At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Extensive geospatial data.
- Geographic data on land use and cropland characteristics may be used for studies on the food environment.
- System allows users to browse and select data of interest, customize the format, download or ship the data on CD or DVD.
- Provides data mapping interface.
- Geospatial data and images can be combined with other data (such as census data).
Website
http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/
Purpose
To collect data about environmental and natural resources for geographic areas in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Geographic areas in the U.S. and its territories.
Conducted
Began in 2001. Select data updated continually (at least weekly).
Sponsor
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Sampling
Sample Design
Sampling strategies vary by data set. Geospatial data are available for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the territories (for some data sets).
Sample Size
Data gathering for the USDA Geospatial Data Gateway does not involve sampling. Sampling may have been used for data sets included in this data warehouse.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Age (county-level data) | Varies |
| Foreign-born (county-level data) | Varies |
| Sex (county-level data) | Varies |
| Housing (county-level data) | Varies |
| Income (county-level data) | Varies |
| Occupation (county-level data) | Varies |
| Race/ethnicity (county-level data) | Varies |
Diet-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Farm/cropland location and topography | Varies |
Physical Activity-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Commuting (county-level data) | Varies |
| Highway and railway locations as well as transportation terminal locations | Varies |
| Park and recreation area locations | Varies |
| Precipitation and temperature data by state | Varies |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| State, county, latitude/longitude, common land unit, congressional districts, street segment, zip code, census tract, census block group | N/A |
Other
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Disability status (county level data) | Varies |
| Institutions and facilities location data (e.g., churches, schools, public buildings, hospitals) | Varies |
| Landcover data (used to assess such issues as wildlife habitat, water quality, pesticide runoff, land use change) | Varies |
| Major retail locations | Varies |
| Topographic data | Varies |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
The Gateway allows users to choose their geographic area of interest, browse and select data from the online catalog, customize the format, and have it downloaded or shipped on CD or DVD. Learn more about how to obtain data.
Order data by county.
Order data by state.
Order data by place (smaller than county level).
Order data by latitude/longitude (bounding rectangle).
Order an interactive map for custom area of interest.
Cost
FTP downloads are free of charge. CDs are U.S.$50. DVDs are U.S.$100. External storage device data delivery is U.S.$250. For this service, the customer provides the external storage device and also pays shipping costs. For delivery on external storage devices, send an email request to Rosemary.Rivera@ftw.usda.gov.
A fee for imagery files that varies depending on the file size. Learn more about purchasing imagery files.
Special Note(s)
Visit the Status Maps page on the Geospatial Data Gateway website for detailed information about the types of data that can be accessed through the USDA Geospatial Data Gateway. Data categories highlighted in grey on this webpage are restricted to USDA and require a user login to order. The links on this webpage also provide some information about the methods used to collect the various types of data available through the Gateway. Only geospatial data sets produced or financed by USDA Service Center Agencies are made available to the public through the Geospatial Data Gateway.
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
State, county, latitude/longitude, common land unit, congressional districts, street segment, zip code, census tract, census block group.
Existing Linkages
None noted.
Selected Publications
None noted.
