# Census Address Geography Check (`nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check`) Actor

A definitive check: does this business/property address resolve to an official U.S. Census geography, and which one?

- **URL**: https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check.md
- **Developed by:** [NexGen Watch](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $33.50 / 1,000 address geography checks

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## 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 Address Geography Check

A definitive check: **does this business/property address resolve to an official U.S. Census geography, and
which one?** For each address you supply, the actor returns an official verdict — `EXACT_MATCH` (one
official match, with the matched address, coordinates, and the state / county / tract geography) or
`NO_MATCH` (the official geocoder returns zero matches, confirmed by a retry) — plus `TIE` (multiple
ambiguous candidates), `SERVICE_FAULT`, and `UNPARSEABLE` for the cases that are not definitive.

**Differentiation:** this is a *billing-honest* validity check, not a bulk geocoder. A definitive official
verdict — match **or** no-match — is what the buyer pays for; ambiguous ties, transient service faults, and
unparseable inputs are surfaced and **never billed**. The known geocoder FAQ variance under load is handled
by **retrying a no-answer before it is declared**, so a transient blip never becomes a false NO\_MATCH or a
charged fault.

Output is one `address_geography_check` row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one address geography check (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.05 per address geography check). Source: geocoding.geo.census.gov.

No login, no API key and no CAPTCHA solving are involved: the source is read logged-out with an identified contact User-Agent.

### 📊 Sample Output

[![Census Address Geography Check sample output — a table of real address geography check rows (input, query, verdict, matched\_address) from run MAbLIfhQt8JjblHA1 on build 0.1.4](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/8gLgXMBveEI1tTz1z/records/census-address-geography-check-sample)](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check?fpr=2ayu9b)

Real rows from run `MAbLIfhQt8JjblHA1` on build 0.1.4 (2026-09-18), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

| input | query | verdict | matched\_address | longitude | latitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 | 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 | EXACT\_MATCH | 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20500 | -77.03518753691 | 38.89869893252 |

The run finished with the status message: `NORMAL: 1 resolved (0 not-found, 0 ambiguous, 0 service-fault, 0 unparseable) of 1 | answers billable=1 | address_geography_check charged=1`

### ✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is `null`):

- `record_type` (string/null) — e.g. `address_geography_check`
- `input` (string/null) — e.g. `1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500`
- `query` (string/null) — e.g. `1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500`
- `source` (string/null) — e.g. `https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/onelineaddress`
- `verdict` (string/null) — e.g. `EXACT_MATCH`
- `matched_address` (string/null) — e.g. `1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20500`
- `longitude` (number/null) — e.g. `-77.03518753691`
- `latitude` (number/null) — e.g. `38.89869893252`
- `state_fips` (string/null) — e.g. `11`
- `county_fips` (string/null) — e.g. `001`
- `tract` (string/null) — e.g. `980000`
- `block` (string/null) — null in every sample row
- `candidate_count` (integer/null) — e.g. `1`
- `unbilled_reason` (string/null) — null in every sample row

### ⚙️ Sample inputs

**1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)**

```json
{
  "addresses": [
    "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
  ]
}
```

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.05 address\_geography\_check = **$0.07** on the Free tier — every delivered row was billed.

**2. A smaller, narrowed run**

```json
{
  "addresses": [
    "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
  ]
}
```

A bounded run for checking the field shape before scheduling.

**3. A full-size run**

```json
{
  "addresses": [
    "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
  ]
}
```

The same input run on a schedule; each run is billed only for what it delivers.

### 🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run `MAbLIfhQt8JjblHA1`, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

```json
{
  "record_type": "address_geography_check",
  "input": "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500",
  "query": "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500",
  "source": "https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/onelineaddress",
  "verdict": "EXACT_MATCH",
  "matched_address": "1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC, 20500",
  "longitude": -77.03518753691,
  "latitude": 38.89869893252,
  "state_fips": "11",
  "county_fips": "001",
  "tract": "980000",
  "block": null,
  "candidate_count": 1,
  "unbilled_reason": null
}
```

### 🔧 How it works

**Transport.** Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

**Charging.** Each address geography check is charged at the moment it is pushed (`address_geography_check`); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count.

**Source**

The official, keyless **U.S. Census Bureau geocoder** —
`https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/onelineaddress` (benchmark `Public_AR_Current`,
vintage `Current_Current`). No API key, no scraping of any disallowed route.

**Billing law (validity shape)**

Pay-per-event. The `address_geography_check` event is charged **once per definitive official verdict**:

- `EXACT_MATCH` → **billed** (a definitive official match)
- `NO_MATCH` → **billed** (a definitive official no-match, confirmed by retry)
- `TIE` (ambiguous), `SERVICE_FAULT` / timeout, `UNPARSEABLE` → emitted, **never billed**
- a batch that resolves **no** definitive verdict fails loud and bills nothing

| Event | Unit | Price (USD) |
|-------|------|-------------|
| `address_geography_check` | per definitive official verdict (match or no-match) | **$0.05** |
| `apify-actor-start` | actor start (platform-reserved) | $0.02 |

Volume tiers apply a GOLD-floored −10 / −20 / −33% ladder on the check price.

**What is not done.** No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

### 💰 Pricing example

| Event | Free | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actor Start (`apify-actor-start`) | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| Address geography check (`address_geography_check`) | $0.05 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.03 |

Worked at the live Free-tier price:

- 1 address geography checks: $0.02 start + 1 × $0.05 = **$0.07**
- 25 address geography checks: $0.02 start + 25 × $0.05 = **$1.27**
- 100 address geography checks: $0.02 start + 100 × $0.05 = **$5.02**

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee only. A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 4096 MB.

Yield on the sample run: `NORMAL: 1 resolved (0 not-found, 0 ambiguous, 0 service-fault, 0 unparseable) of 1 | answers billable=1 | address_geography_check charged=1`.

### ⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by geocoding.geo.census.gov. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

### ❓ FAQ

**Q: Do I need an API key or a login?**\
A: No. The source (geocoding.geo.census.gov) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

**Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?**\
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE\_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input; BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee only.

**Q: How fresh is the data?**\
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

**Q: What formats can I export?**\
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

**Q: How is this different from the other NexGen Watch actors actors?**\
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers geocoding.geo.census.gov. The siblings under **Related Actors** cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

**Q: Are there rate limits?**\
A: The actor paces itself against the source; there is no per-buyer limit beyond your Apify plan's concurrency.

### 🆘 Troubleshooting

- **Run FAILED with BLOCKED** → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
- **Fewer rows than expected** → the source had fewer items in scope → widen the input.
- **Input validation error on start** → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
- **Run TIMED-OUT** → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.

### 🔗 Related Actors

- [Brazil PNCP Awarded Contracts](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/brazil-pncp-awarded-contracts?fpr=2ayu9b) — One structured registryrecord per record from the official public source, logged-out. Public, robots-honoured, keyless
- [Brazil PNCP Price-Registration Minutes](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/brazil-pncp-price-registration-minutes?fpr=2ayu9b) — One structured registryrecord per record from the official public source, logged-out. Public, robots-honoured, keyless
- [Brazil PNCP Tender Notices](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/brazil-pncp-tender-notices?fpr=2ayu9b) — One structured registryrecord per record from the official public source, logged-out. Public, robots-honoured, keyless
- [ChEMBL Biotherapeutic Sequence Master](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/chembl-biotherapeutic-sequence-master?fpr=2ayu9b) — same family, different source
- [ChEMBL Clinical-Stage Indication Screen](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/chembl-clinical-stage-indication-screen?fpr=2ayu9b) — same family, different source
- [ChEMBL Source Document Index](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/chembl-source-document-index?fpr=2ayu9b) — same family, different source
- 🏢 **About NexGenData** — NexGen Watch is NexGenData's fleet of 256 public monitoring and lookup actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at [apify.com/nexgenwatch](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch?fpr=2ayu9b).

### ⭐ Found this useful?

If this actor saved you a manual check, a quick **[review on the Apify Store](https://apify.com/nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check?fpr=2ayu9b)** helps other teams find it. Feature request or a source that changed? Open it from the **Issues** tab — every one is read.

# Actor input Schema

## `addresses` (type: `array`):

One-line BUSINESS or PROPERTY addresses to resolve to an official U.S. Census geography (e.g. "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"). Buyer-supplied business/property addresses only — not for person discovery. Inputs are not retained beyond the run. Batch capped at the official 10,000-address limit.

## `userAgent` (type: `string`):

Override the transparent crawler UA.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "addresses": [
    "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 = {
    "addresses": [
        "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check").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 = { "addresses": ["1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check").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 '{
  "addresses": [
    "1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500"
  ]
}' |
apify call nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,nexgenwatch/census-address-geography-check"
        }
    }
}
```

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/Rd3sRPtHmSmWaNJSL/builds/WdP4BOs5PjnMX2aMV/openapi.json