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 Detailed DHC-A vs. 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-B.

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 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 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.
• Access the Demographic Profile.

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

The Detailed DHC-A (in combination with the forthcoming Detailed DHC-B) is the successor to the 2010 Census Summary File 2 and the 2010 Census American Indian and Alaska Native Summary File.

View this table for information about key differences between the race and ethnicity data released in the Detailed DHC-A and releases from the 2010 Census. This table is part of the Detailed DHC-A technical documentation.

The 2020 Census provides the official counts (including Hispanic origin and race) of the population, and the ACS provides estimates of additional characteristics, adding rich context for understanding the nation’s population.

Data users should exercise caution when comparing 2020 Census Detailed DHC-A data to ACS estimates. There were a variety of improvements to how we collected, coded, and tabulated race data this decade. We implemented these same improvements in the ACS starting in 2020. As a result, use caution when comparing 2020 Census detailed Asian, NHPI and AIAN race data with 2019 or earlier ACS data.

The detailed White, Black or African American, and Some Other Race groups available in the 2020 Census Detailed DHC-A were historically tabulated from the ancestry question on the ACS. There are key differences between the race and ancestry data collection and tabulation that data users should be aware of before comparing data from the ancestry question to data from the Detailed DHC-A. These differences are explained in the technical documentation.

Detailed Hispanic origin data are tabulated from the ethnicity question on the ACS. Caution is not required when comparing detailed Hispanic origin data from the Detailed DHC-A to the ACS regardless of data year.

The Demographic Profile may provide data in the format you need. Rather than multiple tables like other 2020 Census data products, the Demographic Profile presents an overview of demographic and housing characteristics for a specific geography, all in a single table.

Please note that the Demographic Profile provides less detailed data than the Detailed DHC-A and DHC. Access the Demographic Profile.