U.S. Department of Commerce


Geographic Support System (GSS) Initiative


Information for Census Address Summit Attendees

Data Content Guidelines


What Is It?

Integrated program in support of the 2020 Census of:

Fact Sheet [DOC] [TXT]   |   Graphic Overview [PDF]

What Are We Doing?

The GSS Initiative will focus on ensuring a complete and updated address list. All activities will contribute to Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geocoding and Referencing System (MAF/TIGER) database improvement. Examples of key FY 2011 activities include:

Why Are We Doing It?

The GSS Initiative will allow for a targeted, rather than full, address canvassing operation during 2019 in preparation for the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau will collaborate with federal, state, local, and tribal governments and other key stakeholders to establish an acceptable address list for each geographic entity.

What's In It For Me?

Stakeholder and Oversight Recommendations [DOC] [TXT]



Questions or Comments?
Email us: geo.gss.initiative@census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division
Created: June 20, 2011
Last revised: January 15, 2013
Click to subscribe
[MSWord] or the letters [doc] indicate a document is in the Microsoft® Word Format (DOC). To view the file, you will need the Microsoft® Word Viewer Off Site available for free from Microsoft®. [PDF] or PDF denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Reader® Off Site available free from Adobe. This symbol Off Site indicates a link to a non-government web site. Our linking to these sites does not constitute an endorsement of any products, services or the information found on them. Once you link to another site you are subject to the policies of the new site.