Profile. 
• Access the PPMF.

2020 Census Demographic Profile

• It can be a great place to start to get an overview of an area. However, it contains less detailed demographic and housing characteristics data than the DHC and no data for detailed race and ethnicity groups.
• Consists of one data table and provides an overview of demographic and housing characteristics for a specific geography.
• Demographic Profile data are available down to the census tract level only.

2020 Census DHC

• Consists of multiple data tables and provides more detailed data on demographic and housing characteristics than the Demographic Profile. Unlike the Detailed DHC-A, it does not provide data for detailed race and ethnicity groups.
• Many DHC tables can be viewed down to the census block level.
• The DHC re-releases five of the six 2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File tables under the same name. However, the table on total group quarters population by major group quarters type is not re-released in the DHC.
• Please note that, when using DHC data, we encourage data users to aggregate small populations and geographies to improve accuracy and diminish implausible results.
• Access the DHC.

2020 Census Detailed DHC-A and 2020 Census Detailed DHC-B

• Both the Detailed DHC-A and Detailed DHC-B consists of multiple data tables and provide data for detailed race and ethnicity groups. Detailed DHC-A provides population counts and sex-by-age statistics for these groups. Detailed DHC-B provides data on housing type (e.g., family or nonfamily) and tenure (e.g., whether the home is owned or rented) for these groups.
• Detailed DHC-A and Detailed DHC-B tables can be viewed down to the census tract level when population thresholds are met.
• Please note that, when using Detailed DHC-A and Detailed DHC-B data, data users should exercise caution when creating custom aggregations, adding or subtracting as little as possible to minimize the accumulation of noise across counts. Unlike the DHC and Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171), aggregating populations and geographies will decrease accuracy. View more guidance on working with these data in the technical documentation.
• Access the Detailed DHC-A and Detailed DHC-B

2020 Census Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File

• Consists of six tables that together provide summary demographic and housing characteristics for voting age, race, Hispanic or Latino origin, housing occupancy status, and group quarters population by major group quarters type. It provides less detailed demographic and housing characteristic data than DHC and no data for detailed race and ethnicity groups.
• Data are available down to the block level.
• Five of the six Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File tables are also re-released in the DHC under the same table names. The table on total group quarters population by major group quarters type is not re-released in the DHC.
• Please note that, when using Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File data, we encourage data users to aggregate small populations and geographies to improve accuracy and diminish implausible results. View more guidance on working with these data in the technical documentation.
• Access the Redistricting Data (P.L. 94-171) Summary File

Other 2020 Census data products like the DHC and Detailed DHC-A may have the data you’re looking for. They include more detailed demographic, housing, race, and ethnicity data than the Demographic Profile. Access the DHC and Detailed DHC-A.

We will also release more detailed demographic and housing data in September 2024. Learn more about the upcoming 2020 Census data releases on the About 2020 Census Data Products page.

The 2020 Census Demographic Profile is very similar to the 2010 Census Demographic Profile. Both are available down to the tract level. The content is the same except for a few statistics related to household size that are planned for inclusion in the Supplemental Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (S-DHC) instead, which you can learn about on the About 2020 Census Data Products page.