State Data

 

Locating state data is often a time-consuming and frustrating process.  While some states and some state agencies provide useful, accessible statistics and information, others do not.  In addition, there are few guides to locating the state data that is available.  Government Documents staff at the W.E.B Du Bois Library are filling that void by collecting and organizing the most relevant databases and documents so that users can easily and quickly locate the state statistics and information they need.

 

| Multisubject Internet Sites | | Agriculture | | Business and Economics | | Crime | | Education | | Energy | | Government Finances |

| Health | | Population | | Books |

 

Multisubject Internet Sites

 

City and State Comparisons  (BIDC Business and Industry Data Center)

Section on state data has comparative data on education, economics, quick facts, and more.

 

County and City Databook: 2000  (Bureau of the Census)

Covers many different subject areas important to counties and cities.

 

E-Reference Links - State Information  (University of North Carolina, University Libraries)
Links to state information such as redistricting, elections, bluebooks, legislatures, state agencies, news, and publications.

 

FedStats 

Gateway to statistics of over 100 U.S. federal agencies.  Many of the pages offer state data.

 

50states.com
Wide range of information about each state.

 

Kids Count: State-Level Data Online  (Annie E. Casey Foundation)

Measures overall well-being using 10 indicators such as education, employment, health, population, and poverty. Compile reports by state or compare data among multiple states. 

 

MapStats: United States  (FedStats)

Profiles by state, county, city, congressional district or federal judicial district in areas such as population, housing, business, and economics in table or map formats.

 

Massachusetts Electronic Statistical Abstract  (W.E.B. Du Bois Library, Government Documents Collection)

Online sources for Massachusetts statistics arranged by subject.

 

Overview of BLS Statistics by Geography  (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
State data on employment, unemployment, wages, layoffs, consumer price index, consumer spending, and health.

 

State Agency Databases  (ALA/GODORT)
Wiki format that pulls together publicly accessible state agency databases by state.

 

State and Metropolitan Area Databook  (Bureau of the Census)

Covers many different subject areas of states and metropolitan areas.

 

State Blue Books  (ALA/GODORT)
Wiki format containing online and paper state government manuals with information about state and local government.  Thoroughness and type of information varies from state to state.

 

State Government Information  (Library of Congress)

State and local government Web sites.  Information available is dependant on how each state has developed its Web presence.

 

State Government Information Index  (St. Mary's University, Louis J. Blume Library)
Supplies basic information about each state and links to pages developed by other libraries and organizations with detailed access to state government web sites.

 

State of the Cities Data System   (Department of Housing and Urban Development)

Locate statistical data on many different subjects at the city level.

 

State Rankings List  (Bureau of the Census)

Covers many different subject areas from 1990 through 1996.  Most useful when compared with current data.

 

Stateline.org  (PEW Research Center)

News, reports, and research material from 1999 to the present on important state issues, policy innovations and trends.

 

StateMaster.com    (StateMaster)

Statistical database for researching and comparing multiple statistical data on states.  Allows creation of pie charts, maps, graphs, scatterplots. Find state profiles and comparative statistics for all states.

 

Statistical Abstract of the United States  (Bureau of the Census)

Authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.

 

Specific Subject Internet Sites

 

Agriculture

 

Census of Agriculture  (Bureau of the Census)

1992, 1997 and 2002 censuses of agriculture.  Data available at national, state, county, and zip code levels.

 

State Fact Sheets  (Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service)

State fact sheets provide information on population, employment, income, farm characteristics, farm financial indicators, and top commodities, exports, and counties for each state in the United States.

 

Business and Economics

 

American Factfinder  (Bureau of the Census)

Online access to the 1997 and 2002 economic censuses.

 

Economic Development Information System: State Comparisons (North Carolina Department of Commerce)

Find comparative statistics on North Carolina with other states on labor, business climate, population, education, crime, and more.

 

Small Business Economic Indicators  (Small Business Administration)

Contains current data on small business activity (new firms, employment, income and terminations) by state, and serves as a quick reference guide. Tables listing indicators for about the last 10 years by state are included.

 

State Economic Profiles  (Small Business Administration)

Each state profile contains sections on the following topics: the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.

 

Wisertrade  (Wisertrade & Holyoke Community College)

Export data by state, NAICS codes, and port.  Some import data included.

 

Crime

 

Uniform Crime Report  (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Compilation of crime offenses for the nation, the states, and individual agencies. This report also includes arrest, clearance, and law enforcement employee data.

 

Education

 

Leaders and Laggards: a State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness  (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
View nationwide scores for academic achievement, achievement of low-income and minority students, return on investment, truth in advertising about student proficiency and other data.

 

Measuring Up, 2002: the State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education  (National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education) 

Subjects covered include Affordability, Benefits, Completion, Participation, and Preparation.  Statistics are in raw figures and percentages.

 

Nation's Report Card: 2005 Assessment Results  (National Center for Education Statistics)

State results for students overall and for selected student groups to inclued sex, race, and Hispanic origin.

 

State Comparisons of Education Statistics: 1969-70 to 1996-97  (National Center for Educations Statistics)

Compendium of state-level elementary, secondary, and higher education statistics. 

 

State Education Data Profiles  (National Center for Education Statistics)

Statistics by state for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education characteristics.  Includes demographics, finance, assessments, public libraries.  Allows multistate comparisons.

 

Energy

 

State Data  (Energy Information Agency)

Statistics by type of energy source, consumption, prices, and expenditures.

 

Government Finance

 

Comparative State and Local Taxes  (Washington State, Department of Revenue)

Covers personal income, per capita, and historical comparisons of other state taxes.

 

State and Local Government Finances  (Bureau of the Census)

Statistics cover government financial activity in four broad categories of revenue, expenditure, debt, and assets.

 

State Comparisons  (Federation of Tax Administrators)

Comparative statistics on income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, and historical tax rate data. Census is taken every five years with annual surveys.

 

State Government Tax Collections  (Bureau of the Census)

Provides a summary of taxes collected by state for up to 25 tax categories.  These tables and data files present the details on tax collections by type of tax imposed and collected by state governments.  However, each state and year must be searched separately.

 

 

Health

 

Faststats  (National Center for Health Statistics)

Quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance such as births, deaths, and behavioral risk factors.  Web sites arranged alphabetically by subject and state.

 

Statehealthfacts.org  (Kaiser Family Foundation)

Health statistics by individual state or in comparative tables with other states that include health status, health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, health costs and budgets, and more.

 

Teenpregnancy.org: State Information  (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy)

Provides a wealth of state information, including trend data, state profiles, state-by-state comparisons, summaries of state teen pregnancy prevention programs, some county and city data, media campaigns and legislative activity, as well as state contact information and related links.

 

Population

 

American Community Survey  (Bureau of the Census)

Annual updates to the 2000 census.  Include estimates of demographic, social, and economic characteristics of people, households and housing units  for every state in the Nation,Puerto Rico, and most areas with a population of 65,000 or more. Note that not all areas are covered in each survey.

 

American Factfinder  (Bureau of the Census)

Online access to the 2000 population census.

 

Census 2000: Population Profiles  (Missouri State Data Center)
Population, social, and economic profiles from national to places and zip codes.  Also, covers state legislative districts.

 

Books

 

CQ's State Factfinder 2004: Rankings Across America  2004  (CQ Press)

(UM/REF HA 214 H68 2004)

State rankings on a multitude of subjects such as population, taxes and revenues, education, crime, welfare, and much more.

 

State Rankings: a Statistical View of the 50 United States  (Morgan Quinto Press)

(UM/Ref  HA 203 U17)

Annual publication covering general subjects such as agriculture, crime, defense, economy, education, government finance, health, population, social welfare, and transportation.  Lists sources for all tables.

 

Contact Information:

If you have questions regarding this guide or wish to suggest a good Web site that is not present here, contact:

Len Adams

Government Documents/Patents and Trademarks Librarian

W.E.B. Du Bois Library

University of Massachusetts

Amherst, MA 01003

(413) 545-2765

len.adams@library.umass.edu