Data Sources

• Best Places Net
• Compare two U.S. cities by crime, housing, economic, education, health and climate factors
• Compare climates in foreign countries


• Best Places to Live - 2000 (Money Magazine)
• Ranks 300 cities to live by economy, health, crime, housing, education, weather,leisure, transit, arts
• Arranged by ranking and alphabetically by city
• City pages include a description and relocation information as well as statistical data on the quality of life and the cost of living
• Interactive interface permits the user to create own rankings


• Census Bureau Web Site
• Press releases of current demographic, economic, and housing trends
• Historic income and poverty data; national population projections
• 1990 Census Summary Tape Files 1A,1C,1D,3A-3D data for the nation, counties, cities, urbanized areas, metropolitan statistical areas, Congressional Districts, and zip codes. Census tract and block group data are available under the State/County option of STF 3A.
• Survey of Income and Program Participation, Current Population Survey, American Housing Survey, and Consumer Expenditure Survey manipulable files; SIPP and CPS may also be searched through Data Ferret
• Census Bureau Subject List links to publications in various formats
• PDF Publications is the full text of most reports since January 1996 in Adobe Acrobat format and free of charge
• Catalog of Census Bureau publications and data files
• Directory of Census Bureau subject specialists and e-mail addresses


• Community Information by Zip Code (Cal State - Northridge)
• Guide to web sites and paper products providing data by zip code for the U.S. and especially for California
• Includes business, demographics, education, health, and the environment


• County and City Data Book, 1988, 1994, and 2000 (UVa)
• Summary demographic and vital statistics; employment, education, government, housing, production and weather data
• For states, counties, and all cities of 25,000+
• Statistics are a compilation from various sources, including the Census
• To choose multiple geographic areas, click on the first area with a mouse; press the control key and click on the next area
• The output may be sorted geographically or by value of the variable
• 2000 Edition is available from the Census Bureau in pdf format
• See Instructions for Converting PDF to Excel
• The full version of Adobe Acrobat needed for the conversion is on Documents Workstation #8
• As of Feb. 28, 2003, the Excel version was not available on Statistical Universe


• Data Ferret (BLS/Census)
• Data sets from the Current Population Survey and Survey of Income and Program Participation for easy or expert manipulation
• Surveys update and enhance the Decennial Census with national, state, and metropolitan area information
• Subjects include income, poverty, employment, education, health insurance, housing, aging, household and marital status
• Income and poverty were the trial data sets as of May 31, 1997
• Data from the National Health Interview Survey and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey


• Data on the Net (UC-San Diego)
• Searchable and browsable data base of approximately 800 numeric data sites, data archives, catalogs, and commercial vendor web sites
• All entries are annotated and provide direct links to the web site


• Federal Statistics Briefing Room (White House)
• The latest summary statistics on demographic, health, crime, and economic subjects
• Numerous charts and links to the source agency
• Some data available in Excel format


• FedStats
• Comprehensive listing to statistical programs of over 70 federal government agencies
• Arranged by agency or program; includes explanatory material and contacts
• Search engine indexes individual statistical tables by keyword or agency and provides direct connection
• Working Prototype of new FedStats, November 2000


• Finding Statistics Online (Berinstein)
• Guide to web and on-line (e.g. DIALOG, LEXIS) data sources
• Includes free and subscription based materials
• Segmented by detailed subject (e.g. box office receipts, Bulgaria--Public Opinion, Charitable Contributions, Turkey
• To be used in conjunction with Paula Berinstein's book of the same title (UGL HA 33.5 .B471), published in 1998


• Government Statistics (Larry Schankman)
• Annotated listed of printed statistics with links to the Internet when available
• Includes compendiums, economics, labor and employment, social welfare, international data, and Pennsylvania information


• InfoMine (U.Calif-Riverside)
• Extensive alphabetic index to federal, international, and California government information
• Analyzes individual publications and web sites of government agencies
• Includes government agency statistical publications
• Optional keyword approach


• International Relations Data Page (FSU)
• Extensive annotations for international and U.S. data sets
• Economic, political, social, environmental, and military variables
• Sources include data sets from articles and books which would be otherwise difficult to locate


• Metropolitan Area Definitions, 1995 (OMB)
• Definitions and listings of Metropolitan Areas and Consolidated Metropolitan Areas
• Geographic concepts used by Census Bureau as well as numerous other governmental and commercial statistical calculations


• Michigan Information Center
• Michigan county-wide data from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing, 1992 Economic Censuses, and County Business Patterns
• Plans include population estimates and projections, school district and government finance data, and mapping
• Street index being developed to identify legislative, Congressional, and school districts as well as Census tracts and zip codes


• Price's List of Lists
• Links to rating services for the top businesses and executive pay, places to live, universities, and campaign contributors


• Right Site - Demographics Database
• Demographic and marketing data for cities, counties, states, zip codes, area codes, TV marketing areas, etc.
• Data base includes updated population variables (age, race, sex, education, housing), crime, weather, and entertainment opportunities
• Business section includes rankings for places under such categories as "single with money," "easy commute," "reasonably priced older homes" and "earthquake potential"


• State and County QuickFacts (Census Bureau)
• Brief data for each state and county
• Current population estimates by broad age group, race, homeownership, household income, poverty
• Retail sales, building permits, federal grants, area, and density
• Compares states with the U.S. and compares counties with the state


• State and Metropolitan Area Data Book (Census Bureau)
• Updates 1990 Census on state and metropolitan area with data on various population and housing characteristics.
• Includes data from non-Census sources, including medicaid, crime, energy, schools, motor vehicles
• Entire file is approximately 3 MB in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format
• HTML files provide state and metropolitan area rankings on population, births and deaths, housing starts, crime, energy, and government grants


• State of the Cities
• Central city and metropolitan area data for over 300 areas in the U.S.
• 1970, 1980 and 1990 Census data includes population, housing, occupation, income, education, poverty, race, and family characteristics
• JOBS BY PLACE OF WORK provides employment within central city v. suburbs for MSAs by job class, occupation and industry [N.B. data difficult to find elsewhere]
• Labor force and unemployment data since 1990
• Central city and metropolitan area data from County Business Patterns for 4-digit SIC industries
• Choose file, then area, and then data table


• State of the Nation's Cities (Rutgers)
• Nearly 30,000 demographic, employment, housing, income, poverty, health, social, and environmental indicators for 77 American cities
• Data is compressed and can be downloaded for a DOS-based or MacIntosh system
• Files can be opened in Excel, dbase IV, LOTUS, and SAS formats
• Technical Documentation
• Data Dictionary with list of variables
• HUD User provides the textual report and graphs


• Statistical Abstract of the United States
• Compendium of government and non-government statistics, primarily on the national and state levels
• Population and vital statistics, health, economics, education, manufacturing, natural resources, transportation, and U.S. Industrial Outlook (production and foreign trade by four-digit SIC for past six years)
• Full text available in Adobe Acrobat format
• See Instructions for Converting PDF to Excel


• USA Counties, 1998
• Population and housing variables (age, ancestry, race, education, income, and poverty for each county in the nation with some updates from the Current Population Survey
• 1992 economic census data (manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, service industries) as well as government employment and finance
• Non-Census data includes federal funds, current employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, election data through 1992, health, Social Security beneficiaries, and vital statistics (births, marriages, deaths
• Data may be retrieved for an individual county or comparisons between counties can be requested
• Mapping for states and counties
• Census Bureau application also available

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