About CensusFlow

What Is CensusFlow?

CensusFlow is a free, open data visualization project that maps commute patterns for every major city and ZIP code area in the United States. Each page features an interactive dot-density map where every dot represents approximately 75 workers, color-coded by earnings tier or industry sector.

The project covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — over 29,000 city pages and 33,000 ZIP code pages.

The Data

CensusFlow is built on the LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) dataset published by the U.S. Census Bureau. LODES links home and work locations at the Census block level for nearly every job in the country, making it one of the most granular commute datasets available.

We aggregate block-level records up to Census Places (cities) and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) to create the commute flow maps, industry breakdowns, and earnings analyses you see on each page.

What the Maps Show

Dot-Density View

Each dot on the map represents roughly 75 commuting workers. Dots are jittered within their origin or destination area to create a density visualization that reveals commute corridors and employment clusters at a glance.

Outbound vs. Inbound

Outbound shows where residents of a city travel to work. Inbound shows where workers who commute into the city live. Toggling between views reveals whether a place is primarily a bedroom community or a job center.

Earnings & Industry Filters

Workers are split into three earnings tiers based on LODES wage categories. You can also filter by NAICS industry sector to see where specific types of workers live and work.

How to Use

• Start from the Home page and pick your state, or go directly to a city page.
• Toggle between Outbound and Inbound to see commute direction.
• Switch between Clusters and Streams view modes.
• Filter by Earnings tier or Industry sector.
• Scroll below the map for tables, industry mix, trend charts, and nearby city links.