Research Guides: Statistics Sources: Statistics Sources

Sources: General

United States Census Data
Formerly American Factfinder
Data.gov
Type in a topic to get a list of gov't agencies that collect and/or disseminate statistics. For example, if you enter "school lunch," you learn that many of those statistics are collected by the US Dept of Agriculture, as well as the US Dept of Education. Once you know that, you can go to that agency's website to see what else they might have.
Links to the World
U.S. Census Bureau
American Community Survey: Data Tables and Tools
"The American Community Survey helps local officials, community leaders and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed information about the American people and workforce."
This link goes to their page on types of data you'll find, such as Narrative, Data Profiles, and Subject.
Google!
Search: [your topic] and statistics
Try: pets and statistics

Statista

Statista This link opens in a new window A multidisciplinary database that contains national and international statistics and studies.

Sources: Minnesota

Minnesota Compass
State Demographic Center
The main provider of demographic data and analysis for the state of Minnesota. The SDC is often called upon to inform policy-making and planning efforts at the State Capitol, state agencies and beyond. The State Demographer and other staff members of the SDC regularly provide insight to media contacts writing about demographics trends and present to audiences around Minnesota.
Be sure to take a look at the tab: Data by Topic
Links to the World

Other Sources

Bureau of Justice Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM)
The Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) is an interagency committee dedicated to improving the quality of Federal statistics.
Insitute for Research on Poverty
"The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is dedicated to advancing understanding of the causes and consequences of U.S. poverty and inequality. It collects and analyzes information, continually updated from state and national data and special-purpose studies, on the evolving condition of low-income individuals and families and policies and programs to improve their well-being and increase self-sufficiency."
Kaiser Family Foundation
"We serve as a non-partisan source of facts, analysis and journalism for policymakers, the media, the health policy community and the public. Our product is information, always provided free of charge — from the most sophisticated policy research, to basic facts and numbers, to in depth health policy news coverage provided by our news service, KHN, to information young people can use to improve their health or the general public can use to understand the health reform law."
Kids Count - main webpage
"KIDS COUNT provides legislators, public officials and child advocates with reliable data, policy recommendations and tools to advance policies that benefit children."
Kids Count Data Book
An annual report on State Trends in Child Well-Being.
Kids Count Data Center
You can build your own report from here.
Kids Count Profile: Minnesota
MN Public Health Data Acess Portal
"Explore comprehensive, integrated population health and environmental data. "
"Minnesota Public Health Data Access (MN Data) portal is an online data resource designed to provide public access to MN data about environmental risk factors and health. Information may be presented as interactive charts and figures, maps, custom tables generated using a query tool, or County profiles across a range of environmental health indicators. In many cases, data are available to download."
National Agricultural Statistics Service
The US Dept of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples.
National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics is the principal health statistics agency for the United States. They offer public use data files as well as compiled statistical information
National Conference of State Legislatures
Very useful for policy-related information at the state government level.
"Represents the legislatures in the states, territories and commonwealths of the U.S. Its mission is to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information among legislatures."
NCANDS: National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System)
The National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) is a voluntary data collection system that gathers information from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico about reports of child abuse and neglect. NCANDS was established in response to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1988. The data are used to examine trends in child abuse and neglect across the country, and key findings are published in our Child Welfare Outcomes Reports to Congress and annual Child Maltreatment reports.
Pew Research Center
" Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research."
Russell Sage Foundation
"The Russell Sage Foundation is the principal American foundation devoted exclusively to research in the social sciences. The foundation serves as a research center for academics and journalists, a funding source for studies by scholars at other academic and research institutions, and an active member of the nation’s social science community. The foundation also publishes books and a journal that derive from the work of its grantees and visiting scholars."
Urban Institute
"The Urban Institute is the United States’ leading research organization dedicated to developing evidence-based insights that improve people’s lives and strengthen communities. With nearly 50 years of expertise, Urban is a trusted resource for timely, nuanced analysis of social and economic policy."

iPUMS

"IPUMS provides census and survey data from around the world... IPUMS integration and documentation makes it easy to study change, conduct comparative research, merge information across data types, and analyze individuals within family and community context. Data and services are available free of charge.

"In collaboration with 105 national statistical agencies, nine national archives, and three genealogical organizations, IPUMS has created the world’s largest accessible database of census microdata. IPUMS includes almost a billion records from U.S. censuses from 1790 to the present and over a billion records from the international censuses of over 100 countries. We have also harmonized survey data with over 30,000 integrated variables and 150 million records, including the Current Population Survey, the American Community Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, the Demographic and Health Surveys, and an expanding collection of labor force, health, and education surveys. In total, IPUMS currently disseminates integrated microdata describing 1.4 billion individuals drawn from over 750 censuses and surveys.

"In addition to census and survey microdata, IPUMS integrates and disseminates the nation’s most comprehensive database of area-level census data and electronic boundaries describing census geography from 1790 to the present. IPUMS NHGIS includes 366 billion data points and 28 million map polygons describing U.S. Census geographic units. IPUMS Terra archives and disseminates a third class of data: raster data derived from satellite imagery, climate models, and other sources."

iPUMS
Video Tutorials: iPUMS International
3 videos
Video tutorials: iPUMS USA
5 videos
Video tutorials: iPUMS DHS
3 videos