ACN Odyssey
Allows comparison of U.S. counties and metropolitan areas. Currently contains more than 2,500 facts on every county and metropolitan statistical area, with info promised on ZIP Codes. Allows side-by-side comparisons of up to five locations.
Addresses.com
The largest e-mail address database and directory on the web. Varied method of performing searches using phone numbers, e-mail and home addresses. Also able to search for businesses, zip codes, area codes, schools and even persons.
Annie E. Casey Foundation
A private foundation for disadvantaged children. Its Kids Count database tracks the status of children in the U.S.: low birth-weight babies, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, education data, juvenile arrest rates, et al.
ArcView GIS
The most popular desktop software for mapping data. From ESRI.
Berkeley Mortality Database
Formerly the Berkeley Mortality Database, the HMD contains detailed data on mortality rates, life expectancy and population in 23 countries. Information, organized by organized by age and gender, dates to the mid-20th century for all countries; many begin in the 19th century. Led by Prof. John R. Wilmoth of the University of California-Berkeley, the project is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging.
Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files
U.S. Census files of towns, cities, counties, county subdivisions and ZIP Codes. You can find a place by name without having to know the latitude and longitude coordinates.
Census State Data Centers
A U.S. Census site linking to the state data centers. Get to know yours.
CensusCD+Maps
An excellent CD-ROM (not free) with the entire 1990 U.S. census of population and housing, with later estimates. With simple maps. The best features: will give census figures for a circle in a radius around any address, and will rank geographic areas by attributes.
Deficit Watch
A tool for reporters dealing with economic issues, Deficit Watch is a bi-monthly report on mounting government and private sector deficits. U.S. DEFICIT WATCH is the Authoritative Monitor of Government and Other Deficits compiled from public records and budget documents. Fairly new site, but the limited number of reports they have are excellent and cut research time drastically.
ePodunk
Provides in-depth information about more than 25,000 communities in the US. Listings also include geocoded information about thousands of parks, museums, historic sites, colleges, schools and other places across America.
FFIEC Geocoding System
Converts a street address in the US to a (1990 or 2000) census tract number.
Gallup Polls
Online access to the venerable polling company. New stories on current polling data five days a week, along with searchable archives of polling content for the last two years. Coming soon: 65 years of public opinion research data.
General Social Survey
Survey Documentation & Analysis site contains surveys on health, racial attitudes and demographics.
House Green Book
Information on welfare payments, births, deaths, poverty, child support enforcement, etc. From the House Ways and Means Committee. Searchable.
ICPSR data
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research claims to have the world’s largest archive of computerized social science data: on education, aging, substance abuse, health care, geography, economic behavior, social indicators. From the University of Michigan.
Immigration and Naturalization Service
U.S. immigration information. Also check out the INS statistics section and immigration and naturalization laws.
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
Data on college enrollment by race, ethnicity and sex; salaries; tuition; revenue and expenditures; and other topics. From the National Center for Education Statistics. Find college enrollment data through the “1998 Survey Response Status” link.
International Governmental Organizations
Links to organizations, from the African Development Bank to World Tourism Organization.
Introduction to Census 2000 Data Products
A quick summary of the schedule of data products upcoming from the U.S. Census Bureau. In PDF file (requires the Adobe Acrobat reader).
LandView maps
Census maps that show tract and block outlines, etc. “LandView III is a Windows-based desktop mapping program that contains information about EPA-regulated sites, plus demographic data and street-level maps from the Bureau of the Census.”
Living Standards Measurement Survey
From the World Bank. Household surveys are used to measure and understand poverty. Includes research reports and guides to using the data.
MABLE/Geocorr Geographic Correspondence Engine
Lets you correlate Census data, building custom lists that, say, relate census tracts to metro areas, or ZIPs to census blocks, or block groups to congressional districts.
MapInfo
The second desktop software for mapping data.
Mapstats
A one-stop shop for U.S. government statistics — broad ones, anyway — organized by state and county. Gives basic info on agriculture, population, business, crime, education, energy, and miscellaneous information.
NAICS (Newer than SICs)
SICs are being replaced by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which consolidates the U.S., Mexican and Canadian systems under NAFTA.
OFFSTATS: Official Statistics on the Web
“OFFSTATS lists web sites offering free and easily accessible social, economic and general data from official or similar ‘quotable’ sources, especially those that provide both current data and time series. In the country lists, these are mainly web pages provided by statistical offices, central banks and government departments and agencies, whereas the topics list is comprised of links to the statistics pages of international organizations and associations and a few commercial sites.”
Population Reference Bureau
Timely information on population trends and issues.
Reporting Census 2000
Created by Stephen K. Doig, formerly of The Miami Herald, now in the Knight Chair in Journalism. His book Reporting Census 2000 is the best introduction to the new census, written by a journalist for journalists.
Search for SICs
Labor Department info on Standard Industry Classifications.
SIC codes described
U.S. Census info on Standard Industrial Classifications. Used in many databases to put businesses in categories.
SIC codes list
Download and import.
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Uncle Sam’s reference shelf. Provides graphs, charts and other information on more that 30 topics, ranging from population to elections to agriculture.
Statistical Assessment Service
Journalists doing statistics? These folks are watching us. The Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) is a non-partisan, non-profit research organization in Washington, D.C. It receives more funding from conservative groups than liberal ones, but says it strives to hew to the accurate use of scientific and social research in public policy debate. “STATS serves as a resource for journalists by providing timely and well-researched analysis of current statistical and scientific disputes. Since STATS seeks to weed out bad data and research before it enters the media stream, we field queries from journalists on a regular basis.”
TerraFly
Fly over your neighborhood, if you’re in the U.S., viewing aerial maps from the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources.
The religious census
The US Census Bureau does not ask questions about religion, so we rely on “Religious Congregation and Membership,” an annual publication by the Glenmary Research Center in Nashville. The book is packaged with a CD-ROM with database files for 1952, 1971, 1980, 1990 and 2000.
The Right Site: Census Searches
Free searches (registration required) of Census 2000 data, compiled into simple maps and tables. For a fee, 2003 updates are available. A good way to find basic information and display it for better understanding in order to answer initial questions and get direction before delving more deeply.
Tiger Mapping Service of U.S. Census
Start by picking a place or ZIP Code. Slow, and without street names, but at least these maps are in the public domain (no copyright). Will map Census data as well, crudely.
U.S. Bureau of the Census
If you’re on the Census mailing lists, you hear about upcoming data releases in population and economics, so you can localize a national story, or nationalize a local one. If you’re not on the list, you’re out of luck. Subscribe to one of four lists: the monthly product announcement, the biweekly bulletin, a monthly list of feature ideas, and the press releases (including info on new data).
U.S. Census Bureau
The official site for demographic, economic and social information. Browse the “Subjects A to Z” list for story ideas.
U.S. Census Gazetteer
Search for any place name in the U.S. and receive the 1990 Census data and a map.
U.S. Postal Service Abbreviations
State abbreviations, street suffixes, and other address words abbreviated.
United Nations Population Information Network
Data, publications, organizations and conferences on population topics.
USADATA Local Market Data Resource
Marketing demographics info (limited for free) on the top 60 U.S. markets.
World Population
See the world population increase before your eyes.
ZIP Code Address Server
Give it a U.S. street address (even one that sounds like the real address), and it gives you a full address with ZIP+4 code. Can give you ZIP+4 for a specific firm.
ZIP Code/City/State Associations
Tells you which cities are in a ZIP Code, and vice versa.
ZIP Codes database for sale
Where do you get a database of U.S. Postal Service ZIP Codes and cities?
ZIP+4 Code Look-Up
Enter a U.S. address to find the standardized ZIP code.