5 Population Data Resources Our State Demographer Loves

Here are several websites that I find helpful in my daily work beyond the usual US Census (data.census.gov) and, of course, our own Log Into North Carolina (LINC). Here are my top five (in no particular order):

1. Net Migration Patterns for US Counties – Curious about who is moving to your county? This website provides data and visualizations regarding age patterns of net migration from the 1950s through the 2010s for every state and county in the United States. In general, we know that younger people are more likely to migrate than older people.  However, these age-specific patterns of migration differ across counties due to differences in characteristics of each county and this is one way to understand how your county’s migration patterns compare to others. You can also compare the 2010s to earlier decades to understand how migration patterns have changed over time.
    

   

2. USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes – Is there another county that has similar characteristics to yours that you can compare and learn from? As you can see from the chart above, net migration shapes the population of counties. County characteristics influence these migration patterns. Although not the only classification system, the USDA-ERS county typology codes are one way to classify counties to gain better understanding. These typology codes classify counties using economic, population, and socio-economic statistics. The USDA-ERS also provides other county classification systems including those based on commuting patterns, natural amenities , poverty,  and rurality/urbanity (Rural-Urban Continuum Codes and Urban Influence Codes). An additional ZIP Code based dataset provides more granular estimates of rurality (Frontier and Remote Area Codes).   
    
3. National Center for Educational Statistics - Educational Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) – Need to know how many children in your school live in families with income below poverty? Want to understand the educational attainment levels of the parents attending your public schools? EDGE is a little-known resource that provides more detail than the standard US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) tabulations. You can obtain special tabulations specific to estimates of enrolled children and their parents rather than the standard tabulations of all children and the total population. 
   
   For instance, with these data you can learn that for Yancey County an estimated 11.4% (+/-3.1%) of public-school students are Hispanic and that the median earnings of parents of all public-school students in Yancey County was $44,091 (+/-$7,257). In comparison, 5.4% of Yancey County’s population was Hispanic and median earnings were $71,842 (+/-$5,954) for the overall population.
    
4. National Historic GIS from IPUMS – Need to find census data for 1980? Trying to compare neighborhood change over time? The National Historic GIS is a great resource to obtain US ready to use census data for geographic and statistical analyses. Census and other nationwide survey data are available from 1790 to the present and for geographies as small as census blocks (generally equivalent to a city block within towns and cities or larger for rural areas). 
   
   One challenge when analyzing small areas such as a neighborhood is the fact that census geography can change from decade to decade due to increases in density and improvements in geographic data. This makes it difficult to differentiate from true population decline and loss of population due to geographic boundary changes. The NHGIS have data that re-weight population and other census data so that you can compare change using consistent geographic boundaries.
    
5. SparkMap – Do you just need a general overview of the current state of your county? This is a new resource I found that provides a nice way to compile data from a vast array of sources. It will help you stay focused on the project you have at hand – whether it be trying to improve the economy of your county or understanding the service needs of your population.  This resource was developed by the Center for Applied Research and Engagement System (CARES) and the University of Missouri Extension. Select the variables you need to compile a summary report about your county.

About Love Data Week

Love Data Week was established in 2016 . The purpose is to celebrate data in all its forms, promote good research data management strategies, share data success and horror stories, and ask hard questions about the role of data in our lives.