Where can I find...?

Economic data for cities

Few sources exist for city-level employment and other business data.  Protection of confidential business information is a key reason for the scarcity of city-level economic data.  Following are a few of the available sources for sub-county indicators.

Zip Code Business Patterns Number of establishments by employment size and detailed industry.
Economic Census Conducted every five years by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Economic Census includes establishment counts, payroll, and other data for cities of 2,500 or more and for zip codes.  Retrieve the data using the American FactFinder utility. 

 

Population projections

The U.S. Census Bureau publishes only national-level population projections.  Contact the State Data Center of Iowa for information about state and county-level projections produced by Woods&Poole Economics, Inc. 

 

Cost-of-living estimates

No official government compilations compare cost of living across cities or counties.  Click here for some alternative options.

Regional Price Parities State-level data produced by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Cost of Living Index (COLI) For-fee comparisons among participating cities (generally limited to places within metropolitan statistical areas).  The index is produced and updated quarterly by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), formerly known as ACCRA.

 

Sources for detailed census data

American FactFinder Pre-defined reports and custom data extracts from a wide array of U.S. Census Bureau surveys and programs.
State Data Center of Iowa Detailed census data and other data sets from various departments and agencies of state government in Iowa.
Missouri Census Data Center Custom data extracts from selected Census surveys and programs.

 

Sources for detailed economic data

Bureau of Economic Analysis Detailed employment and income data for counties, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, states, and U.S. regions.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor force, employment, and unemployment data for counties, metropolitan and micropolitan areas, and states.
County Business Patterns Business establishments by employment size and detailed industry.

 

Data for earlier time periods

Historical Census reports U.S. Census Bureau
National Historical GIS Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota
Historical Census Data Browser University of Virginia

 

Geographic data for mapping

See our page on GIS data sources for links to resources for geographic information systems shapefiles and other geographic data.

 

Metropolitan and micropolitan area definitions

Visit the U.S. Census Bureau's page on metropolitan and micropolitan areas for current delineations and standards, maps, statistical reports, and historical delineations.  Maps showing Iowa's metropolitan and micropolitan areas are also available from our Reference Maps page. 

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