This guide provides steps to access County Business Patterns (CBP) data in Comma Separated 

files (CSV), on data.census.gov. You may also contact the U.S. Census Bureau’s CBP staff at 301-

763-2580 or ewd.county.business.patterns@census.gov for assistance.

Data User Guide

Last updated: 4/28/2022

Note: Each slide has a unique link [here] that refers to 

the subject matter explained. 1

Frequently Asked Questions 2

Definitions 3

Using the Homepage 4

Using the Data Page 5

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov 6 - 17

Downloading Data in Data.census.gov 18

Downloading Data in CSV 19 - 20

Using the API 21 - 24

Additional Links 25
Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the source of CBP data?

CBP data are extracted from the Business Register, the Census Bureau's file of all known single 

and multi-establishment companies. Data comes from a variety of sources, including the 

Economic Census, the Annual Survey of Manufactures, and Current Business Surveys, as well as 

from administrative records of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security 

Administration (SSA), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

• Are sales and receipts data provided in CBP?

No. Sales and receipts data are available from other Census Bureau programs. For more 

information, please see the Census Bureau's economic data.

• Can I find data on a specific company or get a list of companies in an area?

The Census Bureau is forbidden by Federal Law, Title 13 of the U.S. Code, from providing data 

that can be linked to specific establishments, which includes any lists of companies in a 

designated area. Even revealing that an entity is in the data is prohibited under this law. 

• Can CBP be used as a time series?

We don’t recommend using CBP data as a time series. While CBP publishes annually, the data is 

meant to be more of a snapshot in time. Further, CBP does not revise data for prior years. CBP 

relies on administrative data that is subject to non sampling error. 

Last updated: 4/28/2022

http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/technicaldocumentation/methodology.html 2
Definitions

• Legal Form of Organization (LFO) – An LFO is the organizational structure a firm chooses 

to adopt. LFO is derived from administrative records data sources. 

• North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) – The standard used by Federal 

statistical agencies in classifying business establishments. For more information, visit the 

NAICS website.

• Noise Infusion – A method of disclosure avoidance in which values for each firm are 

perturbed prior to the data being released. Read more on our How the Data Are Collected

page.

• NOISE Flags–

G - Low Noise Infusion

H - Medium Noise Infusion

J - High Noise Infusion

D - Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual companies;

data are included in higher level totals (used prior to reference year 2017)

S - Withheld because estimate did not meet publication standards

N - Not available or not comparable

• Statewide – Classification for employers in a state without a fixed location.

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://www.census.gov/programssurveys/cbp/about/glossary.html 3
Using the Homepage

Last updated: 4/28/2022

http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html

4

Data is available: 

• Through Data.census.gov 

• Downloadable (in CSV) on the 

survey page

• API
5

Using the Data Page

Last updated: 4/28/2022

http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html
Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

6

To access data using data.census.gov, 

simply click on the hyperlink after 

selecting the desired year on the CBP 

Data Tables Page 

(https://www.census.gov/programssurveys/cbp/data/tables.html). You will 

then be directed to data.census.gov. 

Alternatively, you can go directly to 

data.census.gov and search for ‘County 

Business Patterns’.

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/data/tables.html
Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov 

7

Customize your table for 

Geography by clicking ‘Geos’ or 

NAICS by clicking ‘Code’.

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=C

BP2020.CB2000CBP&hidePreview=true
Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

Geographies

8

Select ‘Geos’ and then select the 

desired geography (this example 

starts at the county level). 

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP&hidePreview=true

Scroll to the state that the county 

you want is in, or select the top 

box for all counties
9

Within that state, select the 

county or counties you wish to 

view and hit the ‘X’ to return to 

the table

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP&hidePreview=true

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

Geographies
10

Click the ‘Filter’ Menu at the top 

Left of the screen

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP&hidePreview=true

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

ZIP Codes

Select ‘Geography’, then select ‘5-

Digit Zip Code’. Do NOT select ‘Zip 

Code Tabulation Area’.

Once you select your 

desired ZIP Codes, click 

the double arrows at the 

top-right of the screen to 

return to your table.
11

Alternatively, you can select the 

‘Summary Levels’ option in the 

‘Geography’ menu and then select 

the ‘5-Digit ZIP Code’ option.

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP&hidePreview=true

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

ZIP Codes by State

If you select a state, a list of ZIP 

Codes within that state will 

appear. 

Once you select your 

desired ZIP Codes, click 

the double arrows at the 

top-right of the screen to 

return to your table.
12

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP&hidePreview=true

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

ZIP Codes by Search

Lastly, you can search for a specific ZIP 

Code manually. After clicking the 

‘Filters’ button at the top left of the 

screen, click the ‘Search’ button.

Type in the 5-digit ZIP code, or the name of 

the city related to the ZIP Code. A list of 

options will appear. Select options with the 

format ‘ZIP XXXXX (City, State)’. Do NOT select 

any options that start with ‘ZCTA’.
Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

NAICS

13

Select ‘Codes’ and then 

select ‘Industry Codes 

(NAICS)’

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP

Select a check box to see all 

codes of that level

Or navigate through a folder to see 

Sector specific codes
14

All X-digit codes within a 

sector can be selected, or 

further folders can be 

navigated through 

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB

2000CBP

Selecting the top check box 

will show that NAICS at that 

level (in this example it will 

show just data for Sector 11)

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov

NAICS
15

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB2

000CBP

The Hide feature allows data 

users to hide/show columns, 

such as identifier codes.

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov
16

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB2

000CBP

The Filter feature allows users 

to filter a column for a 

specific value or meaning. 

Users can opt to only show 

certain rows. In this example 

hitting ‘APPLY’ would limit 

the table to only rows that 

have ‘All Establishments’

Accessing Data and Customizing using Data.census.gov
17

Data.census.gov Features

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB2

000CBP

To find Statewide, select 

‘Geos’, and select ‘Summary 

Levels’, then ‘040 – State’

Select the box that has the 

‘State – Statewide’ text for 

whichever state desired
Downloading Data using Data.census.gov

18

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=CBP2020.CB2000CBP&tid=CBP2020.CB2

000CBP

Select the desired download 

format and the table will 

download with all applied 

Geographies, Codes, and 

Filters
Data users can download 

CBP datasets in CSV format 

by clicking on CBP Datasets 

and selecting the desired 

year. 

Data files are available from 

1986 to 2015

Downloading Data in Comma-Separated Value (CSV)

Last updated: 4/28/2022

http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/data/datasets.html

19

Selecting ‘CBP Datasets’ on 

our webpage, and then 

‘County Business Patterns: 

YEAR’ in the desired year will 

take the user to the page that 

has all of the datasets in .csv 

format
20

Downloading Data in Comma-Separated Value (CSV)

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2020/econ/cbp/2020-cbp.html

Once selecting a 

year, you will 

have access to all 

available datasets 

for that year.

Record layouts 

are also available 

for reference.

Datasets are 

available as .ZIP 

files which may 

contain multiple 

files
21

Loading Data in API

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://www.census.gov/data/developers/data-sets/cbp-nonemp-zbp/cbp-api.html

The API page will link 

the user to 

information about 

CBP API information. 

All of the API calls to 

CBP will start with the 

address 

‘api.census.gov/data/

2020/cbp?’

Clicking on the 

‘Examples and 

Geographies’ or 

‘Example Call’ will 

take the user to a 

page with data pulled 

from the API
22

Loading Data in API

Examples

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://api.census.gov/data/2020/cbp/examples.html

The Examples page 

has many useful calls 

that can be used as 

starting points for 

more specific API 

requests
23

Loading Data in API

Variables

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://api.census.gov/data/2020/cbp/variables.html

The variables page will 

show the user what 

variables can be 

displayed in a table, 

and/or used as a filter
24

Loading Data in API

Statewide

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://api.census.gov/data/2018/cbp?get=NAME,EMP,ESTAB,NAICS201

7,NAICS2017_LABEL,PAYANN,PAYQTR1,YEAR&for=state:*&NAICS2017=

00&GEOCOMP=S0

To call Statewide rows 

for post 2017, the 

qualifier 

‘GEOCOMP=S0’ will 

need to be put into a 

call for state-level 

geographies Specific states data can 

be selected by 

replacing the ‘state:*’ 

with ‘state:FIPS_Code’ 

where FIPS code is the 

2 digit FIPS state 

desired
Further help

Help with County Business Patterns Data

• Phone: (301)763-2580

• E-mail: ewd.county.business.patterns@census.gov

Feedback for Data.census.gov

• Cedsci.feedback@census.gov

Related links:

• 2017 Economic Census: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census.html

• Business Dynamics Statistics: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/bds.html

• Census Bureau Other Economic Programs: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economicsurveys.html

• Nonemployer Statistics: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics.html

• North American Industry Classification System: https://www.census.gov/naics/

• Statistics on U.S. Businesses: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html

Additional Links

Last updated: 4/28/2022

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/about/relatedsites.html 25