• University Data Archives
• University Studies
• Public Policy Institutes, Councils, and Corporations
• Trade Associations and Institutes
• Commercial Data Services
• Business Services
• Publishers

University Data Archives

Brandeis University, Center on Hunger and Poverty
Access to state data on food insecurity and hunger, and on the development of personal assets (e.g., income, human capital, home ownership) important for economic success. 

City College of San Francisco, Bio-Link, Biotech Companies
Biotechnology companies, by state.

Columbia University, Center for International Earth Science Information Network
Access to a variety of demographic, economic, and land use data bases, as well as mapping resources.

Cornell University, USDA Economics and Statistics System
Reports and datasets from the economics agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including the Economic Research Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Harvard Business School, Cluster Mapping Project
Economic profiles of states, metro areas, and economic regions regarding overall performance and the composition of the economy. State profiles, with narrative, also available in .pdf format (February 2002).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Spatial Data on the Web
Links to primary on-line sources of maps and GIS data.

Oregon State University, GovStats
Query-based access to federal data sources, including USA Counties, Imports/Exports, Census of Agriculture, and 1992 Economic Census.

Pennsylvania State University, American Religion Data Archive
Data on churches and church membership, religious professionals, and religious groups (individuals, congregations and denominations), from about 200 surveys. Query-based profiles available by states, metro areas, and counties; maps available by state; survey data available for download.

University of California at San Diego, Social Sciences Data Collection
Search engine and web links for reaching a very large number of on-line socioeconomic data bases. Links provided to over 400 sites for specific data series, 100 on-line data archives and libraries, 150 data gateways (i.e., sites with links to on-line data sites), searchable catalogs of data vendors and libraries, and a list of data distributors and vendors.

University of Maryland, EconData
Access to .zip files of Gross State Product and state personal income data from Bureau of Economic Analysis, and state employment, hours and earnings data (CES/790) from BLS.

University of Maryland, Information Technology Support Center, Unemployment Insurance Taxes and Contributions
Weekly and annual data on unemployment insurance taxes and contributions, by state.

University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research (MISER) 
Export and import statistics.

University of Michigan, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
Access to wide range of socioeconomic data and reports, covering several decades.

University of Michigan and National Center for Education Statistics, International Archive of Education Data
Research data collections from the National Center for Education Statistics.

University of Minnesota, Integrated Public Use Microdata Series
Access to microdata samples from 15 Decennial Censuses, from 1850 through 1990.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, National Drought Mitigation Center, Drought Monitor
Data and maps concerning current drought conditions and drought forecasts.

University of North Texas Libraries, Research Collection of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
Access to publications that were available on the Web site of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations when the agency closed in April 1996. Of particular interest, Significant Features of Fiscal Federalism.

University of Virginia, Geospatial and Statistical Data Center
Query-based access to several federal regional economic databases, including County and City Data Book, County Business Patterns, Regional Economic Information System, Regional Economic Projections, Census Public Use Microdata Samples, and historical Decennial Census.

University Studies [ back to top ]

Child Poverty Facts, National Center for Children in Poverty, Columbia University
Data on the extent of child poverty, by state, 1979-latest year.

Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care in the United States, Dartmouth Medical School 
Data on health care resources, rates of common surgical procedures and hospitalization, and quality of health care, for 3,400 hospital service areas and 300 hospital referral regions (covering the entire U.S.). Particular focus on Medicare enrollees. Annual publication. For additional information, see site provided by American Hospital Association.

Economic Freedom in the States, Clemson University
Index of economic freedom by state, 1999. Areas examined include fiscal, social welfare, size of government, regulation, and judiciary.

The Federal Budget and The States, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Geographic distribution of federal taxes and spending, by state. Annual publication.

Health Insurance and Access to Care, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Profiles of health insurance status and access to care for families with incomes below 250 percent of poverty, for 85 metro areas. (August 2000)

High Tech and Info Tech Metros, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Rankings of metro areas in terms of high tech and information technology industry activities (.pdf file). Published August 2001.

Metropolitan Racial and Ethnic Change, Lewis Mumford Center, State University of New York at Albany
Analysis of race and ethnicity data from 1990 and 2000 Census measuring extent of integration and segregation for 331 metro areas. Data for whole population and children alone; available for central cities, suburbs, and full metro areas. Rankings available as well.

Multiracial Patterns, University of Southern California
Data on prevalence and distribution of multiracial respondents to Census 2000, by state.

Religious Centers, The Pluralism Project, Harvard University
Thematic maps by state of religious centers for Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism.

School Segregation Patterns, Civil Rights Project, Harvard University
Report outlining patterns of segregation of African-American and Latino students in public schools, 1989-99, by state. Released July 2001.

Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
For 39 regions, scores and discussion regarding the presence of 11 dimensions of social capital, for example, civic leadership, association involvement, social trust, inter-racial trust, diversity of friendships, informal socializing, and faith-based engagement. Published March 2001.

State Competitiveness Report, The Beacon Hill Institute, Suffolk University
Index of state competitiveness, examined in nine areas, including government and fiscal policy, institutions, infrastructure, human resources, technology, finance, openess, domestic competition, and environmental policy. (.pdf file, December 2001)

State of the Nation's Cities, Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers University
Data on employment and economic development, demographic measures, housing and land use, income and poverty, fiscal conditions, and other health, social, and environmental variables, for 77 cities and their suburbs. Downloadable file only.

The State of the Nation's Housing, Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University 
Data on housing production, sales, and prices, for states and metro areas. Annual report.

State Revenue Reports, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government, State University of New York
Quarterly reports on tax revenues by source of revenue, by state.

Urban Mobility Study, Texas Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University
Annual review of highway traffic mobility in 68 urban areas, with rankings, 1982-latest year.  Data include capacity of freeways and principal arterial streets, peak period travel speeds, level of congestion, and extent and costs of delay.

Venture Capital Disbursements by Metro Area, Center for Economic Development, Carnegie-Mellon University
Analysis of venture capital disbursements for 27 metro areas, 1995-99.

Public Policy Institutes, Councils, and Corporations [ back to top ]

Alan Guttmacher Institute, Reproductive Health
State reports on various aspects of reproductive activity, with particular focus on teenagers.

American Association for the Advancement of Science, State Profiles of Federal R&D
Detailed state profiles of federal R&D obligations and expenditures, by agency, for the state as a whole, each class of R&D performer, and each research institution, 1970-latest year.

American Farmland Trust

• Farmland Information Library — Data and information on farming activity, by state. Drawn primarily from federal and state sources.
• Farming on the Edge — Report on loss of farmland to development, periodically updated. Data provided by state and major land resource areas.

Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT
A national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. Includes on-line access to annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, which provides state data on the educational, social, economic, and physical well-being of children. In addition:  

• The Right Start — indicators of the well-being of infants, for states and metro areas, with rankings. Sponsored with Child Trends.
• Census Data Online — Demographic data regarding children and their families, for states, counties, cities, metro areas, and Congressional districts. Topics include age, sex, race and ethnicity, and living arrangements. Based on Census 2000 short form data.

The Brookings Institution, Center for Urban and Metropolitan Policy
Wide variety of socioeconomic studies with data and analyses for metro areas.

Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education
Classification of all accredited colleges and universities in the U.S.  based on their degree-granting activities (doctoral/research universities, master's colleges and universities, baccalaureate colleges, associate's colleges, specialized institutions), by state.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Studies of conditions and programs concerning low-income families, with analyses at state level. 

Center for Digital Government

• Digital State Survey — Annual ranking of state governments in eight dimensions of digital technology utilization: law enforcement and the courts, social services, e-commerce/business regulation, taxation/revenue, digital democracy, management/administration, education and GIS/transportation.  In conjunction with Government Technology magazine. (2002)
• Digital Cities Survey — Annual rankings of cities by progress in adopting and utilizing digital technologies to improve the delivery of services to their citizens. Cities grouped in three categories based on population. (2002)

Center for Policy Alternatives, State of the States
Index of state indicators concerning voter turnout, welfare, women, Medicaid enrollment, and Hispanic population.

Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology, Solstice
Links to on-line sources of data and information on renewable and alternative energies.

Center for Studying Health System Change, Community Reports
Data and analysis for 12 metro areas regarding the adequacy of the community health system, 1997-latest year. Data from HSC's Community Tracking Study and secondary data sources.

Center for Women's Business Research, Key Facts

• Women-Owned Businesses — Profile of women-owned businesses for states and 50 largest metro areas, projected 2002.
• Minority Women-Owned Businesses — Profile of businesses owned by African-American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Native American and Alaska Native women, by state, projected 2002.

Child Trends, Statistics on Children, Youth and Families

• The Right Start — Indicators of the well-being of infants, for states and metro areas, with rankings (with Annie E. Casey Foundation).
• Child Trends DataBank — State and local indicators on child and youth well-being.
• The Child Indicator — Quarterly on-line journal discussing developments regarding child and youth indicators.
• Facts at a Glance — Data on teen births and sexual activity, states and large metro areas. 
• Indicators of Child, Youth, and Family Well-Being — Inventory of indicator projects with a state and local focus.

Child Welfare League of America, National Data Analysis System
State data on child welfare conditions and programs.

Children's Defense Fund, Children in the States
State rankings and profiles regarding the condition of children and their families. Rankings cover health insurance and health care, natality, poverty, child support, and education.  Profiles include data on health care, child care, poverty, safety, education, and child-related program funding. 

Citizens for Tax Justice, Distributional Analysis of State Tax Systems
Analysis of impact of state tax systems on families, according to income level, by state, 1995.

Community of Science, Funded Federal Research
Research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Small Business Innovation Research Program -- listings by state.

Corporation for Enterprise Development

• Development Report Card for the States — Indicators and rankings of economic performance, business vitality, development capacity, and tax and fiscal system, for states. Annual report, includes over 50 measures. 
• State Asset Development Report Card — Comparison of states on asset outcomes and policies, 68 indicators. Examples of topics include financial assets, homeownership, human capital, health insurance, wage protection, and business development. (October 2002)

Death Penalty Information Center, Death Penalty Facts
Data on executions and death row inmates, by state. Also, table on death row inmates by race and state.

Economic Policy Institute

• State of Working America — Data on income inequality, wages of low-income workers, poverty, and unemployment, by state, published biennially. 
• Poverty and Family Budgets — Access to array of state and metro data concerning "basic family budgets" (the income required to meet basic family needs).
• Unemployment Insurance — Access to various tools and analyses pertaining to state unemployment insurance programs. 
• NAFTA and Jobs — Estimates of job losses due to the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, 1994-2000, by state.

The Education Trust, Education Watch Online
For states, data, charts, and comparisons on educational achievement, curricula, teacher qualifications, and expenditures. Data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and income. Data available through query-based access and .pdf reports.

Environmental Defense Fund, Scorecard
Data, information, rankings, and maps concerning environmental contamination (land pollution, air pollution, chemical releases, animal waste), by state, county, zip code, and individual facilities. 

Environmental Working Group, Reports

• Clean Water Report Card — Data on expired clean water permits, by state. Published March 2000.
• Farm Subsidy Database — Summaries and individual recipients of federal farm subsidies, for states, counties, cities, Congressional districts, and zip codes, 1996-2000.
• Farm Conservation Needs — Data on farmland conservation needs, by state. Published 2001.

Families USA, Health Action Tool Kit
On-line briefing book with data on access to health insurance for families in need. Topics include the uninsured, government medical programs, private insurance, and drug coverage. Published annually.

FannieMae Foundation, Census Notes and Data
Series of analyses of Census 2000 data on a variety of topics, e.g., urban turnaround, suburban development, and homeownership patterns.

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, State Health Facts Online
State-level data on demographics, health status, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Provides individual state profiles and 50 state comparisons.

Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Sciences, Inc., Cincinnati's Benchmarking Technology Study
Comparison of the technology assets and performance of 24 urban areas, using 17 indicators (.pdf file).

Knight Foundation, Community Profiles
In-depth data analyses of 26 communities in which the foundation makes grants. Data from secondary and primary sources. Communities include major metropolitan areas such as Miami, San Jose, Detroit and Philadelphia, as well as smaller communities such as Boulder, Colo., State College, Pa., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Grand Forks, N.D.  (Released March 2000.)

Lumina Foundation for Education, College Access and Affordability
Reports on the accessibility and affordability of colleges, by state.

Metropolitan Area Research Corporation, Regional Reports and Maps
Analytic reports and geographically detailed color-coded maps describing social, racial, public educational, fiscal, land use, and political trends, for each of the largest 25 metropolitan areas.

Milken Institute

• State New Economy Index — Ranking of states in terms of 12 indicators. 
• State Technology and Science Index — Ranking of states on 73 measurements in five categories. Summary available free, detail for fee. (September 2002)
• America's High-Tech Economy: Growth, Development, and Risks for Metropolitan Areas — In-depth analysis of the relative competitive advantages and trends with regard to advanced technology industries, for metro areas. (See Section 3.) Published July 1999.
• Best Places for Business and Career — Annual rankings of top 200 metro areas as places to start a new business or career. ( May 2001)
• Minority Business Activity, with Minority Business Development Agency — Distribution of minority businesses by state and by race/ethnicity, based on Dun & Bradstreet Minority Business Data file, published September 2000. (.pdf file, see table p. 10)

National Academy of Social Insurance, Workers' Compensation
Annual report providing estimates of workers' compensation program benefits and costs, for states, the District of Columbia, and federal program providing workers' compensation. (.pdf download)

National Center for Charitable Statistics, The Urban Institute

• Profiles of Individual Charitable Contributions — Data on charitable giving by state, including percentage of returns with contributions, average contribution per return, and contributions as a percentage of income.
• Profiles of the Nonprofit Sector — Data on number, assets, and type of non-profit (501c3) organizations, for states and counties.
• Unified Database of Arts Organizations — Master list of non-profit and governmental organizations with activities in the arts, with financial data and classification of arts activities. 

National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, Measuring Up
Biennial state report card for higher education.  Rankings in five categories, including preparation, participation, affordability, completion, and benefits. State trends in affordability of public higher education also available separately.

National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, State Tobacco Settlements
For each state, data regarding amount of tobacco settlement funds and extent to which funds are used for public health purposes. 

National Commission on Entrepreneurship, High-Growth Company Index
Measurement of high-growth business activity in each of 394 Labor Market Areas (covering the entire country), 1992-1997. Published July 2001.

National Low Income Housing Coalition, Rental Housing Affordability
Estimates of current affordability of rental housing for states, metropolitan areas, counties, and New England towns.  Annual publication.

National Park Trust, Threatened State Park Systems
State park systems most threatened by encroaching development, by acres at risk. Published August 2000.

National Safety Council, Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety
Periodic data reports on injuries linked to air bags and lack of seat belt use. 

Northeast Midwest Institute, State Economic Data
State tables on a variety of economic topics, including demographics, prices, economic growth, employment, income, housing, energy, and federal spending. Based primarily on federal data.

Philanthropic Research, Inc., GuideStar, Database of Nonprofit Organizations
Query-based access to database of 850,000 nonprofit organizations. Information provided includes mission, activities, staffing, areas served, financials, and IRS Form 990.

Population Connection, Kid-Friendly Cities Report Card
Data and grades for 239 cities regarding the health and well-being of children. Indicators cover health, education, public safety, economics, environment, and community life. Published biennially. Also, Kid-Friendly Cities Health Improvement Report Card (published June 2002)

Population Reference Bureau, Socioeconomic Data
Access to wide variety of U.S. and international data and articles on socioeconomic topics. Of particular interest is AmeriStat, providing access to U.S. regional data and analyses on a variety of topics.

Progressive Policy Institute, Technology and the New Economy
Indices that examine state and metro area New Economy assets and activity. Indicator categories include knowledge jobs, globalization, economic dynamism and competition, transformation to digital economy, and technological innovation capacity.

• State New Economy Index — Comparison of states in terms of 17 indicators. Published July 1999.
• Metropolitan New Economy Index — Comparison of the 50 largest metro areas in terms of 16 economic indicators. Published April 2001.
• Best States for E-Commerce — Ranking of states regarding ease of Internet use for e-commerce. Identifies extent to which states impose industry-specific protectionist laws, tax Internet access, enable Internet users to transact electronically with state government, and recognize the legal validity of digital signatures.

RAND, Science and Technology Policy Institute, RaDiUS
Comprehensive query-based access to information on federal R&D activities, by location. Data available down to individual award level. Purchase of license required. Free summary data and information available by state (June 2000).

Reason Public Policy Institute, Competitive Cities Report Card
Rankings of 44 cities regarding the efficiency of 11 types of public services (e.g., libraries, street repair, police). (April 2001)

Sierra Club, Sprawl Reports
Data on the spread of urban sprawl and efforts to halt it, for states and cities.

State Science & Technology Institute, Useful Stats
Data tables on state activity regarding science and technology, with rankings. Examples of topics include patents, R&D, science and engineering students and graduates, and SBIR awards.

Surface Transportation Policy Project, Transportation Facts
Statistics on various aspects of transportation, for states and metro areas. Topics include pedestrian safety, regional congestion, federal transportation spending, and household transportation choices and spending.

Tax Foundation
Access to a variety of federal, state, and local tax data, including federal tax burden by state, federal tax and expenditure ratio by state, state tax rate comparisons, and state and local tax burdens by state.

The Road Information Program (TRIP) 
Analysis of federal data regarding highway infrastructure, traffic safety, and congestion, by state.

The Urban Institute

• Assessing the New Federalism — Project to analyze the devolution of responsibility for social programs from the federal government to the states, focusing primarily on health care, income security, job training, and social services.
• State-Level Databook on Health Care Access and Financing  — State-level data on the insurance coverage of different groups; the characteristics of the uninsured; Medicaid enrollees and expenditures; health status; and health care costs, access, and utilization.

United Way of America, State of Caring Index
State-level indicators on well-being, covering economic and financial well-being, education, health, civic engagement, safety, and the environment. Reports and query-based tables and graphs available.

Welfare Information Network
Clearinghouse for information, policy analysis and technical assistance on welfare reform.

William C. Velasquez Institute, State of Latinos
Profiles of the socioeconomic well-being of Latinos, in terms of education, employment, entrepreneurship, housing, and health, for states with large Latino populations.

Trade Associations and Institutes [ back to top ]

AARP Research Center, Health and Long-Term Care
Regular data profiles of health, health care, and long term care, by state.

ACCRA, Cost of Living Index 
Relative price levels for consumer goods and services in 300 urban areas. Includes a composite index and separate indexes for housing, utilities, grocery Items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. Published quarterly.

Air Transport Association, Airline Industry Facts and Figures 
Access to a variety of free and for-fee publications on the U.S. airline industry, for states and specific airports.

Airports Council International, Airport Traffic
Year-to-date and annual reports on traffic at individual U.S. and foreign airports, measured in terms of passengers, cargo, and aircraft movements.

American Academy of Pediatrics, Child Health
Variety of state data on topics related to child health.

American Association for Single People, Demographic Data on Single People
Tables providing demographic data on singles, by state, including proportion of singles and Congressional districts with an unmarried majority.

American Automobile Association, Daily Fuel Gauge Report
Daily update of price of gasoline (regular, mid-grade, premium, diesel), per gallon, for states and metro areas.

American Bankruptcy Institute, Bankruptcy Filings
Annual and quarterly bankruptcy filings (including business and non-business), by state and judicial district, 1980-latest year.

American Electronics Association, Advanced Technology Industry Statistics 
Rankings of advanced technology activity for states and metro areas. 

American Federation of Teachers, Teacher Salary Trends
Annual survey of teacher salaries, for states and 100 largest school districts.

American Health Care Association, Nursing Facility Data
Data on nursing facility industry, by state. 

American Hospital Association, Hospital Statistics
Data on hospital facilities and services for states and metro areas. Annual publication.

American Iron and Steel Institute, Iron and Steel Establishments
List of AISI member headquarters and production facilities.

American Petroleum Institute, Petroleum Industry Statistics  
Data on various aspects of the U.S.petroleum industry, including supply, demand, and drilling. Provided through weekly, monthly, and annual reports, including the Basic Petroleum Data Book.

American Society of Civil Engineers, Infrastructure by State
Data on the quality of roads and bridges, airports, schools, drinking water and waste water systems, dams, and solid waste systems, by state. Annual report.

Association of University Technology Managers, AUTM Licensing Survey  
Annual technology licensing data for universities, hospitals and research institutes, and patent management organizations. Topics include activity information such as invention disclosures, patents, and licenses; financial information such as license income, license income payments made to other institutions, and patent protection costs and reimbursements; and organizational information about licensing operations, such as staffing levels. Data provided for 132 U.S. universities, 26 U.S. hospitals and research institutes, 16 Canadian institutions, and 1 patent management firm.

Biotechnology Industry Organization, Biotechnology Business Directory
Listing of biotechnology companies, by state.

College Entrance Examination Board, College-Bound Seniors Profile Reports
Profiles of academic experience and SAT scores of college-bound seniors, by state, 1998-latest year. Data cover academic record, course-taking patterns, college plans, high school information, and SAT mean scores and distributions.

Council for Urban Economic Development, Community Demographics (with Site Selection, Conway Data, Inc.)
Query-based access to about 150 single-point data elements for states, metro areas, and counties.

Edison Electric Institute, Electric Industry Statistics  
Data on the electric utility industry.

Employee Benefits Research Institute, Sources of Health Insurance and Characteristics of the Uninsured
Sources of health insurance and characteristics of insured and uninsured populations, for states and metro areas. Drawn from Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.

Federation of Tax Administrators, State Tax Rates, Structure, and Burden
State income, sales, and excise tax rates; state and local tax burdens, by state.

Institute for Supply Management, Regional Business Conditions Index
Monthly business conditions index, as reported by metro area, state, and multi-state chapters of ISM.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, DataMart 
Access to accreditation and performance data for 19,000 healthcare organizations.

Mortgage Bankers Association of America, Mortgage Market Reports 
Mortgage market forecasts and analysis for states and 80 metro areas; competitive assessment of mortgage markets in 80 metro areas.

National Committee for Quality Assurance, Health Plan Report Card
Query-based access to ratings for individual managed care plans (HMOs and PPOs), by state and zipcode. Ratings available for commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plans. Rating topics include access and service, provider qualifications, and health outcomes. Accreditation status indicated.

National Insurance Crime Bureau, Top Vehicle Theft Areas
Annual report on motor vehicle theft rate, for metro areas.

North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, State Lottery Fast Facts
For state lotteries, total sales, per capita sales, profits, and uses of profits.

National Association of Home Builders, Economic and Housing Data
Data and forecasts on housing industry and market activity, at state and local level.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Statistical Reports 
Data on insurance industry activity, by state.

National Association of Realtors, Home Sales Data
Sales of existing homes by state, issued quarterly; index of median housing prices, for 140 metro areas, issued quarterly.

National Association of Regional Councils, Regional Information Clearinghouse
Variety of socioeconomic data provided for substate regions (typically, areas covered by regional councils).

National Association of State Budget Officers, State Fiscal Reports
Annual State Expenditure Report and semi-annual Fiscal Survey of the States. 

National Biotechnology Information Facility, Biotechnology Company Register
List of biotechnology companies, by multi-state region.

National Cable Television Association, Summary of State Cable Industry Data

National Education Association, Data Reports
Data reports on various education-related topics, by state.

National Research Center for College and University Admissions, High School Student Academic and Career Preferences
Annual survey of high school juniors regarding academic and career plans, by state, 2000-latest year.

National Sporting Goods Association, Sports Participation
Participation index for five most popular sports in each state, for 2000.

National Venture Capital Association, Recent Venture Industry Statistics
Quarterly venture capital investments by key states and regions.  Provided in conjunction with Venture Economics.

Software and Information Industry Association, Software and Information Industry Companies
Directory of 1,400 members of Software and Information Industry Association.

Travel Industry Association of America, US Travel Data Center,  
Data on the economic significance of the travel and tourism industry at national, state and local levels; size, characteristics and growth of existing and emerging travel markets; and qualitative trend analysis and quantitative forecasts of future travel activity and impact.

U.S. Conference of Mayors, Publications
Access to publications on topics such as gross metropolitan product, brownfields, and homelessness and hunger.

Commercial Data Services [ back to top ]

Adherents.com, Religious Affiliation
Reference material on religious affiliation by country, state, and metro area. Drawn from multiple sources.

American Community Network
Query-based access to 200 data elements for counties and metro areas.

Bankrate.com, Bank Interest Rates
For metro areas, states and nation, current interest rates for mortgages; auto, personal and home equity loans; bank IRA deposits; savings accounts; and CDs. 

Area Vitality Profiles, Brandow Company, Inc.
Series of data reports ranking states, metro areas, and counties regarding high growth firms, startup activity, business retention, and business attraction.  Annual lists of top-ranked areas available free.

Business.com

• Industry Center — Links to industry-specific web sites, organized by 65 industry sectors.
• Company Center — Profile and financials of 10,000 U.S. firms. 

Case-Shiller-Weiss Home Price Index  
Housing price indices for MSAs, counties and zip codes, based on observed changes in the value of actual housing units.

CHI Research, Inc., Regional Techline 
Patent-based technology indicators based on patents granted to inventors residing in the U.S. and issued in the last ten years. Data available by, county, MSA (city), state, and region. Indicators include patent counts, patent impacts, speed of innovation, and linkage to science.

Claritas  
Access to a variety of socioeconomic data and projections, including those concerning household expenditures and business establishments..

Cyberatlas, Internet Statistics Toolbox
Data on Internet activity.  Compendium of recent articles from a variety of research sources, some of which focus on states or metro areas.  Articles include "America's Most-Wired Cities" and "Top Five States for E-Commerce Spending."

DataMasters
Cost of living comparisons for 399 U.S. cities and metro areas. Estimates include tax costs (from Tax Foundation, U.S. Commerce Dept. and other major tax research organizations). Goods and services cost data from the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association.

Domania, Inc., Home Price Check
Sale prices of individual homes, 1987-latest year.

Dun and Bradstreet

• D&B Marketing Lists — Information on 11 million U.S. businesses.
• D&B Million Dollar Database — Information on 1.3 million large U.S. public and private businesses. Company information available up to 8-digit SICs, size criteria (employees and annual sales), type of ownership, principal executives and biographies.

Easy Analytic Software, Inc., The Right Site  
Wide variety of demographic, economic, consumer, and quality of life data and forecasts, for states, metro areas, counties, cities, zip codes, and census tracts. Provided on CD-ROM.

Economagic.com  
Access to time series and mechanical forecasts for labor force, employment and unemployment, Consumer Price Index, building permits, and Gross State Product.

Economic Information Systems, Inc., Economic Insight 
Clickable-map access to economic profiles of states and metro areas. Detailed analysis and performance indicators available for purchase, including personal income and average wages; employment and earnings concentration, displacement, and competitiveness by detailed industry; and employment and income growth and volatility. Data from 1970-present, with twenty-year trend forecast of Gross State Product, employment, income, and population. For states, 330 metro areas, and counties.

Economy.com Network
A series of free and fee-based web sites provide data on numerous topics for states and metro areas. Of particular interest:

• FreeLunch.com — Access to Economy.com's library of time series data at the national, state, and metro level from a wide variety of federal sources.

• Data Buffet  — On-line access to wide variety of historical time series of economic data, for states, metro areas, and counties. 

• Research@Economy.com — On-line time series and forecasts for states and metro areas, for employment and occupation. Also, cost of living for metro areas, and cost of doing business for states and metro areas.

ERsys, ERsys.com
Information on demographics, environmental factors, economic indicators, housing, media, schools, and transportation for over 1,300 cities.

ESRI, Geography Network
Comprehensive on-line portal to maps and GIS data at all levels of geography.

ESRI Business Information Systems, Consumer Expenditures  
Average expenditure per consumer household, total expenditures, and a Spending Potential Index (average expenditure for a product or service locally compared to the average amount spent for the product or service nationally), for about 400 items, and for county, zip code, or other trade area. Data calculated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey.

FW Dodge Real Estate Group, Construction and Real Estate Market Rankings  
Rankings of 58 metro areas, for office, hotel, retail, and warehouse construction markets. For fee, provides commercial construction database for 110 markets and five property types, and real estate forecasts for 58 markets and six property types.

Fast Forward, Inc., Sperling's BestPlaces
Tools for comparing metro areas regarding cost of living, schools, crime, climate, housing, health, and other topics.

Decennial Census Data, GeoLytics 
Decennial Census data provided on CD, 1970-2000.

Global Insight, Economic Data  
On-line access to a wide variety of economic databases at all levels of geography. Also Region-specific reports and forecasts covering a variety of economic topics, for states, metro areas, and counties. Individual quarterly reports for states and metro areas can be purchased on-line from Northern Light.

Growthink Research, Venture Funding Reports 
Quarterly profiles of venture investors and firms receiving venture funds, by state and select metro areas (Bay Area, Southern California, Boston). Executive summary free; full report for fee.

Harris InfoSource 
Access to database of 370,000 U.S. manufacturing firms.

Homefair.com
Comparison of cities in terms of cost of living, crime, and other information.

Hoover's Online, Hoover's, Inc. 
Capsule profiles of 14,000 U.S. and foreign enterprises. For fee, access to in-depth profiles of 4,000 firms; and financial information for 8,000 public U.S. firms.

Industrial Who's Who on the Internet
Access to database of over 400,000 U.S. manufacturing firms.

InfoUSA.com, InfoUSA, Inc. 
Listings for 11 million U.S. businesses. (Formerly American Business Information, Inc.)

InterStudy Publications, Managed Health Care 
Detailed profiles of HMO and PPO activity in counties, metro areas, and states. Data include enrollment, penetration, reimbursement, inpatient beds, and individual HMO/PPO profiles.

Intelligence Data, InSite2  
Access to corporate information culled from directories, trade publications, industry newsletters and profiles, current news, and analyst reports.

MapDigger, Directory of On-Line Maps
Links to free on-line maps, by topic, and GIS data.

Mergerstat, Mergers and Acquisitions
Merger and acquisition activity, by state. Monthly and annual data on number of deals, dollar amounts.

MIDS, Internet Activity  
Internet activity, for states, counties, and cities.

Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Inc., IMPLAN Regional Input-Output Modeling 
State and county employment, income, and output data and multipliers.

Quality Resource Systems, Area Resource File of Health Care Data 
County-specific health resources database containing more than 7,000 variables for each of the nation's counties, including information on health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. Drawn from from over 50 different source files. Prepared for the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services

OneSource, OneSource CorpTech Profiles
Access to data and information on over 50,000 technology companies.

Policom Corporation, Economic Strength of Metro Areas
Annual rankings of 318 metro areas regarding economic strength, defined in terms of speed and consistency of growth over the last 25 years.

Primark Corporation, Global Access 
Access to U.S. and international corporate-specific information and analysis.

Real Capital Analytics, Commercial Real Estate Reports 
Reports on office, industrial, retail, and apartment real estate markets for major metropolitan areas.

Regional Economic Models, Inc (REMI) 
Regional economic forecasting models that indicate the economic and demographic impact that public policy initiatives or external events may have on a local economy.

Reis.com
Real estate market data and analysis for 100 largest metro areas. Coverage includes apartments, office, industrial, and retail. Five-year market forecasts in terms of rent growth, vacancy rate, and inventory growth. Detailed reports, including submarket analysis, available for fee. 

Salary.com, Salary Wizard
Annual salary estimates for over 1,000 occupations in over 150 metro areas. Includes median, 25th percentile, and 75th percentile salaries, including bonuses and benefits. More detailed profiles available for fee.

SRDS, Lifestyle Market Analyst 
Profiles of consumer behavior in 211 market areas and 123 counties.

Telephia, Wireless Market Analysis 
Detailed analyses of wireless telecommunications markets in metro areas.

ThinkBurst Media, Inc., GIS Data Depot 
Access to very extensive set of GIS resources for U.S. and other nations. Low volume downloads available for free; high volume for fee.

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
Access to database of 155,000 U.S. manufacturing firms.

Thomson Financial Securities Data, VentureXpert  
Access to database of venture capital firms and activity, by geographic area.

Transamerica Intellitech, MetroScan  
Database of residential, commercial, industrial and vacant property obtained from county assessors and other agencies. Data include property ownership and characteristics, current and past sales figures, telephone numbers, parcel and street maps, and census tract data.

U.S. Business Reporter
Industry and corporate data and information, organized by industry.

USADATA.com, Consumer Expenditures  
Current and 5-year projected consumer expenditures for over 300 items for any U.S. geography (national, state, DMA, City/MSA, county, zip code and block group).

Venture Economics, Venture Capital Profiles
Venture capital investment activity in multi-state regions, states, and metro areas, 1991-latest quarter. For investments in particular geographic area, data provided regarding sector, stage, county, IPOs, state of funding source, top company investments. For investments by VC funds in a geographic area, data provided on state of firms receiving investment.

Vertex, Inc., City Business Tax Study
Business tax burdens, by type of tax, for 27 cities.

The Weather Channel, Averages and Records
Local data regarding average local weather conditions, including average temperatures, record temperatures, rainfall, and sunrise and sunset times

Woods and Poole, Socioeconomic Estimates and Projections  
Estimates and projections for a wide variety of demographic and economic variables, 1970 to 2020, for states, metro areas, and counties. Provided on CD-ROM and in print.

Yahoo! City Comparison
Comparisons and rankings of cities in terms of quality of life (e.g., crime, weather, pollution), real estate (e.g., property tax and home purchase cost), and the economy (e.g., unemployment, cost of living). 

ZipInfo.com, Geography Lookup
Tool for determining geographic information associated with zipcode or place. Information provided includes county (with FIPS code), metro area FIPS code, time zone, area code, and longitude and latitude.

Zooknic Internet Intelligence, Internet Geography 
Internet activity data and analyses for states and major metro areas. Coverage includes domain names and E-commerce. 

Business Services [ back to top ]

Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Managed Care Digest
Regular reports on the managed care industry, with a few tables by state and large metro area. Topics include HMOs, integrated health systems, managed Medicare and Medicaid.

BioSpace, Biotech Companies
Profiles of biotechnology companies, by state.

CB Richard Ellis, Office and Industrial Real Estate Market Reports
Rents, occupancy rates, and vacancy rates for office and industrial real estate in major markets around the U.S. and the world.

CCC Information Services, Most Stolen Vehicles
Annual list of 25 most stolen vehicles (year, make, model), by state.

CoStar Group, Office and Industrial Real Estate Market Trends
Vacancy rates, new construction, net absorption, and rental rates for office (central business district, suburban) and industrial (breakout for flex) real estate, for 38 major metro areas. Published quarterly.

Cushman & Wakefield, Local Office and Industrial Real Estate Trends and Statistics
Market analysis; data on office building sales, vacancy rates, rents, leasing activity, and construction completions; data on industrial building (manufacturing, warehouse, high tech) square footage, rents, leasing activity, and construction completions. Quarterly analysis and data provided for regional and metro markets.

Express Scripts, Inc., Prescription Drug Use
Prescription utilization rate per member for eight types of drugs, by state, 2000. (June 2001)

Freddie Mac, Conventional Mortgage Home Price Index
Index of single-family home price change, 1975-latest quarter, by metro area, state, and Census Bureau multi-state division. Index tracks average house price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same single-family properties financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Computation based on conventional, conforming mortgages purchased or securitized by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. 

Grubb & Ellis, Market Reports 
Quarterly reports on commercial real estate trends in major metro areas. Summaries free; detailed metro trend and forecast reports for office, industrial, multifamily, and retail markets for fee. 

Hale and Dorr, National IPO Database
Database of initial public offerings (IPOs) by state, 1998-present.  Data by state include total number of deals, total dollar value, and individual record of each IPO.

Insignia/ESG, Office Market Reports
Quarterly report on office market leasing trends, for 25 metro areas.

Integra Realty Resources, Trends in Commercial Real Estate Values
Absorption and projected demands indices for various property types (downtown office, suburban office, retail, industrial, and apartment) for 45 metro areas. 

Julien J. Studley, Inc., Office Leasing Trends
Detailed quarterly reports on office leasing trends in twelve metro markets. Data include inventory, space available, rental rate, space leased, disaggregated by submarket and class.

PMI Mortgage Insurance, Inc., Risk of Housing Price Decline
Index assessing probability of housing price decline, for 274 metro areas, published quarterly. Report provides narrative for larger cities.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

• MoneyTree Survey — Quarterly survey of venture capital investments in the U.S., by state and industry.
• EdgarScan — Access to corporate financial data provided through the SEC EDGAR database, organized by industry.

techies.com, Affordability Index
Ranking of relative affordability of 38 metro areas for information technology workers, based on ACCRA cost-of-living index and average information technology worker salary. Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) with discussion. (January 2002)

TeleCheck Services, Inc., Retail Sales Index
Monthly index of year-to-year change in retail sales, for select states and metro areas, January 1999-latest month. Daily and weekly holiday index releases, Thanksgiving to after Christmas.

UnitedHealth Group, State Health Ranking--2000 edition
Annual rankings of states on various dimensions of health status, including lifestyle, mortality, disease, occupational safety, and access to health care. 

Publishers [ back to top ]

American City Business Journals, bizjournals.com

• Demographics Daily — Data, analysis, and ratings for states, metro areas, counties, and zipcodes on various socioeconomic topics, including economic conditions, business activity, population, race, wealth, education, environment, families and children, health, housing and construction, and transportation.   
• Book of Lists — Listings of key firms in over 50 business and industry categories (e.g., accounting, law, banking, venture capital, architecture, manufacturing), for 67 metro areas (one book per metro area).

American Demographics
Access to articles in back issues.

BRB Publications, Inc., Corporation Public Records
Links to state web sites providing access to corporation records.

Business Week, Business School Rankings
Rankings and data for 212 U.S. business schools.

Chronicle of Higher Education, Higher Education Facts and Figures
Access to variety of data on higher education, including institutions, faculty and staff, finances, students, and research. Also data on Congressional Earmarks for Higher Education, by academic institution, 1990-latest year.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Ranking the Nation's Big Cities
Rankings of the 65 cities with more than 250,000 population for seven characteristics--median household income, college education, homeownership, percent income spent on housing, poverty, and commute time. Based on Census 2000 Supplemental Survey data.

Congressional Quarterly, Vital Statistics on American Politics
Data on a variety of aspects of federal and state politics, by state. Topics include elections, parties, campaign finance, and federalism.

Education Week, State Report Cards
Grades and rankings for public education systems, by state, in the areas of student achievement, standards and accountability, teacher quality, school climate, resources, and equity. 

Entrepreneur

• Best Cities for Entrepreneurship — Annual ranking of metro areas as location for entrepreneurs.  Separate rankings for mid-sized and large metro areas, five regions of country, and individual criteria (e.g., entrepreneurial activity, failure rate). Prepared with Dun & Bradstreet.
• State Business Profiles — Statistical overview of business characteristics, by state. Topics include number of businesses, women- and minority-owned businesses, and business turnover, income, and finance. Particular focus on small businesses.

Entrepreneur's Business Start-ups, High-Tech Hot Spots
Annual ranking of top 50 metro areas as location for new high technology businesses. Prepared with Dun & Bradstreet.  Published November 2000.

Forbes, Best Places for Business and Career
Annual rankings of top 200 metro areas as places to start a new business or career. Rankings based on salary and job growth and high technology activity. Published May 2001 in conjunction with Milken Institute.

Governing, Grading the States
Letter grades for each state in five areas — financial management, capital management, human resources, managing for results, and information technology. Published February 2001.

Inc., Entrepreneurial Hot Spots
Annual ranking of metro areas as location to start and grow a new business. Separate rankings for large and small metro areas.  Prepared by Cognetics, Inc. Published December 2000.

Industry Week, World Class Communities for Manufacturing
Rankings of 315 metro areas as locations for manufacturing.  Prepared by Cleveland State University.  Published April 2001.

InformationWeek, IT Salary Advisor
Query-based access to data on information technology management and staff salaries, by job function, for 20 metro areas.

Manufacturers' News 
Access to database of over 390,000 U.S. manufacturing firms.

Money Magazine

• Best Places to Live — Annual ranking of 300 metro areas regarding quality of life. Data provided on 20 factors, including those pertaining to pollution, crime, weather, arts and culture, housing, and the economy.
• Cost of Living Calculator — Cost of living comparison between two U.S. cities.

Morgan Quitno Press, State Ranking Publications 
Annual, monthly, and customized publications that rank states on a variety of characteristics, including agriculture, crime, defense, government finance, health, economy, education, energy, environment, geography, housing, population, social welfare, and transportation.

Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY 
Extensive collection of data on postsecondary educational activity, by state. Data tables available by topic, state, spreadsheet, and newsletter archives. While many data tables are available for free, many only available to newsletter subscribers.

Red Herring, Herringtown
Database of technology startups, organized by industry, providing company factsheets on business products and services, financials, executives, and board.

San Jose Mercury News, Venture Capital Investments Data Base
Searchable database of U.S. firms that received venture capital financing between the third quarter of 1997 and the latest available quarter. Data available by state, city, and zip code.  Compiled from a Mercury News/PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of venture capitalists.

Site Selection, Conway Data, Inc.

• Community Demographics (with Council for Urban Economic Development) — Query-based access to about 150 single-point data elements for states, metro areas, and counties.
• State Business Climate Rankings — Annual state rankings based on measures concerning new and expanded corporate facilities. (November 2002)

U.S. News and World Report

• College and University Rankings — Rankings for undergraduate and graduate institutions of higher learning. Rankings of undergraduate institutions include universities, liberal arts colleges, schools of engineering, and business schools. Graduate school rankings include schools of business, law, education, engineering, medicine, health, library science, public affairs, and the arts. 
• Health Care Organization Rankings — Rankings of 6,300 hospitals by state, metro area and specialty.  Ranking of 271 HMOs by state.

Wall Street Journal, RealEstateJournal

• City Profiles — Wide variety of data on the 100 largest U.S. cities.  Topics include housing, weather, crime, cost of living, taxes, health care, education, and transportation.  Data drawn from a wide variety of public and private sources.
• Construction Cost Calculator — Tool for estimating likely range of construction costs in specific metro areas, by type and size of project. Includes breakdown for plumbing, HVAC, electrical.
• Regional Overviews — Quarterly market reports for 50 metro areas, for four types of real estate (apartment, office, retail, industrial). Data include vacancy rate, asking rent, and supply/demand trends. Reports provided by Reis.com.
• Relocation Tools — Access to data tools for use in community relocation choices, covering cost of living, schools, crime, and moving costs.

Ward's Automotive Yearbook  
Statistics and trend information for domestic and international car and truck production and sales.

Yahoo Internet Life, America's Most Wired Cities
Annual ranking of 86 metro areas regarding various dimensions of Internet use (e.g., percent households online, domains registered per 1,000 businesses, quality of local government sites). (May 2002)

 
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