If you’re building territories from counties, the import stands or falls on one column: the FIPS code. Get that right and your county data loads perfectly; use county names instead and you’ll spend the afternoon untangling mismatches. Here’s how to prepare and import county-based data so it lands clean the first time.
Why You Need FIPS Codes, Not Names
County names aren’t unique. There’s an Orange County in eight states and a Washington County in thirty, so “Washington County” tells AlignMix nothing about which one you mean. FIPS codes solve it: they’re five-digit federal identifiers, two digits for the state and three for the county, and every county’s is unique across the country. Key your data on FIPS and every row matches exactly one county, no guessing. (The county-based territories guide covers where to find FIPS codes and when counties beat ZIP codes in the first place.)
Preparing and Importing the File
Set up a spreadsheet with one row per county: the FIPS code, whatever data you’re bringing in (revenue, potential, current territory), and any other metrics. Watch the classic Excel trap on the way in, formatting: Excel strips the leading zero from a code like 01001 and turns it into 1001, so format the FIPS column as text before you save. Then import into AlignMix with county as your base geography, and each row snaps to its county on the map.
Watch: Importing County-Based Data
If the Import Doesn’t Match
Almost every failed county import comes down to one of two things. Leading zeros: Excel converted your codes to numbers and dropped the front zero, so re-format the column as text and try again. Or names instead of codes: swap them for FIPS. The general rules that keep any import clean, no merged cells, no duplicate rows, live in our guide to setting up your data in Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I import counties by name?
County names repeat across states, so a name alone is ambiguous. AlignMix matches counties on their unique five-digit FIPS code instead.
What is a FIPS code?
A federal identifier for every US county: two digits for the state, three for the county. It’s unique nationwide, which is why it’s the reliable key for county data.
Why isn’t my county data matching on import?
Usually leading zeros, Excel turned 01001 into 1001, so format the FIPS column as text and re-import. The other common cause is using names instead of FIPS codes.
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