# Census Block Scraper: US Block FIPS & Population (`naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper`) Actor

Resolve any US coordinate to its Census block FIPS code, county, state and 2020 block population via the FCC Area API. No login, no proxy, no browser.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Naimur Hasan](https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Census Block Scraper

Resolves US coordinates to their Census block FIPS code, county, state and 2020
block population via the FCC Area API. No login, no proxy, no browser.

### Input

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `locations` | array | Required. `"latitude,longitude"` strings. Default: US Capitol, Empire State Building, Golden Gate Bridge. |
| `censusYear` | string | `2020` | `2010` | `2000`. Default `2020`. |

### Output

One row per coordinate: `latitude`, `longitude`, `censusYear`, `blockFips`,
`stateFips`, `countyFipsPart`, `tractCode`, `blockCode`, `countyFips`,
`countyName`, `stateCode`, `stateName`, `blockPopulation`, `boundingBox`.

### Notes

- **FIPS codes are strings, not numbers.** California's state FIPS is `06`; the
  moment it becomes a number it turns into `6` and stops joining against any
  other Census dataset. Everything here stays a string.
- The 15-digit block code is also split into its parts — state, county, tract,
  block — because most Census joins key on the tract or county prefix rather
  than the whole block.
- **A coordinate on a boundary can return more than one result**, so every
  result is emitted rather than only the first.
- `block_pop_2020` is only populated for the 2020 geography; earlier Census
  years return the block without a population and the field stays null.
- Coordinates outside US coverage come back with an empty `results` array and
  HTTP 200, so they are logged and skipped, not treated as errors.

# Actor input Schema

## `locations` (type: `array`):

US coordinates as "latitude,longitude", one per line

## `censusYear` (type: `string`):

Which decennial Census block geography to resolve against

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "locations": [
    "38.8977,-77.0365",
    "40.7484,-73.9857",
    "37.8199,-122.4783"
  ],
  "censusYear": "2020"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

One row per coordinate with its Census block.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "locations": [
        "38.8977,-77.0365",
        "40.7484,-73.9857",
        "37.8199,-122.4783"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "locations": [
        "38.8977,-77.0365",
        "40.7484,-73.9857",
        "37.8199,-122.4783",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "locations": [
    "38.8977,-77.0365",
    "40.7484,-73.9857",
    "37.8199,-122.4783"
  ]
}' |
apify call naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,naimurhasanrwd/fcc-census-area-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/lis8N6DajeAKwrfFP/builds/Xfr7BNTDfYaC4pXMp/openapi.json