Research Guides: Research for Change Your World Week: Finding Statistics

Statistics Sources

Data.cdc.gov
The CDC is the nation’s leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health. This searchable site includes many types of health-related data.
State Health Facts
State Health Facts is a project of the Kaiser Family Foundation and provides free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States. State Health Facts is comprised of more than 800 health indicators and provides users with the ability to map, rank, trend, and download data. Data come from a variety of public and private sources, including KFF reports, public websites, government surveys and reports, and private organizations.
U.S. Census Data
Data.census.gov is the new platform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau.

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
A cloud-based, U.S. national data and mapping tool and analytics platform with multidisciplinary applications for college faculty, researchers and students.

The following tips on finding statistics are from the "How to Find Data & Statistics: Finding Statistics" Research Guide from Michigan State University.

What do I need to know about my topic before I start looking for statistics?
- Statistics on any subject are limited by time frame and geography.
  - Time: Are you looking for information about a single point in time? Do you want to look at changes over time? Do you need historical information? Current information? Be prepared that the most current statistics may actually be a year or more old! There can be multiple year lags before some information is released depending on how often the information is collected, the time it takes to process and crunch numbers, and the public release schedule.
  - Geography: Geographical areas can be defined by political boundaries (nations, states, counties, cities) or statistical boundaries (mainly Census geography such as metropolitan statistical areas, block groups, or tracts).
Remember to define your topic with enough flexibility to adapt to available information! You might not find a perfectly packaged set of statistics for your original topic.
Ask yourself: Who might collect or publish this type of information? Then visit the organization’s website and see if you're right!
If a report or statistics are mentioned in an article or on a website make sure you can find your way to the original report or source of the statistics to make sure they are verifiable!