ACS Data Users Group

Does anyone know how to download the PUMS replicate weights (all 80 of them) using the API ? When I try to list all 80 variable in the API call I get the ERROR: "error: 'get' is limited to 50 variables." Is there a way to download the 80 weights along with other variables without having to have to break everything up into groups of fewer than 50 variables ?

Thanks Dave Dorer

I haven't done it through the API directly, but if you use R you can use the the tidycensus package to make the API call / download the data. It's worked well for me.

In tidycensus, we handle this limit by making repeated calls to the API and combining the results if more than 50 variables (including weights) are requested. Here's the code that does that: github.com/.../pums.R

Dear Matt and Elizabith,

I usually call the API from within my own R code. I was hoping the the API would handle the replicate weights somehow as there are 80 of them so you have to make at least 2 calls. Thanks for letting me know that tidycensus uses repeated calls. I used the multiple calls solution and it sounds like that is the only way to do it.

why not download stuff from ipums.org? I understand using APIs for tables, but the rationale for straining the API to load the microdata is beyond me.

Deat Stas,

Being a research "guy" I try to get as close to the original data source as possible. When I download something via the API using R I save the object in a file so I only download once. Ipums has a lot of great stuff but as of now I am only doing cross sectional analyses so I haven't needed some of the ipums features.