ERS GIS Map Services and API User Guide

All of the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) mapping applications, such as the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America, the Food Environment Atlas, and the Food Access Research Atlas, use map services developed and hosted by ERS as their map content source. These map services are open and freely available for use outside of the ERS map applications. Developers can include ERS maps in applications by using the map service REST API; desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) users can use the maps by directly connecting to the map server.

 

General Map Service Documentation

More than 30 ERS map services have been created, each containing anywhere from 4 to 70 map layers. Most services consist of national maps displaying county-level data. The Food Access Research Atlas service is Census-tract based. A good way to discover and browse the available services and maps is to use the ERS map applications themselves; all use similar data organization of "Categories" and "Maps." Each category in the application corresponds to a map service; each map is a layer in that map service. The Food Access Research Atlas is the exception as it uses temporal-based map services, plus an Esri hosted background map.

The ARC GIS REST Services Directory lists all available map services. Updates to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Data System have been discontinued.

Note: All map services are accessible only via https.

Summary of ERS map services and where they are used
Map service Description, type of content Where used
background

Generic landmass/water body used for map backgrounds

Spatial reference: USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic USGS

Most current release date: 2/2/2018

The Food Environment Atlas
background2023

Generic landmass/water body used for map backgrounds using an updated boundary file for US Territories

Spatial reference: USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic USGS

Most current release date: 4/7/2023

Atlas of Rural and Small- Town America
fa_access
fa_assistance
fa_health
fa_insecurity
fa_local
fa_prices_taxes
fa_restaurants
fa_socioeconomic
fa_stores

Access and proximity to grocery stores
Food and nutrition assistance
Health and physical activity
Food insecurity
Local foods
Food prices and taxes
Restaurant availability and expenditures
Socioeconomic characteristics
Grocery store availability

Spatial reference: NAD 1983

Most current release date: 9/10/2020

The Food Environment Atlas

foodaccess2010
foodaccess2015
foodaccess2019

Food access measures used in the Food Access Research Atlas: 'foodaccess2019' is the most current version, released 4/27/2021

Prior versions include 'foodaccess2015', released 1/17/2017, and 'foodaccess2010', released 2/2013

Spatial reference: Web Mercator

The Food Access Research Atlas

ra_cntyclass
ra_income
ra_jobs
ra_people
ra_veterans

County classifications
Income
Jobs
People
Veterans

Spatial reference: WGS 84

Most current release date: 4/7/2023

Atlas of Rural and Small- Town America
snap_benefits snap_participation_poverty snap_participation

SNAP benefits
SNAP participation per person in poverty
SNAP participation

Spatial reference: NAD 1983

Most current release date: 5/28/2013

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Data System (discontinued)
ra_filter

Aggregation of county boundaries by the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America’s Metro 2013 classification

Spatial reference: NAD 1983

Most current release date: 4/7/2023

The Food Environment Atlas
ra_filter2019

Aggregation of county boundaries circa 2019 by the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America’s Metro 2013 classification

Spatial reference: NAD 1983

Most current release date: 4/7/2023

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

reference

State and county boundaries and labels
NAD 1983 USGS Contiguous Albers

Most current release date: 2/2/2018

All ERS map atlases except the Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America
reference2023
reference2023_labels

State and county boundaries and labels
NAD 1983 USGS Contiguous Albers

Most current release date: 4/7/2023

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

NASS 2017 and 2012 Ag Census Map Services

In partnership with the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), ERS developed the 2017 Ag Census Maps and the 2012 Ag Census Maps application, and also hosts the map services for that application; see the NASS map service documentation.

Desktop User Instructions

To use the ERS map services in a desktop application, such as ArcMap or ArcGIS Online:

Developer API Instructions

The services can be accessed through ArcGIS Server REST API; JSON and SOAP interfaces are also available. See the ArcGIS Server REST API detailed documentation, including general usage instructions, service properties, and methods.