# Merged 2011-2015 ACS csv data to shapefile of same wave, but 338 tracts in the shapefile aren't in the csv file.

**URL:** <https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777>\
**Category:** NHGIS\
**Created:** [June 8, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777 "2017-06-08T23:52:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rodriguep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@rodriguep](https://forum.ipums.org/u/rodriguep)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777/1 "2017-06-08T23:52:00Z")

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Hi there,

I’m trying to merge some data from the 2011-2015 ACS at the tract level onto the 2011-2015 ACS tract shapefile. Both files, the shapefile and the csv data, come from NHGIS. I’m trying to use the GISJOIN variable to merge, but I’m finding that 338 of the tracts in the shapefile don’t appear in the csv file. Could anyone help me figure out what to do? I’ve attached a sheet with the tracts in the shapefile that don’t appear in the csv file. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Pete Rodrigue

[missing tracts.csv](https://forum.ipums.org/uploads/short-url/mgMY7E9721YkFCnuDlL2lBebDiz.csv) (59.7 KB)

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**Author:** ![grover](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/grover/32/5_2.png) [@grover](https://forum.ipums.org/u/grover)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777/2 "2017-06-09T21:20:00Z")

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It may be that the table you are analyzing is suppressed for those tracts. The Census Bureau suppresses data for [a number of reasons](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/technical-documentation/data-suppression.html). Would you mind sharing which specific table you are analyzing? I can than double check to make sure that this is in fact the case.

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**Author:** ![rodriguep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@rodriguep](https://forum.ipums.org/u/rodriguep)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777/3 "2017-06-09T21:27:00Z")

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Sure thing; thanks for your prompt reply. Here’s the table:

| [B14002. Sex by School Enrollment by Level of School by Type of School for the Population 3 Years and Over](https://data2.nhgis.org/main#) |

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**Author:** ![grover](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.ipums.org/grover/32/5_2.png) [@grover](https://forum.ipums.org/u/grover)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/merged-2011-2015-acs-csv-data-to-shapefile-of-same-wave-but-338-tracts-in-the-shapefile-arent-in-the-csv-file/1777/4 "2017-06-09T22:03:00Z")

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I just extracted the table and I am getting data for all of the tracts listed in your attached csv file, so this is not related to suppression. There is a 338 tract difference between the CSV and the shape file, but these tracts are in the CSV table but not in the shapefile (they all represent areas with populations of zero). I would recommend starting over from the original extracted files, or even creating a brand new extract, and attempting the merge again.