Postal ZIP Code
A postal delivery code. Use the governed ZIP registry and a checked bridge when adding Census data.
The consumer intelligence framework
Know which place a number describes
Understand postal ZIPs, Census ZCTAs, cities, counties, metros, states, media markets, and national context.
A number should describe the same place its label names. Only the Bexar County example is published in this edition; the other profile types are a structure for future releases.
Census ZCTA
A Census statistical area that approximates a ZIP-like area. Store its Census vintage and identifier separately.
City / Census place
State which city boundary or Census place is used. Do not assume a postal city name defines it.
County
Use the state and county FIPS identifier. The first example is Bexar County, Texas: 48029.
Metro area
Identify the statistical definition and boundary vintage. A metro is different from its central city.
State
Use a defined state identifier and source coverage. State figures do not describe every county equally.
Media market / DMA
Confirm boundary definitions, data access, and usage rights before publishing media-market estimates.
Nation
Provide national context with the source’s own population and measurement scope.
ZIP and ZCTA are different.
Use separate identifiers and a checked bridge. Matching digits do not prove the two geographies are interchangeable. Do not invent values for a ZIP without supported Census coverage.
U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Tabulation Areas ↗
Reference guide · Geography definitions