Us zip code master list

We also don't issue data updates for insignificant changes like updating a ZIP to show it has deliverable addresses instead of We and our sources label statistics by the year the data was gathered - not the year that data was released. The difference between these two dates can often be several years. New data that would affect the estimate for can come in through the end of the year tax returns for IRS estimates and surveys for the Census Bureau's Census and American Community Survey.

It also takes our sources months or years to compile the vast amounts of data they receive. So the data for is still being collected and estimates for won't be released until , , or even An overview and samples of the data included in each edition of the database are included at the top of this page.

Click here for a full description of each column in the various spreadsheets. We also provide a multitude of statistics that are derived from our data sources that save our customers time and money deriving these statistics. As an example, you don't have to know the formula or gather the data to calculate the population center of a ZIP code from the populations and coordinates of hundreds of blocks. We've done it for you. For the source of any particular data point, see our sources here.

ZIP codes are designed to aid mail delivery - not to match conventional boundaries. ZIP codes can be entirely within, entirely outside of, or partially within a city or county.

Over ZIP codes even cross state lines. It's also a misconception that the "city" and ZIP you use to address an envelope denotes whether an address lies within city limits. That "city" is usually the name of the main post office in the area. Click here to see examples and understand why. The county with the largest percentage of the ZIP population is also included in every edition. For other uses, click here to learn more about how ZIPs match to cities and counties and click here to learn about the data files used to match to cities and counties offered in our Enterprise version.

We recommend the actual population count from the census that occurs every 10 years in the US. Even when the population counts are older, the accuracy is unmatched. The point of the census is for exactly this purpose - to count the population. That being said, you can read about the variety of ZIP code population estimates here including how they compare.

We recommend our customers use the population center to determine the location of a ZIP code. It can be as much as 20 or 30 miles different from other calculation methods and shows what is often most important - where the people are. Here is an example ZIP code where this is important. You can also click here to learn about all of the methods used to calculate ZIP coordinates. We do not offer postal code data outside of the US. We also do not offer mapping data because shapefiles are freely available from the Census Bureau.

Utilizing it would also require a great deal of technical expertise by our customers. Instead, we provide our customers with the most vital coordinates for ZIP codes in a much easier to use format. As discussed above, it is difficult to precisely define a geographic area covered by a ZIP code. ZCTAs were developed to account for some of the difficulties in assigning an area to a ZIP code and to precisely define a geographic area.

In general, they are updated once every 10 years for the Census. The Census assigns an area to a ZCTA according to census blocks the smallest geographic unit used by the census. Imagine a city block that makes up a typical census block as pictured to the right. It is bounded on all 4 sides by portions of city streets that each have their own name and addresses.

The issue is that census blocks almost always split down the middle of the street. ZIP codes rarely do because that would require two postal workers delivering mail to that street - one for each side of the street. In the example, one mail carrier may deliver to 3 sides of the block via one ZIP code while another mail carrier delivers mail on the other street in a different ZIP code.

When this happens, the Census Bureau will assign the entire block to a single ZCTA in this case, because the census block is the area that is precisely measured. If you are getting very precise usually a matter of meters, not miles , census block boundaries near the edge of a ZIP code almost always split ZIP codes.

The statistics provided by the Census Bureau can give insight into the demographics within the ZIP code. For instance, see our ZIP code rankings.

Remember that ZIP codes were made to make mail delivery easier. They weren't made to correspond to existing boundaries such as cities, counties, or even states. If it is more efficient for a mail carrier to drive across a state line to deliver mail, the ZIP code "boundary" will cross the state lines. ZIP codes don't usually cross state lines, but some do , , and are good examples. The edges of the boundaries commonly overlap. For the purposes of our free zip code database by county downloads, we will commonly list either the most common region for the ZIP code or list multiple regions if several exist in the ZIP code.

For cities, the assignment is somewhat more complicated. The assignment of cities to ZIP codes is more general. The city is usually the name of the main post office. For instance, almost all ZIP codes in St. Louis County in Missouri have a city of Saint Louis when they may be more accurately described as the name of a smaller city where they are located.

Click here to learn more about matching ZIPs to cities and counties. Toggle navigation. Search by ZIP, address, city, or county:.