Importing TIGER Data

Starting with release 9.4, SAS/GIS can import Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) spatial data files in both the Record Type (RT) and shapefile formats. TIGER files released by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 1990 to 2006 time period were ASCII text files using the RT format. The U.S. Census Bureau began providing TIGER data in the shapefile format in 2007. This section discusses how to use SAS/GIS to interactively import both these formats.
To import spatial data in the TIGER format using the GIS Spatial Data Importing window, complete the following steps:
  1. If the Import Type is not already Tiger, then select Tiger from the drop-down menu.
    Review the button to the left of the Import Type drop-down menu. If you are importing RT format TIGER files dated prior to 2007, click the button to toggle to 1990–2006 TIGER file.
    The title of the filename field in the INPUT pane changes to match the selected TIGER format. The title is TIGER basic data record filename for TIGER files dated 1990 – 2006. The title is TIGER basic data record shapefile location for TIGER files dated 2007 or later.
  2. If you are importing TIGER files dated 1990 – 2006, then specify the path to the desired TIGER basic data record file. If you are importing TIGER files dated post 2006, then specify the path to the first of a set of TIGER basic data record files. Either enter the path in the file name field or click the arrow to display an Open window. Then select the file from that window.
    Each TIGER map consists of a set of files with names of the form TGRssccc.Fvn, where
    ss
    is the two-digit FIPS code for the state.
    ccc
    is the three-digit FIPS code for the county.
    Note: Refer to the documentation that accompanies the TIGER data for a directory of the FIPS codes for each state and county.
    v
    identifies the TIGER version number.
    n
    identifies the TIGER record type. The basic data record is Type 1.
    SAS/GIS allocates the SAS fileref TIGER1 to the import path that you specified in the filename field. If you allocate the fileref TIGER1 to the desired file before beginning the import process, the filename and path appear in the filename field automatically.
  3. This step is performed only if you are importing TIGER data files dated 1990 to 2006. If you are importing TIGER/Line shapefiles dated 2007 to present, proceed to Step 4.
    Click Other Files, and then enter or select the path for the other TIGER data files in the window that appears. If the files are in the same directory as the basic data record file, SAS/GIS software automatically sets the path to the other files. Specify the following files:
    Shape coordinate points
    provides additional coordinates that describe the shape of each line segment (for example, a curve in the road). These coordinates are SAS/GIS detail points. This file is required and is selected by default. This file is a Type 2 TIGER file. SAS/GIS allocates the fileref TIGER2 to this path.
    Index to alternate feature names
    provides the names if a line segment has more than one feature name (for example, Main St. and State Highway 1010). This file is optional and is not selected by default. To read in the data from this file, select the Read On/Off check box. This file is a Type 4 TIGER file. SAS/GIS allocates the fileref TIGER4 to this path.
    Feature name list
    provides a list of all unique feature names. This file is optional and is not selected by default. To read in the data from this file, select the Read On/Off check box. This file is a Type 5 TIGER file. SAS/GIS allocates the fileref TIGER5 to this path.
    Additional address and ZIP code data
    provides additional address range information if the address information cannot be presented as a single address range. This file is optional and is not selected by default. To read in the data from this file, select the Read On/Off check box. SAS/GIS allocates the fileref TIGER6 to this path.
    When you have specified the paths for the TIGER files, click OK to return to the GIS Spatial Data Importing window.
  4. Modify the destination information for the catalog and the spatial data sets, if needed.
  5. Modify the default layers and composites, if needed. For more information, see the following:
    Note: By default, the following composites are assigned Drop status and will not appear in the imported data. Refer to the documentation for TIGER/Line files for more information about these composites.
    AIR ANC IADDR RECTYPE SIDECODE SOURCE
  6. Click Import to import the data. When the import process is complete, a message is displayed in the window message bar to indicate whether the import was successful. You can proceed with another import or close the window to display the newly imported map.
Note: When you have existing imported TIGER spatial data, the GIS Spatial Data Importing window prevents you from appending or updating that data with the import of any other TIGER data. The OUTPUT action field allows only a replace or create action. Mixing TIGER data, especially from two separate decennial censuses, will yield unsatisfactory results. Information such as census tracts and city boundaries can change, and are thus incomparable.
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