Research Guides: *Urban & Regional Planning: Data Sources

Data Sources by Topic

US Census Data (Data.Census.Gov)
At the Geography filter, choose the place, or metropolitical statistical area
State of the Cities Data Systems (SOCDS)
From HUD. Provides data for individual Metropolitan Areas, Central Cities, and Suburbs. Topics include demographic and economic characteristics of the population; unemployment rates; jobs, business establishments, and average pay since the 1990s; violent and property crime rates; local building permits; city and suburban government finances; and Principal Cities
National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP)
NNIP is a learning network, coordinated by the Urban Institute, that connects independent partner organizations in more than 30 cities.
Urban Institute's Data/Viz
Key stats, graphs, and maps on economic and social policy. Check out its Urban Data Catalog at https://datacatalog.urban.org/
Governing.com's Data Reports
News, stats, and insights on America's states and localities.

America's Top-Rated Cities: A Statistical Handbook, 4 Volume Set 2019 by David Garoogian (Editor)
Call Number: eBook w/ unlimited access
Publication Date: 2019 (26th ed.)
America's Top-Rated Cities provides current, comprehensive statistical information and other essential data in one easy-to-use source on the top 100 cities that have been cited as the best for business and living in the United States. Look up the sources for the most recent stats.
U.S. Cities & Communities 2023 by R. K. Miller A title in the RKMA Market Research Handbook series.
Call Number: eBook w/ unlimited access
Publication Date: 2022

City Population by sex, city and city type from UNdata
Dates back to 1970. Source: United Nations Statistics Division.
OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance 2020
Provides a comprehensive assessment of how regions and cities across the OECD are progressing towards stronger, more sustainable and more resilient economies and societies. The publication provides a unique comparative picture in a number of aspects connected to economic development, health, well-being and net zero-carbon transition across regions and cities in OECD and selected non-OECD countries.
Metropolitan Areas - OECD Stats
Topics include population, crime, digitalization, income distribution, economy, environment, labor, etc.

[Domestic]

American Housing Survey
Dates back to 1973. sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey is the most comprehensive national housing survey in the United States.
Eviction Lab
From Princeton University. Provides data, interactive tools, and research to help neighbors and policymakers understand the eviction crisis.
HUD's Consolidated Planning/CHAS Data
Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) receives custom tabulations of American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau. These data, known as the "CHAS" data (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy), demonstrate the extent of housing problems and housing needs, particularly for low income households. The CHAS data are used by local governments to plan how to spend HUD funds, and may also be used by HUD to distribute grant funds.
HUD's HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Data)
Available from the State of the Cities Data Systems (SOCDS). This dataset is no longer updated.
NAHB's Housing Economics Data
From the National Association of Home Builders. Includes permit data, employment information, and new and existing homes sold by region.
U.S. Housing Market Conditions
From Office of Policy Development & Research (PD&R) at U.S. Dept of Housing. Contains all the national, regional, state, metropolitan, and local data and analysis in one location. Search by geography to obtain all the reports available for a particular area. Alternatively, search by the type of report. Each report contains different levels of data and/or analysis.
US Census Housing Data
Include a wide range of data on the size, age and type of American homes; home values, rents and mortgages, the housing and construction industry, and more.

[International]

Compendium of Human Settlements Statistics
From the United Nations > Demographic and Social Statistics > Housing. Official national statistics on housing stock and housing conditions generated from population and housing censuses
Urban Indicators Database
From the UN Habitats. Browse data by theme. Includes dataset on Housing, Slums and Information Settlements

[News Polls]

[Polling Agencies]

Gallup
Around for over 80 years with a nonpartisan analysis of global issues. Some contents are freely available on the website. Search the site with poll subject.
Harris Poll
One of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963
KFF Polling
From Kaiser Family Foundation, a good source in health policy analysis, polling and health journalism
Pew Research Center
A good source for public opinion polling, demographic research, and media content analysis. Search the site with poll subject
Quinnipiac / Poll
From the Department of Public Affairs within Quinnipiac University
Rasmussen Reports
A nonpartisan analysis of political, economic and lifestyle issues.
Zogby Analytics
Since 1984. Search the site with poll subject
Eurobarometer
Public opinion in the European Union

[Collection of Polls from Different Sources]

iPoll Databank (database)
IPOLL, from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, is a full text database of 500,000 questions from national public opinion surveys since 1935 and updated daily. iPOLL includes survey results data from academic, commercial and media survey organizations such as Gallup, Harris Interactive, Pew Research Associates, ABC, CBS, Wall Street Journal and many more. Many data sets are available for download in ASCII or SPSS format.
PollingReport.com
An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion. Shows a report of polls from different sources. E.g., Guns related polls at https://www.pollingreport.com/guns.htm
ICPSR (Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research)
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction. The collection includes CBS News/New York Times Poll Series, National Poll on Healthy Aging, and over 3,000 polls on various topics.
World Public Opinion
An international collaborative project, a source for public opinion around the world on international issues

Fore more sources on polls and public opinions data, click here.

Population Statistics
From the U.S. Census. Topics include Age and Sex, Ancestry, Children, Computer and Internet Use, Foreign Born, Hispanic Origin, International, Language Use, Migration/Geographic Mobility, Older Population and Aging, Population Estimates, Population Projections, Race, and Veterans
Population Reference Bureau
Check their Data Center for the US and international data indicators including Gini Index of Income Inequality, Net Migration Count, Percent of the Population Living in Poverty, etc. 2021 World Population Data Sheet is also available.
U.S. Census International Database
Population estimates and projections for 227 countries and areas. Includes Population Pyramids.
United Nations Population Fund
Search by country or region.
World Population Prospects (from the United Nations
Population estimates and projections that have been prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. The main results are presented in a series of Excel files displaying key demographic indicators for each UN development group, World Bank income group, geographic region, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) region, subregion and country or area for selected periods or dates within 1950-2100.

For more information, check our U.S. Census Data Guide

Income & Poverty
From the U.S. Census. Topic includes Income, Income Inequality, Poverty, Program Income and Public Assistance, Small Area Income & Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), Supplemental Poverty Measure, Wealth and Asset Ownership, Well-Being, CPS ASEC Redesign and Processing Changes
Historical Poverty Tables: People and Families - 1959 to 2020
From the U.S. Census
data.census.gov
Search the site for poverty-related data. Sources include the American FactFinder
GDP & Personal Income Data
From the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Includes Personal Income and Employment by County and Metropolitan Areas.
Poverty
From the U.S. Census. Poverty data from several household surveys and programs.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Part of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the BTS is the preeminent source of statistics on commercial aviation, multimodal freight activity, and transportation economics, and provides context to decision makers and the public for understanding statistics on transportation.
National Transit Database Data
From Federal Transit Administration
Transportation Data Portal from Florida Dept. of Transportation
The Transportation Data Portal is a platform for locating data related to the core mission of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The department’s primary statutory responsibility is to coordinate the planning and development of a safe, viable, and balanced state transportation system serving all regions of the state, and to assure the compatibility of all components, including multimodal facilities. This online resource can be used to explore and download open geospatial data; analyze and combine open datasets using maps; develop new web/mobile applications and more.
Census Transportation Planning Products Program (CTPP)
From the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The CTPP Program procures tabulations of American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year (and historical Census decennial) data. The chief differences between ACS data and CTPP data are FLOWS from home to work and WORKPLACE BASED data at small Geographies
Railroad Safety Data
From Federal Railroad Administration's Office of Safety Analysis

Research Guide to U.S. Census Data
Find how to find 2010 Census and 2020 Census, along with Census Geography, American Community Survey, Map Making, Census Microdata. Information on How to cite the Census Data is also available.

Data sources form Library Databases

Many of the databases purchased by FSU Libraries provide unique datasets and interactive mapping tools to aid in data visualiztion:

ICPSR
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction since 1962.

Social Explorer (1 concurrent user limit) This link opens in a new window
Note: Only 1 simultaneous user is allowed. Contains historical decennial census data for the United States from 1790 to the latest census, the American Community Survey, the American Religious Bodies (ASARB), and InfoGroup for latest religion data. Able to create reports and download data in convenient formats quickly and easily. Engagement between society and science.
Tutorials:
Social Explorer LibGuide

Abbreviation: socex
Vendor: Center for Research Libraries
Subjects: Anthropology, Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Economics, Geography, Human Development & Family Science, Information Studies, International Affairs, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration and Policy, Public Health, Social Work, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Directories, Encyclopedias & Dictionaries, Government Publications, Historical / Primary Sources, Maps
Sage Data This link opens in a new window
Explore a curated collection of United States statistics in Sage Data. With this dynamic tool, you can scan and search the contents of billions of datasets, compare and contrast variables of interest, and create customized views in tables, maps, rankings, and charts. Views also include descriptive summaries of the datasets and data sources. Datasets cover a wide range of subjects – including business, finance, banking, economics, sociology, political science, demography, agriculture, education, international studies, criminal justice, housing and construction, labor and employment, energy resources and industries, and more. Sources include public, private/commercial, and nongovernmental organizations.
Subjects: Statistics and Data, Business, Finance, Economics, Sociology, Political Science, International Studies, International Relations, Demography, Agriculture, Education, Criminal Justice, Housing and Construction, Labor and Employment, Energy Resources and Industries, Climate and Weather.

Abbreviation: dpf
Vendor: SAGE Publishing
Subjects: Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Finance, Food, Geography, International Affairs, Law, Political Science, Public Health, Public Safety and Security, Social Work, Statistics, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Citation Management, Datasets / Statistics, Directories, Government Publications, Historical / Primary Sources, Maps
DemographicsNow (Gale Business) This link opens in a new window
Demographics Now has been developed by SRC, LLC to bring you the data you need to make sound business decisions. With DemographicsNow you can analyze the demographic and market potential of any geography in the U.S. Ceases publication on March 28, 2025.
Abbreviation: demnow
Vendor: Gale
Subjects: Communication, Demography and Population Studies, Geography, Hospitality, Public Health
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Maps
PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
PolicyMap is a U.S. national data and mapping tool that combines a curated, comprehensive geographic data library with simple, robust mapping and analytics tools. University faculty, researchers, and students use it to create compelling maps of up to five layers, export trend charts with key benchmarks, download data for use in other tools, generate on-the-fly reports and upload your own data to view it with ours.
Note: create or sign in to your personal user account to access PolicyMap.
Abbreviation: pcmap
Vendor: PolicyMap
Subjects: Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Finance, Food, Geography, Law, Political Science, Public Health, Public Safety and Security, Social Work, Statistics, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Directories, Government Publications, Historical / Primary Sources, Maps
Historical Statistics of the United States: Millennial Edition This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 37,000 annual time series of quantitative historical information covering virtually every quantifiable dimension of American history: population, work and welfare, economic structure and performance, governance, and international relations, all from the earliest times to the present. A compendium of statistics from over 1000 sources last updated in 1990, HSUS has been expanded to include data series and topics such as slavery, American Indians, health, crime, migration, poverty, and the Confederate States of America are each placed in historical context.
Abbreviation: hsus
Vendor: Cambridge University Press
Subjects: Criminology and Criminal Justice, History, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Historical / Primary Sources
iPOLL Databank (Roper Center) This link opens in a new window
IPOLL, from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, is a full-text database of 500,000 questions from national public opinion surveys since 1935 and updated daily. iPOLL includes survey results data from academic, commercial and media survey organizations such as Gallup, Harris Interactive, Pew Research Associates, ABC, CBS, Wall Street Journal and many more. Many data sets are available for download in ASCII or SPSS format.
Tutorials:
iPOLL Quick Guide (pdf)
Introduction to New Roper iPoll (02:01)
Conducting a Search in Roper iPoll (04:59)

Abbreviation: ipoll
Vendor: Cornell University
Coverage: 1935–Current
Subjects: Anthropology, Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Economics, Geography, Human Development & Family Science, Information Studies, International Affairs, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration and Policy, Public Safety and Security, Retail Entrepreneurship, Social Work, Sociology, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics
OECD iLibrary (changing to OECD) This link opens in a new window
OECD iLibrary is the online library of the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Everything published by the OECD (books, journals, series, working papers, databases) is available online on OECD. OECD iLibrary also contains content published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the OECD Development Centre, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment), and the International Transport Forum (ITF). OECD iLibrary presents all content so users can find - and cite - tables and databases as easily as articles or chapters in any available format: PDF, WEB, XLS, ActiveChart, DATA, ePUB, READ.
OECD iLibrary is transitioning to a newly-designed website at OECD and will cease to be updated on December 6, 2024.
Tutorials:
User Guide

Subjects include:
Agriculture and Food
Development
Economics
Education
Employment
Energy
Environment
Finance and Investment
Governance
Industry and Services
Nuclear Energy
Science and Technology
Social Issues/Migration/Health
Taxation
Trade
Transport
Urban, Rural and Regional Development

Abbreviation: sourceoecd
Vendor: OECD
Subjects: Anthropology, Art, Business, Communication, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Demography and Population Studies, Economics, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Geography, Higher Education, Human Development & Family Science, Information Studies, International Affairs, Law, Music Education, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration and Policy, Public Health, Retail Entrepreneurship, Sociocultural and International Education, Urban and Regional Planning
Type: Datasets / Statistics, Directories, E-Book Collections, E-Journal Collections

Government, NGO and Non-Profit Data Sources

Census Bureau Data (formerly known as American FactFinder)
Access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data come from several censuses and surveys. On March 31, 2020, American FactFinder was decommissioned and is no longer available.

Governments and non profit organizations can provide many useful and free datasets as well as visualization tools

EPA Smart Location Database
Formerly known as EPA Smart Growth Location Mapping. Interactive maps and data for measuring location efficiency and the built environment.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Databases, tables and calculators by subject from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Contains lots of useful data and maps related to labor and economic development.
Data.gov
"Here you will find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more."
IPUMS CPS
IPUMS-CPS is a project dedicated to integrating and disseminating data from the Current Population Survey. Contains microdata samples.
To use to extract data, you'll need to create a free account with their site.
IPUMS-USA
IPUMS-USAis a project dedicated to integrating and disseminating data from the U.S. Census. Contains microdata samples.
To use to extract data, you'll need to create a free account with their site.
National Transit Database
Primary source for U.S. transit statistics. Annual NTD reports are submitted to Congress summarizing transit service and safety data.
more...less...
click on "access NTD data"
National Bureau of Economic Research
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) is an American private nonprofit research organization "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community. The data and working papers from their site are valuable resources.
QuickFacts from the U.S. Census
Fast, easy access to facts about people, business, and geography
United Nations Statistics Division
topics include international statistics on: economy, demographic & social, environmental & energy, geospatial and much more.
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Free datasets from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Bureau of Transportation Statistics from U.S. Department of Transportation
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides data and statistics for all forms of transportation. It provides subject specific transportation as well as regional analysis.
U.S. Economic Census
The Economic Census is the U.S. Government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, and response is required by law.
World Bank Open Data
Free and open access to data about development in countries around the globe