Using the Map Method of Retrieving Information from American FactFinder

Please note that AFF works best with Internet Explorer and you must have your pop-up blocker turned off or at least set to accept pop-ups from the AFF domain. The Census Bureau provides more detailed technical help.

A few tips for using the map retrieval method:

• The "Change...Boundaries/Features" links can be used to display (or not display) various items on the map. This can be useful in making the map less "busy" as well as pointing out certain landmarks to help see where you are.
• The "Reposition on...A street address or ZIP code/A latitude and longitude" will move and zoom the map to a specific point. This can be especially useful if you want information on areas that are many miles apart.
• The "Click map to...Select/deselect" geographic areas is your main tool for this method. Remember that you can switch geographic types as you make your selections. You cannot, however, use it to retrieve information for, say, all blocks within a block group by clicking on a block group.

How to use the map selection method:

1. Change the geography type in the "select/deselect" box to whatever level you need. L
2. By default, you are presented with a map of the United States. Since you are most likely interested in a much smaller area, you can use the "Reposition on...A street address or ZIP code" to zoom to the area. Click on the link and enter the necessary information, and click "Go." L
3. The map will move and zoom to the requested area. You may need or want to zoom in further depending on what you are actually looking for. Use the "Zoom:" toolbar at the top right corner of the map to do so. L
4. At this point, you may want to change the boundaries and/or features displayed on the map. Do so using the links at the top left of the window. L
5. You can now begin making your selections. Simply click on the map to highlight the areas you want. As you select each area, it will be added to the "Geographic selections" box below the map (you may need to scroll down to see it). L
• You can change which geographic levels on which you make your selections as you go along. Highlighted areas from other levels will no longer be highlighted, but will still be included in your output. When you switch back to the previous level, the selected areas will be highlighted again. L
6. When you are done making your selections, click the "Next" button and you will be brought to the table selection form. L
7. By default, you will be presented with all tables available for the geographic selections you have made. This can be a fairly long list, so you can also select tables by subject or keyword. Whichever method you use, select the tables you want and click the "Add" button. Note that you will only be able to select up to 50 tables at once. L
8. When you are done selecting your tables, click on the "Show Result" button.L
9. You will then be presented with your results. Depending on how many tables and geographies you selected, there may be many pages of results, so you may want to download the information to use in a spreadsheet, statistics or word processing package.L
1. To download the tables, put your cursor over the "Print/Download" link in the upper right corner of the screen and select "Download."
2. A new window will open and present you with several choices of how to download the information. Click on the Explain my choices link in the upper right corner to determine which is best for your needs.
3. When you have made your selection, click "OK" and proceed with your browser's typical method of saving files.
10. With large or complex queries, you may want to save all of the selections you made so you can easily retrieve them at a later time. To do so, go to the "Print/Download" link and select "Save Query." You will then be presented with your browser's file save dialog. You can select where to save the file and change the filename - DO NOT change the extension (the .xql part)! This will save all of the geography and table selections you've made.
1. To re-run the query at another time, go to the datasets main page and click in the "Load Query" link near the upper right corner. You will be prompted to enter the filename of the saved query.
2. Once you have filled in the file name, click the "Go" button, and the results you created previously will be re-generated.
3. You will then be able to navigate back and add or drop tables and geographic areas.
4. If you make changes to your query, be sure to save it again!!