Census tract

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (October 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Census tract" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A census tract, census area, census district or meshblock^[1] is a geographic region defined for the purpose of taking a census.^[2] Sometimes these coincide with the limits of cities, towns or other administrative areas^[2] and several tracts commonly exist within a county. In unincorporated areas of the United States these are often arbitrary, except for coinciding with political lines.

Census tracts represent the smallest territorial entity for which population data are available in many countries.^[3] In the United States, census tracts are subdivided into block groups and census blocks. In Canada they are divided into dissemination areas. In the U.S., census tracts are "designed to be relatively homogeneous units with respect to population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions" and "average about 4,000 inhabitants".^[4]