Census MCP Server - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install Census MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, CENSUS_API_KEY before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add cyanheads-census-mcp-server -- npx -y @cyanheads/census-mcp-server

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cyanheads-census-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@cyanheads/census-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license Apache-2.0 - declared in the repository

npm package @cyanheads/census-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@cyanheads)

registry namespace io.github.cyanheads is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Census MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can list the geography levels supported by a dataset and year, with parent requirements and example FIPS values, fetch full metadata for one or more variable codes - label, concept, predicate type, universe, MOE sibling, list the codes a filter dimension accepts (EMPSZES, LFO, POPGROUP, NAICS2017…), from the dataset dictionary or a live wildcard enumeration, and convert place names (e.g., "King County, WA") or street addresses to Census FIPS identifiers via TIGERweb and Census Geocoder.

Capability map

Tools grouped from the project's README - what Census MCP Server lets an agent do.

Census

8 tools - e.g. Browse available Census Bureau datasets (ACS5, ACS1, Population Estimates, Decennial, County Business Patterns, Economic Census, Nonemployer Statistics) with vi; List the geography levels supported by a…

census_list_datasets · census_list_geographies · census_search_variables · census_get_variable · census_list_predicate_values · census_resolve_geography…

Cache

1 tool - e.g. variables.json is fetched once per dataset+year with a configurable TTL (default 24h)

Cache-backed

Latest releases

v0.3.3 · 2026-08-25

MCP SDK v2 adoption via mcp-ts-core 0.12.3 · Tool inputs are now strict - an undeclared argument key is rejected with isError: true naming the key, instead of being silently stripped · Advertised schemas move to JSON…

v0.3.2 · 2026-07-31

dataset vintage validation, upstream error handling, text-cell values · census_list_datasets and every query tool now validate the vintage year against one table before any request goes out; pep/charv advertises 2023…

v0.3.1 · 2026-07-31

predicate value verification, pep/charv record splitting · Check census_list_predicate_values dictionary codes against a dataset's published rows and drop the ones it serves nothing for, naming a dead code by keyword…

04 · Who maintains Census MCP Server

census-mcp-server is maintained by cyanheads. We track 125 MCP servers from cyanheads - 124 actively maintained, 1,730 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Dec 2024. Full record: all servers from cyanheads.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/cyanheads/census-mcp-server
category: other - ranked #151 of 848 actively-maintained other servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-25)
registry: io.github.cyanheads/census-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-05-25 · 17 versions)
packages: npm:@cyanheads/census-mcp-server · npm:@cyanheads/census-mcp-server

06 · Census MCP Server FAQ

Is Census MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-25 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

What can Census MCP Server do?

With this server connected, an agent can list the geography levels supported by a dataset and year, with parent requirements and example FIPS values, fetch full metadata for one or more variable codes - label, concept, predicate type, universe, MOE sibling, list the codes a filter dimension accepts (EMPSZES, LFO, POPGROUP, NAICS2017…), from the dataset dictionary or a live wildcard enumeration, and convert place names (e.g., "King County, WA") or street addresses to Census FIPS identifiers via TIGERweb and Census Geocoder.

How do I install Census MCP Server?

Run `npx -y @cyanheads/census-mcp-server`. The README documents 3 environment variables (MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, CENSUS_API_KEY) to set first. Set MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE, MCP_LOG_LEVEL, CENSUS_API_KEY before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Census MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Census MCP Server

Alternatives to Census MCP Server

Maintained other servers if Census MCP Server isn't the fit.

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