Open Census

How to Set Up and Use Open Census

Open Census MCP Server turns any MCP-compatible AI assistant into a statistical consultant for U.S. Census Bureau data, letting users ask demographic questions in plain English and receive accurate, properly contextualized answers drawn from the American Community Survey (ACS) and other Census data sources. The server applies a pragmatic rules engine that evaluates data fitness — checking margin-of-error thresholds, coverage bias, temporal validity, and source selection — so that answers come with the methodological caveats a professional demographer would apply. It is especially useful for journalists, civic leaders, nonprofit analysts, and researchers who need reliable demographic insights without learning Census API query syntax.

git clone https://github.com/brockwebb/open-census-mcp-server.git
cd open-census-mcp-server

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .

export CENSUS_API_KEY=your_census_api_key_here

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "open-census": {
      "command": "/path/to/open-census-mcp-server/venv/bin/python3",
      "args": ["-m", "open_census_mcp"],
      "env": {
        "CENSUS_API_KEY": "your_census_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

- "What is the median household income in Austin, Texas?"
- "What percentage of residents in Brooklyn, NY speak a language other than English at home?"
- "Compare the poverty rate between Detroit and Cleveland using the most recent 5-year ACS."
- "What is the educational attainment breakdown for adults in rural Appalachia?"
- "How has the foreign-born population of Miami-Dade County changed over the last decade?"