Find Geospatial Data at Harvard

Still image of the 2022 Fisher Prize Award Winner project, "Cities redefined"

Harvard University Center for Geographic Analysis

The Center for Geographic Analysis at Harvard University was founded in 2006 as a university-wide technology platform in the Institute for Quantitative Social Science, building on the foundation already created by the Harvard Geospatial Library and the Harvard Map Collection. The Center supports research projects and courses needing spatial analysis.

Harvard Geospatial Library

The Harvard Geospatial Library (HGL) is a place to search for and download many types of geospatial data. Data sets are available from around the world at various scales, from global to local. Each data set is delivered with complete metadata, making it easier to add to a GIS (geographic information system) and compare to other data sets about the same place.

Harvard Map Collection

The Harvard Map Collection, founded in 1818, is the oldest map collection in the United States. It houses one of the largest collections of maps, atlases, and digital data in North America. The collection has grown to include ca. 400,000 maps, over 6,000 atlases, and several thousand reference books. The collection represents all chronological periods and significant map makers through topographic maps, city plans, nautical charts, and thematic maps.


Harvard Library Subscribed Resouces

PolicyMap

PolicyMap is an online mapping application. You can use this tool to create simple maps showing various data, including census data, real estate data, health data, mortgage trends, unemployment data, crime statistics, neighborhood data, and education data. The data ranges from 2000-2011, and is US-wide.

SimplyAnalytics

SimplyAnalytics is a web-based mapping, analytics, and data visualization application that allows anyone to create interactive maps, charts, and reports using 200,000+ data variables.

Social Explorer Demographic Data

Social Explorer provides access to both historical and current demographic data. Includes census data and data from the American Community Survey. * Make sure to check the boxes "Output ALL geographic identifiers" and "Output DBF friendly column names" on Social Explorer's download page. Click on the csv-link to download the file, and on the Data Dictionary link to download the data dictionary.