Sources · Vintage V2024

Every file we read.

Every published number traces back to one of the files below. We record the source URL, file size, and a sha256 hash for each at retrieval time, then carry those hashes through to the build manifest so the chain raw file → build script → published number is auditable end–to–end.

Vintage V2024
Reference 2024-07-01
Files 7
Last build 2026-05-11
License U.S. public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105)

Primary data sources

Three files in this group produce every number on this site.

Primary

SUB-EST2024 (national CSV)

National SUB-EST2024 dataset: places, MCDs, county/state totals (Vintage 2024).

Source URL: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2024/cities/totals/sub-est2024.csv
Filename: sub-est2024.csv
Size: 6.8 MB
sha256: af9cd4835c93…
Retrieved: 2026-05-08
Used for: Current population, 2020–2024 annual history, ESTIMATESBASE2020.

Primary

SUB-EST2019 (national CSV)

National SUB-EST2019 dataset: places + MCDs (Vintage 2019, 2010-2019 estimates).

Source URL: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2010-2019/cities/totals/sub-est2019_all.csv
Filename: sub-est2019_all.csv
Size: 9.0 MB
sha256: 5442d3bbb890…
Retrieved: 2026-05-09
Used for: 2010–2019 historical series, 2010 census base, CENSUS2010POP.

Primary

2025 Gazetteer — places

2025 Gazetteer national places file (incorporated places + CDPs).

Source URL: https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2025_Gazetteer/2025_Gaz_place_national.zip
Filename: 2025_Gaz_place_national.zip
Size: 1.2 MB
sha256: 49644173a453…
Retrieved: 2026-05-09
Used for: Land area, water area, density, and centroid coordinates per city.

Reference documents

Census-published documentation that defines field semantics and the methodology behind the primary files.

Document	Filename	Size	sha256	Retrieved	Source URL
SUB-EST2024 file layout	`SUB-EST2024-file-layout.pdf`	88.5 KB	`c2a443af50a5…`	2026-05-09	PDF
SUB-EST2024 methodology	`SUB-EST2024-methodology.pdf`	201.0 KB	`367a4851aa73…`	2026-05-09	PDF
SUB-EST2019 file layout	`SUB-EST2019-file-layout.pdf`	12.3 KB	`67d0d9a04a5a…`	2026-05-09	PDF
SUB-EST2019 methodology	`SUB-EST2019-methodology.pdf`	127.8 KB	`7d3ac6469e0e…`	2026-05-09	PDF

Provenance chain

How this list stays honest.

Every file in the list above is downloaded by workflows/census/download_census.py, which writes a sha256-tracked manifest at data/raw/census/MANIFEST.json. The build script workflows/census/build_cities.py reads those raw files and writes a per-build provenance log at data/processed/cities/build_manifest.json that carries the input sha256s through alongside row counts, decisions, and output hashes.

If a number on this site looks wrong, the chain back to the source file is:

Find the row in cities.csv by geoid.
Read its source_* columns to identify the input file.
Look up that filename in the build manifest to get the sha256 + source URL.
Re-fetch the source URL; verify the sha256 matches the manifest entry.
Open the file and confirm the field's value at the matching STATE/PLACE key.

Read the full methodology →

License & attribution

U.S. Census Bureau publications are works of the United States Government and are in the public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105). No license fee, no required attribution. We attribute anyway because credibility flows from sourcing.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Vintage V2024 Subcounty Resident Population Estimates. Geographic enrichment from the 2025 Census Gazetteer. Compiled and processed by Every City in the USA on 2026-05-11.

Every City in the USA is independent and is not affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau. Census does not review or approve third-party uses of its data.