TIGER Data Products Guide
TIGER Data Products Guide
TIGER stands for the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system and represents the U.S. Census Bureau's geographic spatial data. TIGER data products are developed using the TIGER geospatial data as the primary source. Click on any product's name below to go to that product's page and learn more.
Which Product Should I Use?
| Product | Best For... | File Format | Type of Data | Level of Detail | Descriptive Attributes | Vintages Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TIGER/Line Shapefiles | Most mapping projects--this is our most comprehensive dataset. Designed for use with GIS (geographic information system). | Shapefiles (.shp) and database files (.dbf) | Boundaries, roads, address information, water features, and more | Full detail (not generalized) | Extensive | 2000-2025 |
| TIGER Geodatabases | Useful for users needing national datasets or all major boundaries by state. Designed for use in ArcGIS. Files are extremely large. | Geodatabase (.gdb) | Boundaries, roads, address information, water features, and more | Full detail (not generalized) | Limited | 2013-2025 |
| TIGER Geopackages | Useful for users needing national datasets or all major boundaries by state. Open-source alternative to the TIGER Geodatabases. Files are extremely large. | GeoPackage (.gpkg) | Boundaries, roads, address information, water features, and more | Full detail (not generalized) | Limited | 2024, 2025 |
| TIGER/Line with Selected Demographic and Economic Data | Data from selected attributes from the 2010 Census, 2006-2010 through 2018-2022 ACS 5-year estimates and County Business Patterns (CBP) for selected geographies. Designed for use with GIS. | Shapefiles (.shp) and Geodatabases (.gdb) | Boundaries, Population Counts, Housing Unit Counts, 2010 Census Demographic Profile 1 attributes, 2006-2010 through 2018-2022 ACS 5-year estimates data profiles, CBP data. | Full detail (not generalized) | Limited | 2012 CBP, 2010, 2006-2010 to 2018-2022 ACS 5-Year Estimates |
| Cartographic Boundary Geodatabases | Small scale (limited detail) spatial files clipped to shoreline. Designed for thematic mapping use in ArcGIS. | Geodatabases (.gdb) | Selected boundaries | Less detail (generalized) | Limited | 2019-2024 |
| Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles | Small scale (limited detail) spatial files clipped to shoreline. Designed for thematic mapping using GIS. | Shapefiles (.shp) | Selected boundaries | Less detail (generalized) | Limited | 2013-2024, 2010, 2000, 1990 |
| Cartographic Boundary KMLs | Viewing data or creating maps using Google Earth, Google Maps, or other platforms that use KML. | KML (.kml) | Selected boundaries | Less detail (generalized) | Limited | 2013-2024 |
| TIGERweb | Viewing spatial data online or streaming to your mapping application. | Interactive viewer, HTML data files, plus REST and WMS map services | Boundaries, roads, address information, water features, and more | Detailed | Extensive | Current (ACS 2025), BAS 2025, ACS 2024, 2020 Census |
Related Information
Page Last Revised - September 19, 2025