Research Corner: Using Census Data

A common misconception is that the Census only captures statistics related to population, such as an area’s numbers of residents, population density, etc. The full scope of the Census, however, is far more expansive. In addition to reporting on the number of residents residing within various jurisdictions, the Census has evolved to collect data on multiple demographics of interest to local officials. Population descriptors such as age, gender, race and education level are reported alongside data concerning housing characteristics, the economy, health, income levels, business, geography, national origin, education, transportation infrastructure, family structure and living arrangements. As a result, Census data can be useful for county governments in a wide range of situations. 

Consider, for instance, your county is attempting to lure the attention of a business seeking to relocate to Georgia. The business is likely interested in the makeup of the county and whether or not the county’s characteristics match the needs of the industry. Moreover, what is the education level of the workforce? Is the county growing sufficiently to sustain the needs of the industry Does the county’s transportation infrastructure facilitate growth or will the company lose money due to traffic issues? How do other counties in Georgia compare? To begin answering these and other questions, you can utilize Census data and the easy-to-use tools provided on www.census.gov.

To illustrate how you can use Census data to create tables, please click here to obtain step-by-step instructions.