Overview

Introduction

The Lightcast ACS API provides access to American Community Survey (ACS) Census data, formatted for easy integration and compatibility with Lightcast area definitions. This API simplifies access to demographic, economic, and housing insights sourced directly from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 5-year estimates, enabling applications in regional analysis, labor market research, and economic modeling.

Lightcast enhances this dataset by translating ACS variables into representative, descriptive metrics, making it easier to retrieve and interpret complex census data. Users can explore metadata for each metric, such as definitions and underlying ACS variables through the /meta/metrics endpoint.

Note: While the data originates from the U.S. Census Bureau Data API, it is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau. By default, all clients are allowed a maximum of 10 requests per second. Contact us if you require higher limits.

API Endpoint

There are multiple endpoints within this category. Refer to individual API docs under the Lightcast ACS API section.

Request Headers

(*) Indicates the action to be required

All requests must include the following headers:

Authentication

All endpoints in this category require an OAuth 2.0 Bearer Token for authentication. Tokens are granted through Lightcast’s Authentication API and are valid for 1 hour.

To access the Lightcast ACS API, the token must include the following scope:

• acs (for expanded access)

Sample Request

curl --request POST \
  --url https://auth.emsicloud.com/connect/token \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \
  --data client_id=CLIENT_ID \
  --data client_secret=CLIENT_SECRET \
  --data grant_type=client_credentials \
  --data scope=acs

Request Parameters

Sample Response

{
  "access_token": "<ACCESS_TOKEN>",
  "expires_in": 3600,
  "token_type": "Bearer"
}

Note that the Tokens expire after 3600 seconds. To maintain uninterrupted access, refresh the token before it expires. To know more about this, refer to the Authentication guide.

Response Parameters

Status Code Summary