LCC Research Guides: Finding Statistical Information: Home

Spotlight on Local Data

If you need statistical information about LCC, there's no better source than the office of Institutional Research.

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Government data on states, counties, and cities can be difficult to locate. Data for Local Communities was created to fill researchers' needs for information on Oregon and Washington. The database is hosted by University of Oregon.

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For more state and local resources, see the following sites:

State of the Cities Data Systems
Information on housing and economic development, including demographic and economic population characteristics, labor force data, information on jobs, and much more.

American Fact Finder
Serves as a quick way to find population, housing, economic, and geographic data. From the U. S. Census Bureau.

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You might also try the websites for the executive branches at the city, county, and state levels.

City of Eugene

City of Springfield

Lane County

State of Oregon Government

Office of the Governor

Web Search Tricks

Use Google to make your search more effective:

You can not only limit your search to only government sites by adding site:gov to your search string, as in the following example:

immigration site:gov

You can also limit your search to one specific site, as in the following examples:

tattoos site:nih.gov

obesity site:oregon.gov

unhoused site:eugene-or.gov

Another way to make your Web search more effective is to use Google Advanced Search. It allows you to be a lot more specific.

Federal Government Publications

Most government publications are now distributed on the Web. Your gateway to this information is available through Govinfo.

A wealth of data can be found on the US Census Data website, includes statistical information from the 2020 US census.

Or, you can try use Google and limit your searches to government sites only by using the site: command. If you were looking for governmental statistics on salmon in Oregon, this is what your search might look like:

site:gov statistics salmon oregon

This limited my search to governmental websites that mention the words "statistics," "salmon," and "oregon."

Federal Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics
Collects, analyzes, and disseminates information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Collects data on the US labor force, including unemployment, Consumer Price Index, labor predictions, and other national trends with loads of raw statistical data.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Source for information about all aspects of travel and transportation in the US including air, land, and sea, including freight. Data for highways, roads, tolls, and public transportation infrastructure.
Data.gov
Access high-quality data sets from the executive branch of the federal government.
Department of Homeland Security - Immigration Data and Statistics
Provides information on domestic security as reported by the Yearbook of Immigration, the US Coast Guard (maritime security), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Economic Census
The Economic Census profiles American business every 5 years, from the national to the local level.
Economic Research Service
Similar in focus to NASS, the ERS is the statistical branch of the USDA (US Dept. of Agriculture) and collects information related to food safety and prices, rural economy in the US, and commodity markets.
Energy Information Administration
Information and reports on energy usage and waste in the US from nuclear, fossil fuels, natural gas, and coal as it relates to source stocks and prices, and industry reporting on extraction, production, and distribution.
National Agricultural Statistical Service
Detailed information on agriculture crops and livestock, including demographics, stocks and yields, environmental impacts, and land use.
National Center for Education Statistics
Information on all aspects of education in the US at district, municipal, state, and national levels, from pre-K to adult education.
National Center for Health Statistics
Compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of all Americans.
National Centers for Environmental Information - Weather and Climate Quick Links
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Tools and Resources
Statistics and other information on weather, climate, fisheries, oceans, and coastal regions.
The Statistical Abstract of the United States
The motherlode of statistics is collected by the Bureau of the Census. We also have the regular paper edition of Statistical Abstract of the United States in the Reference Collection under call #HA202 .U539.
Statistical Weather and Climate Information - from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NCEI offers several types of climate information generated from examination of the data in the archives. These types of information include record temperatures, record precipitation and snowfall, climate extremes statistics, and other derived climate products.
UNData
This collection of data from the United Nations is useful if you are looking for statistics from other countries besides the US.
University of Oregon Libraries -- Finding Data & Statistics
A finding aid to all manner of statistics from the University of Oregon Libraries.

Statistics in Library Databases

These databases are also good places to look for statistical graphics. They also provide access to magazine articles and other sources of information.

CQ Researcher
explores a "hot" current events issue each week, and devotes 50 or 60 pages to it! Once you find a good article, click on the Maps/Graphs link to see the statistical graphics. Click on "Chronology" to see historical events arranged by date. Statistics are scattered through each article, but you can also click on "Contacts" to find a list of organizations working on the issue. Click on the links to their websites, and often they will include statistics.

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center
One-stop source for information on social issues . Includes articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles. To find statistics, search for your topic then click on the "statistics" tab.

SIRS Researcher
Full text articles and internet resources on social issues, science, history, government, the arts and humanities. The best way to find statistics is to click on the tiny "More Issues" link on the lower right hand side of the page. Find your topic and click on it. Under the "Topic Overview," there should be some icons. Click on "Statistics" and you'll find both graphically represented statistics and articles that are heavy on statistics. Click on "Graphics/Media" to find even more graphs and charts.

Other LCC Library Databases
Other databases could have the information you need.

Polling Information

Polling data can tell you how people feel about a certain person or issue.

Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. They do not take policy positions.

Public Agenda Online
Nonpartisan opinion research organization that reports surveys conducted by national firms on public policy issues. Especially strong coverage of quality of life and social issues; for example, race relations, health care, privacy, drug abuse, crime, the environment, and immigration.

Agency Guides

U.S. Government Manual
Not sure where to start? As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies, international organizations in which the United States participates, and boards, commissions, and committees.
Oregon Blue Book
The Oregon Blue Book is the official state directory and fact book about all levels of government in Oregon... and much more. It's a great way to find state agencies, boards, and commissions.

Wolfram|Alpha

Wolfram|Alpha
is a new kind of search engine just for finding statistics. It can be difficult to find what you want, but it is definitely worth a try. The trick is to be as specific as you can. For examples of successful searches, see Wolfram|Alpha's Examples by Topics page.