In Advanced Search, you can search for data throughout American FactFinder using pre-defined search options (“filters”). Filters let you narrow the list of available search results in American FactFinder to only display those that match your search request. For example, using a search filter term such as ‘Virginia’ will limit the search results to only display data tables available for Virginia. If you want to find data on Alaska Natives that live in Virginia you can select Alaska Natives from the race and ethnic groups category and select Virginia from the geographies category. Once both of those filters are selected, the data search results will only list tables, files, and other documents that are available and relevant to Alaska Natives that live in Virginia.
Adding Filters
To start, narrow your search by adding filters to Your Selections. For example, if you want to search for the population of Ohio, type “population” in the topic or table name search box and type “Ohio” in the Advanced Search geography search box, and click GO.

You may also use the search options below:
Search Using Topics in Advanced Search
Search Using Geography in Advanced Search
Search Using Race and Ethnic Groups in Advanced Search
Search Using Industry Codes in Advanced Search
Search Using EEO Occupation Codes in Advanced Search
To start a new search additional unrelated data, clear Your Selections by clicking the clear all selections and start a new search link
, or by clicking the individual remove buttons
. For example, after you completed a search for American Indian, you will need to start a new text search for Algerian since there aren’t any results that include both Algerian and American Indian. The following message will be displayed in the search results pane:
“No tables, files or documents were found that match the combination of items in “Your Selections”.
Try removing items from ‘Your Selections’, or click ‘clear all selections’ to start a new search.”

Again, you will need to remove items from Your Selections and then retry your search for Algerian.
When Your Selections is empty, search instructions are displayed in the search results pane.

Removing Selection Filters
Removing selection filters expands a search and returns more search results. If a search does not return enough results, try expanding the search by removing filters. There are two ways to remove selection filters:
1. Remove an existing filter by clicking the corresponding remove button
.
2. Remove all filters by clicking the clear all selections and start a new search link,
.
Error Messages
“No results were found for search term(s) you entered.”
American FactFinder could not find matching data products based on the search term(s) you entered. Modify Your Selections and try again.
See Also
Search Using Keywords in Advanced Search
Search Using Topics in Advanced Search
Search Using Geography in Advanced Search
Search Using Race and Ethnic Groups in Advanced Search