CensusChat: Healthcare Demographics Made Simple

Natural language interface to US Census data for healthcare strategy teams

Transform 6-week $50K demographic consulting into 6-second $297/month queries

📊 Foundation Data • 📖 Quick Start • 📧 Get Early Access

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🎉 v1 Shipped (February 3, 2026)

What's New in v1

• DuckDB 1.4 — New async API, MERGE statements, encryption support, query profiler
• MCP HTTP Transport — External client connections (Claude Desktop, Postman)
• Interactive Data Tables — TanStack Table with sorting, filtering, pagination, drill-down
• Chart Visualizations — Recharts bar/line charts with export controls
• Claude Agent SDK — Zod schema validation, parallel region comparison, conversational context
• Document Generation — Excel and PDF reports via MCP tools

Core Features

• ✅ TRUE MCP IMPLEMENTATION: Production SQL validation layer with security policies
• ✅ SQL Injection Protection: Table/column allowlists, row limits, dangerous pattern blocking
• ✅ Interactive Results: Sortable tables, filterable data, drill-down navigation
• ✅ Parallel Queries: "Compare Tampa Bay vs Phoenix" runs both simultaneously
• ✅ Conversational Context: "Now filter to income > $75K" understands prior query
• ✅ Audit Compliance: All queries logged for HIPAA/GDPR

Current Data:

• County Level: 3,144 US counties with demographics
• Block Group Level: 239,741 block groups with 84 variables

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🎯 The Problem

Healthcare strategy teams wait 6+ weeks and pay $50K+ for demographic analysis that CensusChat delivers in seconds for $297/month.

"Compare Medicare eligible seniors in Tampa Bay vs Phoenix with income over $75K"
→ Parallel queries, interactive comparison table, instant Excel export

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⚡ How It Works

1. Natural Language Input

Ask questions in plain English - no SQL knowledge required

2. AI-Powered Processing with Security

• Claude Sonnet 4 translates natural language to SQL
• MCP Validation Layer validates SQL against security policies
• DuckDB 1.4 executes validated queries on Census data
• Agent SDK handles parallel queries and conversational context

3. Interactive Output

• Sortable, filterable data tables
• Bar and line chart visualizations
• Drill-down from county to block groups
• Excel/PDF export with one click

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🏥 Built for Healthcare Professionals

Primary Users:

• Business Analysts at health systems and Medicare Advantage plans
• Strategy Teams planning market expansion and facility placement
• Healthcare Researchers conducting population health studies

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🛠 Technical Stack

const stack = {
  backend: "Node.js 20 + TypeScript + Express 5",
  frontend: "Next.js 15 + React 19 + Tailwind CSS 4",
  databases: "PostgreSQL 15 + Redis 7 + DuckDB 1.4.3",
  ai: "Claude Sonnet 4 + Agent SDK 0.2.30 + MCP SDK 1.25.3",
  interactive: "TanStack Table + Recharts + MCP Apps",
  deployment: "Docker + containerized testing"
};

Performance Metrics

• Sub-2 Second Queries with MCP validation
• Parallel Execution for comparison queries
• 82%+ Test Coverage with comprehensive test suites
• HIPAA-Ready Architecture with encryption and audit logging

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🚦 Quick Start

Step 1: Get API Keys (Required)

See API_KEY_SETUP.md for detailed instructions.

1. Anthropic API: Get key at console.anthropic.com
2. Census API: Request key at api.census.gov/data/key_signup.html
3. Add both keys to backend/.env

Step 2: Load Census Data (First Time Only)

cd backend
./scripts/setup-database.sh  # Takes 2-3 hours

Step 3: Start the Application

./demo-setup.sh

Open http://localhost:3000 and start querying.

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📊 Features

Healthcare-Specific Queries

• Medicare eligibility calculations (age 65+ demographics)
• Senior care demographics for facility planning
• Population health indicators and social determinants
• Market analysis for health system expansion

Interactive Data Exploration

• Click column headers to sort
• Filter rows without re-querying
• Drill down from county to block groups
• Export selected columns to Excel/CSV

Comparison Queries

• "Compare Tampa Bay vs Phoenix" runs in parallel
• Side-by-side demographic breakdowns
• Automatic chart generation for comparisons

Conversational Follow-up

• "Show seniors in Tampa Bay"
• "Now filter to income over $75K" (understands context)
• "Export that to Excel"

Enterprise Security

• HIPAA-ready architecture with encryption at rest
• SQL injection protection with validation layer
• Complete audit trail for compliance
• No PHI storage - only aggregated demographic data

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📚 Documentation

Getting Started

• 📖 Quick Start Guide
• 🔑 API Key Setup
• 📊 MVP Status Report

Technical Guides

• 🏗️ System Architecture
• 🗄️ DuckDB Reference
• 🔗 MCP Implementation
• 🧪 Testing Guide

Deployment

• 🚀 Railway Deployment
• 🔒 Security Policy

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📈 Market Impact

Problem We Solve:

• $2.8B spent annually on demographic consulting
• 6,090 hospitals needing demographic analysis
• 30,000+ senior care facilities planning expansion

Our Solution:

• 200x cost reduction: $50K → $297/month
• 300x speed improvement: 6 weeks → seconds
• Unlimited iterations with conversational follow-up

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🚀 Get Involved

For Healthcare Teams

📧 Request Early Access

For Developers

• Write quality TypeScript with 90%+ test coverage
• Maintain sub-2s query response times
• Follow HIPAA-ready security practices
• Run npm run secret-scan before committing

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⭐ Star this repository if CensusChat helps your healthcare data work

Transforming healthcare demographic analysis from weeks to seconds

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👤 About Kevin Holland

10+ years healthcare data experience • Frustrated by $50K consulting delays

📖 Read Kevin's Full Story | 📧 Get Updates