topic Address locator created from TIGER files not complete in Data Management Questions

Address locator created from TIGER files not complete

M_ — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:05:31 GMT

I've created several address locators from Census Bureau TIGER files (the "all lines" files, because the road files do not have Left and Right data) but when I run a geocode, many addresses don't match because some roads (and sometimes only one side of a road) are not present in the address locator. When I check the original file on the map, the missing road is there. So why doesn't it appear in the address locator? Why are so many of one side of roads present and not the other? Is there some trick to address locator creation I'm missing? Are there known issues with creating them from TIGER files?

I've seen some threads about address locator/geocoding problems with ArcGIS 10 and subsequent versions, so maybe this is related somehow?

Re: Address locator created from TIGER files not complete

JoeBorgione — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:09:47 GMT

I've created several address locators from Census Bureau TIGER files (the "all lines" files, because the road files do not have Left and Right data) but when I run a geocode, many addresses don't match because some roads (and sometimes only one side of a road) are not present in the address locator. When I check the original file on the map, the missing road is there. So why doesn't it appear in the address locator? Why are so many of one side of roads present and not the other? Is there some trick to address locator creation I'm missing? Are there known issues with creating them from TIGER files?

I've seen some threads about address locator/geocoding problems with ArcGIS 10 and subsequent versions, so maybe this is related somehow?

I'm not a huge fan of Tiger files but I do know that a lot of people use them with success:

...when I run a geocode, many addresses don't match because some roads (and sometimes only one side of a road) are not present in the address locator. When I check the original file on the map, the missing road is there. So why doesn't it appear in the address locator?

There isn't any data per se in the locator itself. It's merely a mechanism that references the data to match against; in your case the Tiger files. If the address appears valid on the street data, I'm thinking the locator wasn't set up properly.

Why are so many of one side of roads present and not the other

That's a tough question to answer; I do know that down loading census data isn't the most straight forward process around. (One of the reasons I like to avoid it.) I wonder if in your downloading process you did not get all the data you thought you were getting.

You might want to use the data that comes with the ArcGIS install discs.

Re: Address locator created from TIGER files not complete

MaksimMazor1 — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 11:43:16 GMT

You should download and build your locator using the ADDRFEAT Tiger files, this will allow you to geocode L/R sides of the road.