HUD-USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Data API Now Available

January 29, 2019  

HUD-USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk Data API Now Available

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) is pleased to announce that HUD-USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk data are now available via an application programming interface (API). PD&R produces the crosswalk files to provide avenues for linking United States Postal Service (USPS) ZIP codes to Census Bureau geographies. Derived from USPS vacancy data, the files are updated quarterly, making them highly responsive to changes in ZIP code configurations. The crosswalk files also reflect the locations of both business and residential addresses. By using an allocation method based on actual ZIP+4 centroid locations and associated address counts rather than one that is based on spatial interpolation, the HUD-USPS crosswalk files enable a slightly more nuanced approach to allocating data between ZIP codes and other commonly referenced geographies.

There are six types of crosswalk files available for download. The first three crosswalk files are used to allocate ZIP codes to Census tracts, counties, or core based statistical areas (CBSA). The last three are used to allocate Census tracts, counties, or CBSAs to ZIP codes.

With this API, developers can easily access and customize crosswalk data for use in existing applications or to create new applications. To create an account and get an access token, please visit the API page here: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/dataset/fmr-api.html. To learn more about HUD-USPS ZIP Code Crosswalk datasets, go to https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/usps_crosswalk.html.

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