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.
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 Spatial reference: NAD 1983 Most current release date: 9/10/2020 |
The Food Environment Atlas |
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 | |
County classifications 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 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 |
|
reference |
State and county boundaries and labels 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 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:
- Browse service description and REST directory to select services and maps.
- Follow the instructions to add the maps to your document.
- Use 'gis.ers.usda.gov' as the server specification.
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.