In decennial census data products, geographic entities usually are presented in an hierarchical arrangement or as an inventory listing.

An hierarchical geographic presentation shows the geographic entities in a superior/subordinate structure. This structure is derived from the legal, administrative, or a real relationships of the entities. The hierarchical structure is depicted in report tables by means of indentation, and is explained for computer-readable media in the geographic coverage portion of the abstract in the technical documentation. An example of hierarchical presentation is the "standard census geographic hierarchy": census block, within block group, within census tract, within place, within county subdivision, within county, within state, within division, within region, within the United States. Graphically, this is shown as:

United States

    Region

        Division

            State

                County

                    County subdivision

                        Place (or part)

                            Census tract (or part)

                                Block group (or part)