datacommons-client

•

24.4k23983 months ago

Work with Data Commons, a platform providing programmatic access to public statistical data from global sources. Use this skill when working with demographic data, economic indicators, health statistics, environmental data, or any public datasets available through Data Commons. Applicable for querying population statistics, GDP figures, unemployment rates, disease prevalence, geographic entity resolution, and exploring relationships between statistical entities.

Quick Install

npxskills add davila7/claude-code-templates--skill datacommons-client

Instructions

Data Commons Client

Overview

Provides comprehensive access to the Data Commons Python API v2 for querying statistical observations, exploring the knowledge graph, and resolving entity identifiers. Data Commons aggregates data from census bureaus, health organizations, environmental agencies, and other authoritative sources into a unified knowledge graph.

Installation

Install the Data Commons Python client with Pandas support:

uv pip install "datacommons-client[Pandas]"

For basic usage without Pandas:

uv pip install datacommons-client

Core Capabilities

The Data Commons API consists of three main endpoints, each detailed in dedicated reference files:

1. Observation Endpoint - Statistical Data Queries

Query time-series statistical data for entities. See references/observation.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Retrieve population, economic, health, or environmental statistics
Access historical time-series data for trend analysis
Query data for hierarchies (all counties in a state, all countries in a region)
Compare statistics across multiple entities
Filter by data source for consistency

Common patterns:

from datacommons_client import DataCommonsClient

client = DataCommonsClient()

# Get latest population data
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06"],  # California
    date="latest"
)

# Get time series
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["UnemploymentRate_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["country/USA"],
    date="all"
)

# Query by hierarchy
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["MedianIncome_Household"],
    entity_expression="geoId/06<-containedInPlace+{typeOf:County}",
    date="2020"
)

2. Node Endpoint - Knowledge Graph Exploration

Explore entity relationships and properties within the knowledge graph. See references/node.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Discover available properties for entities
Navigate geographic hierarchies (parent/child relationships)
Retrieve entity names and metadata
Explore connections between entities
List all entity types in the graph

Common patterns:

# Discover properties
labels = client.node.fetch_property_labels(
    node_dcids=["geoId/06"],
    out=True
)

# Navigate hierarchy
children = client.node.fetch_place_children(
    node_dcids=["country/USA"]
)

# Get entity names
names = client.node.fetch_entity_names(
    node_dcids=["geoId/06", "geoId/48"]
)

3. Resolve Endpoint - Entity Identification

Translate entity names, coordinates, or external IDs into Data Commons IDs (DCIDs). See references/resolve.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Convert place names to DCIDs for queries
Resolve coordinates to places
Map Wikidata IDs to Data Commons entities
Handle ambiguous entity names

Common patterns:

# Resolve by name
response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_name(
    names=["California", "Texas"],
    entity_type="State"
)

# Resolve by coordinates
dcid = client.resolve.fetch_dcid_by_coordinates(
    latitude=37.7749,
    longitude=-122.4194
)

# Resolve Wikidata IDs
response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_wikidata_id(
    wikidata_ids=["Q30", "Q99"]
)

Typical Workflow

Most Data Commons queries follow this pattern:

Resolve entities (if starting with names):

resolve_response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_name(
    names=["California", "Texas"]
)
dcids = [r["candidates"][0]["dcid"]
         for r in resolve_response.to_dict().values()
         if r["candidates"]]

Discover available variables (optional):

variables = client.observation.fetch_available_statistical_variables(
    entity_dcids=dcids
)

Query statistical data:

response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person", "UnemploymentRate_Person"],
    entity_dcids=dcids,
    date="latest"
)

Process results:

# As dictionary
data = response.to_dict()

# As Pandas DataFrame
df = response.to_observations_as_records()

Finding Statistical Variables

Statistical variables use specific naming patterns in Data Commons:

Common variable patterns:

Count_Person - Total population
Count_Person_Female - Female population
UnemploymentRate_Person - Unemployment rate
Median_Income_Household - Median household income
Count_Death - Death count
Median_Age_Person - Median age

Discovery methods:

# Check what variables are available for an entity
available = client.observation.fetch_available_statistical_variables(
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06"]
)

# Or explore via the web interface
# https://datacommons.org/tools/statvar

Working with Pandas

All observation responses integrate with Pandas:

response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06", "geoId/48"],
    date="all"
)

# Convert to DataFrame
df = response.to_observations_as_records()
# Columns: date, entity, variable, value

# Reshape for analysis
pivot = df.pivot_table(
    values='value',
    index='date',
    columns='entity'
)

API Authentication

For datacommons.org (default):

An API key is required
Set via environment variable: export DC_API_KEY="your_key"
Or pass when initializing: client = DataCommonsClient(api_key="your_key")
Request keys at: https://apikeys.datacommons.org/

For custom Data Commons instances:

No API key required
Specify custom endpoint: client = DataCommonsClient(url="https://custom.datacommons.org")

Reference Documentation

Comprehensive documentation for each endpoint is available in the references/ directory:

references/observation.md: Complete Observation API documentation with all methods, parameters, response formats, and common use cases
references/node.md: Complete Node API documentation for graph exploration, property queries, and hierarchy navigation
references/resolve.md: Complete Resolve API documentation for entity identification and DCID resolution
references/getting_started.md: Quickstart guide with end-to-end examples and common patterns

Additional Resources

Official Documentation: https://docs.datacommons.org/api/python/v2/
Statistical Variable Explorer: https://datacommons.org/tools/statvar
Data Commons Browser: https://datacommons.org/browser/
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/datacommonsorg/api-python

Tips for Effective Use

Always start with resolution: Convert names to DCIDs before querying data
Use relation expressions for hierarchies: Query all children at once instead of individual queries
Check data availability first: Use fetch_available_statistical_variables() to see what's queryable
Leverage Pandas integration: Convert responses to DataFrames for analysis
Cache resolutions: If querying the same entities repeatedly, store name→DCID mappings
Filter by facet for consistency: Use filter_facet_domains to ensure data from the same source
Read reference docs: Each endpoint has extensive documentation in the references/ directory

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Data Commons Client

Overview

Installation

Install the Data Commons Python client with Pandas support:

uv pip install "datacommons-client[Pandas]"

For basic usage without Pandas:

uv pip install datacommons-client

Core Capabilities

The Data Commons API consists of three main endpoints, each detailed in dedicated reference files:

1. Observation Endpoint - Statistical Data Queries

Query time-series statistical data for entities. See references/observation.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Retrieve population, economic, health, or environmental statistics
Access historical time-series data for trend analysis
Query data for hierarchies (all counties in a state, all countries in a region)
Compare statistics across multiple entities
Filter by data source for consistency

Common patterns:

from datacommons_client import DataCommonsClient

client = DataCommonsClient()

# Get latest population data
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06"],  # California
    date="latest"
)

# Get time series
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["UnemploymentRate_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["country/USA"],
    date="all"
)

# Query by hierarchy
response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["MedianIncome_Household"],
    entity_expression="geoId/06<-containedInPlace+{typeOf:County}",
    date="2020"
)

2. Node Endpoint - Knowledge Graph Exploration

Explore entity relationships and properties within the knowledge graph. See references/node.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Discover available properties for entities
Navigate geographic hierarchies (parent/child relationships)
Retrieve entity names and metadata
Explore connections between entities
List all entity types in the graph

Common patterns:

# Discover properties
labels = client.node.fetch_property_labels(
    node_dcids=["geoId/06"],
    out=True
)

# Navigate hierarchy
children = client.node.fetch_place_children(
    node_dcids=["country/USA"]
)

# Get entity names
names = client.node.fetch_entity_names(
    node_dcids=["geoId/06", "geoId/48"]
)

3. Resolve Endpoint - Entity Identification

Translate entity names, coordinates, or external IDs into Data Commons IDs (DCIDs). See references/resolve.md for comprehensive documentation.

Primary use cases:

Convert place names to DCIDs for queries
Resolve coordinates to places
Map Wikidata IDs to Data Commons entities
Handle ambiguous entity names

Common patterns:

# Resolve by name
response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_name(
    names=["California", "Texas"],
    entity_type="State"
)

# Resolve by coordinates
dcid = client.resolve.fetch_dcid_by_coordinates(
    latitude=37.7749,
    longitude=-122.4194
)

# Resolve Wikidata IDs
response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_wikidata_id(
    wikidata_ids=["Q30", "Q99"]
)

Typical Workflow

Most Data Commons queries follow this pattern:

Resolve entities (if starting with names):

resolve_response = client.resolve.fetch_dcids_by_name(
    names=["California", "Texas"]
)
dcids = [r["candidates"][0]["dcid"]
         for r in resolve_response.to_dict().values()
         if r["candidates"]]

Discover available variables (optional):

variables = client.observation.fetch_available_statistical_variables(
    entity_dcids=dcids
)

Query statistical data:

response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person", "UnemploymentRate_Person"],
    entity_dcids=dcids,
    date="latest"
)

Process results:

# As dictionary
data = response.to_dict()

# As Pandas DataFrame
df = response.to_observations_as_records()

Finding Statistical Variables

Statistical variables use specific naming patterns in Data Commons:

Common variable patterns:

Count_Person - Total population
Count_Person_Female - Female population
UnemploymentRate_Person - Unemployment rate
Median_Income_Household - Median household income
Count_Death - Death count
Median_Age_Person - Median age

Discovery methods:

# Check what variables are available for an entity
available = client.observation.fetch_available_statistical_variables(
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06"]
)

# Or explore via the web interface
# https://datacommons.org/tools/statvar

Working with Pandas

All observation responses integrate with Pandas:

response = client.observation.fetch(
    variable_dcids=["Count_Person"],
    entity_dcids=["geoId/06", "geoId/48"],
    date="all"
)

# Convert to DataFrame
df = response.to_observations_as_records()
# Columns: date, entity, variable, value

# Reshape for analysis
pivot = df.pivot_table(
    values='value',
    index='date',
    columns='entity'
)

API Authentication

For datacommons.org (default):

An API key is required
Set via environment variable: export DC_API_KEY="your_key"
Or pass when initializing: client = DataCommonsClient(api_key="your_key")
Request keys at: https://apikeys.datacommons.org/

For custom Data Commons instances:

No API key required
Specify custom endpoint: client = DataCommonsClient(url="https://custom.datacommons.org")

Reference Documentation

Comprehensive documentation for each endpoint is available in the references/ directory:

references/observation.md: Complete Observation API documentation with all methods, parameters, response formats, and common use cases
references/node.md: Complete Node API documentation for graph exploration, property queries, and hierarchy navigation
references/resolve.md: Complete Resolve API documentation for entity identification and DCID resolution
references/getting_started.md: Quickstart guide with end-to-end examples and common patterns

Additional Resources

Official Documentation: https://docs.datacommons.org/api/python/v2/
Statistical Variable Explorer: https://datacommons.org/tools/statvar
Data Commons Browser: https://datacommons.org/browser/
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/datacommonsorg/api-python

Tips for Effective Use

Always start with resolution: Convert names to DCIDs before querying data
Use relation expressions for hierarchies: Query all children at once instead of individual queries
Check data availability first: Use fetch_available_statistical_variables() to see what's queryable
Leverage Pandas integration: Convert responses to DataFrames for analysis
Cache resolutions: If querying the same entities repeatedly, store name→DCID mappings
Filter by facet for consistency: Use filter_facet_domains to ensure data from the same source
Read reference docs: Each endpoint has extensive documentation in the references/ directory