Below are links to catalogs of existing resources for obtaining data on contextual characteristics and policies from local to state levels that can be linked with surveys of adult health over the life course to answer key questions about U.S. health dynamics and disparities. We divide resources between “Macro” and “Local” contexts, though some resources provide data at multiple geographic levels and can be found in both catalogs.

  • Macro Contexts (national, state, county, etc)
  • Local Contexts (census tract, Zip code, school district)

The data catalogs include both topic tags and geography tags to facilitate searches. The following catalog includes existing resources for working with geographic data (e.g., crosswalks and boundary files) and data visualizations.

  • Tools and Infographics

Macro Contexts

ResourceLinkTopicGeographyDescription
CDC WonderHealth, HealthcareNational, County, State, MSAHealth-related data sets meant to help with public health research, decision making, priority setting, program evaluation, and resource allocation.
ZillowHousingState, MSA, County, City, ZIP CodeHousing data including home values, rentals, inventory and sales.
Census DataPopulation, Health, Economy, HousingState, County, National, Census Tract, ZIP Code, School District, MSACensus data about the nation's people and economy.
Census - Longitudinal Employer Household DynamicsPopulation, Economy, HousingNational, State, MSAPublic use information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership.
Housing and Urban DevelopmentHousingState, County, MSAOriginal data sets generated by PD&R sponsored data collection efforts, including the American Housing Survey, median family incomes and income limits, as well as microdata from research initiatives on topics such as housing discrimination, the HUD insured multifamily housing stock, and the public housing population.
Opportunity AtlasPopulationCounty, City, Tracts, Commuting ZonesInteractive, map-based tool that can trace the root of outcomes, such as poverty and incarceration, back to the neighborhoods in which children grew up.
Social Vulnerability IndexPopulation, SocioeconomicsCensus Tract, County, StateIndex maintained by the CDC. Uses Census data to determine tracts that are socially vulnerable to the after effects of a hazardous event.
Eviction LabHousingState, CountyNationwide database of evictions aggregated to various geographic scales including block groups and tracts.
Diversity Data KidsPopulation, Health, PolicyNational, State, County, Census Tract, City, MSA, ZIP Code, School DistrictOpportunity indices specific to the school-aged population. Child health and wellbeing, racial/ethnic equity and policies that support children and families.
Neighborhood AtlasPopulation,SocioeconomicsNational, State, ZIP CodeRankings of neighborhoods by socioeconomic status disadvantage in a region of interest (e.g. at the state or national level). Includes factors for the theoretical domains of income, education, employment, and housing quality.
Longitudinal Tract DatabasePopulation MSA, County, CityCensus data normalized to a certain boundary year, the site provides crosswalks to normalize any tract level data.
National Historical Geograhical InformationPopulation, HousingState, LocalData Finder with filters.
National Historical Geographic Information System Evironmental SystemsWeather, Land useCensus Tract, County, LocalLand cover and climate data summarized over counties and census tracts.
Prison Policy InitiativePolicyNational, State, Census TractData on federal prisons, state prisons, local jails, juvenile confinement, involuntary commitment, Indian Country jails, parole, and probation.
National Historical Geographic Information SystemPopulation, Housing, Economy, EnvironmentNational, State, County, Census Tract, ZIP Code, MSASummary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS-compatible boundary files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and blocks.
Migration Data HubPopulationNational, State, CountyState-level immigration data profiles including data on (authorized and unauthorized) immigrate demographics, language and education, workforce, and income.
Opportunity InsightsPopulationNational, Federal, State, Census Tract, County, CitySocial mobility and a variety of other outcomes from life expectancy to patent rates by neighborhood, college, parental income level, and racial background.
Social Capital ProjectPolicy, Economy, PopulationState, CountyCounty and state level data on a range of social, economic, demographic, health, religious, and other indicators related to family structure and stability, family interaction and investment, civil society, trust and confidence in institutions, community cohesion, institutions, volunteerism, and social organization.
State and Local Finance InitiativePolicy, EconomyState, Local, County, Municipal, Township, Special District, School DistrictState and local public finance data, primarily from the US Census Bureau’s Census of Governments and its associated annual survey. Explore state and local revenue, spending, and debt from 1977 through 2017.
State Ideology DataPoliticsStateState-level measures of Citizen Ideology and Government Ideology.
State Legislative Election ReturnsPoliticsStateElection returns for all elections (as the unit of analysis) of state legislatures.
State Governors DatasetPoliticsStateData on state governors; for example, name, whether new or re-elected, gender, party.
State Political Competiveness MeasuresPoliticsStateIncludes two indices (Ranney Index & Holdbrook & Van Dunk Index) of the competitiveness of the two major political parties.
Follow the MoneyPolitics, Economy,State, National, FederalInformation on campaign-donors, lobbyist, and related expenditures.
Food Research and Action CenterPolicy, HealthStateData on 22 topic areas including afterschool nutrition programs, CACFP, child nutrition, community eligibility, D-SNAP, economic inequality, farm bill, FARC/AARP course, health, hunger, legislation, Maryland hunger solutions, obesity, rural hunger, school meals, senior hunger, SNAP, SNAP Challenge, SNAP Map, summer nutrition expansion strategies, summer nutrition programs, veteran hunger, and WIC.
The Policy Surveillance ProgramPolicyState, City, Local Government, CountyPolicies related to 17 topics: alcohol, tobacco, & drugs; environmental health; health communication and IT; housing; injury and violence prevention; maternal, infant, and child health; occupational safety and health; public health.
Council of State Governments (book)PolicyStateData since 1935 on topics such as: state constitutions, finances, programs, elections, management and administration, services, intergovernmental affairs, and executive, legislative and judicial branches.
State Policy Innovation and DiffusionPolicyStateThe year of adoption for 728 policies in the American states, from 1691-2017.
Diffusion of Public Policy Innovation Among the American States (ICPSR 66)PolicyNational, State, Census Tract, CityData on the diffusion of innovative legislation and public programs among the 48 continental states of the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries.
NCSL 50-State Searchable Bill Tracking DatabasesPolicyNational, StateData on hundreds of bills across numerous topics such as energy, human trafficking, immigration, school choice, family law, campaign finance, disability, employment, and juvenile justice.
United States Mortality DatabasePopulation, HealthCensus Tract, State, NationalComplete and abridged life tables for every calendar year since 1959 for the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, for the 9 Census Divisions, the 4 Census Regions, and national.
County Health RankingsPopulation, Health, Healthcare, EnvironmentState, CountyState-specific data on health behaviors, health, crime, Medicaid, education, cancer prevalence and incidence, public safety.
State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) SystemPolicy, HealthState, CityCurrent and historical data on tobacco use, prevention, and control (e.g., excise taxes and smokefree laws).
The Correlates of State Policy ProjectPolicyStateU.S. state policy research, tracking policy differences across the 50 states and changes over time. Variables represent policy outputs or political, social, or economic factors that may influence policy differences.
State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ProjectHealth, PolicyState, National, City, Local GovernmentFinancial and programmatic data for mental health, physical and sensory disabilities, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health FactsPopulation, Health, PolicyStateHealth and health care data across 9 categories (and 800+ variables), including demographics and the economy, health costs and budgets, health coverage and uninsured, health insurance and managed care, health reform, health status, HIV/AIDS, Medicaid and CHIP, and Medicare.
The Dartmouth Atlas ProjectHealthcare, HealthZIP Code, LAT/LON, Census Tract, State, National, HRR, HSA, CountyMedicare and Medicaid data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
State Partisan Balance DataPoliticsStateNumber and percent of state legislators who are Democrats and Republicans, party control of state legislatures and governor’s offices, % up for re-election, whether a gubernatorial election, and different measures of party control of state institutions.

Local Contexts

ResourceLinkTopicGeographyDescription
ZillowHousingState, MSA, County, City, ZIP CodeHousing data including home values, rentals, inventory and sales.
CDC WonderHealth, HealthcareNational, County, State, MSAHealth related data sets meant to help with public health research, decision making, priority setting, program evaluation, and resource allocation.
Census - Longitudinal Employer Household DynamicsPopulation, Economy, HousingNational, State, MSAPublic-use information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership.
Census DataPopulation, Health, Economy, HousingState, County, National, Census Tract, ZIP Code, School District, MSACensus data about the nation's people and economy.
Housing and Urban DevelopmentHousingState, County, MSAOriginal data sets generated by PD&R sponsored data collection efforts, including the American Housing Survey, median family incomes and income limits, as well as microdata from research initiatives on topics such as housing discrimination, the HUD-insured multifamily housing stock, and the public housing population.
National Neighborhood Data ArchivePopulation, Housing, Health, Healthcare, Economy, SocioeconomicsLocalData archive containing contextual measures for locations across the United States. Offers theoretically derived, spatially referenced, nationwide measures of the physical and social environment at local levels.
Neighborhood AtlasPopulation,SocioeconomicsNational, State, ZIP CodeRankings of neighborhoods by socioeconomic status disadvantage in a region of interest (e.g. at the state or national level). Includes factors for the theoretical domains of income, education, employment, and housing quality.
Eviction LabHousingState, CountyNationwide database of evictions aggregated to various geographic scales including block groups and tracts.
Diversity Data KidsPopulation, Health, PolicyNational, State, County, Census Tract, City, MSA, ZIP Code, School DistrictOpportunity indices specific to the school-aged population. Child health and wellbeing, racial/ethnic equity and policies that support children and families.
500 Cities projectPopulation, Health, HealthcareCity, Census TractCity and census tract level small area estimates for chronic disease risk factors, health outcomes, and clinical preventive service use for the largest 500 cities in the United States.
Longitudinal Tract DatabasePopulation MSA, County, CityCensus data normalized to a certain boundary year, the site provides crosswalks to normalize any tract level data.
National Historical Geograhical InformationPopulation, HousingState, LocalData Finder with filters.
National Historical Geographic Information System Evironmental SystemsWeather, Land useCensus Tract, County, LocalLand cover and climate data summarized over counties and census tracts.
National Historical Geographic Information SystemPopulation, Housing, Economy, EnvironmentNational, State, County, Census Tract, ZIP Code, MSASummary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS compatible boundary files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and blocks.
Prison Policy InitiativePolicyNational, State, Census TractData on federal prisons, state prisons, local jails, juvenile confinement, involuntary commitment, Indian Country jails, parole, and probation.
Opportunity InsightsPopulationNational, Federal, State, Census Tract, County, CitySocial mobility and a variety of other outcomes from life expectancy to patent rates by neighborhood, college, parental income level, and racial background.
Social Capital ProjectPolicy, Economy, PopulationState, CountyCounty and state level data on a range of social, economic, demographic, health, religious, and other indicators related to family structure and stability, family interaction and investment, civil society, trust and confidence in institutions, community cohesion, institutions, volunteerism, and social organization.
State and Local Finance InitiativePolicy, Economy,State, Local, County, Municipal, Township, Special District, School DistrictState and local public finance data, primarily from the US Census Bureau's Census of Governments and its associated annual survey. Explore state and local revenue, spending, and debt from 1977 through 2017.

Tools & Infographics

ResourceLinkTypeGeographyDescription
Diversity Data KidsVisualizationPopulation, Health, PolicyNational, State, County, Census Tract, City, MSA, ZIP Code, School DistrictOpportunity indices specific to the school-aged population. Child health and wellbeing, racial/ethnic equity and policies that support children and families.
Opportunity AtlasVisualizationPopulationCounty, City, Tracts, Commuting ZonesInteractive, map-based tool that can trace the root of outcomes, such as poverty and incarceration, back to the neighborhoods in which children grew up.
Eviction LabVisualizationHousingState, CountyNationwide database of evictions aggregated to various geographic scales including block groups and tracts.
OntheMapVisualizationState, County, City, ZIP Code, MSA, Census Tract, School DistrictData from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, specifically from their Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES), shows where workers are employed and where they live. OnTheMap provides reports on age, earnings, industry distributions, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, and sex.
National Historical Geographic Information System Geographic CrosswalksCrosswalksCensus Tract, County, Block GroupU.S. census geographic units from one census year and how they correspond to units from another year. The crosswalks are designed to support high-quality tabulations of one year's census data for another year's geographic units.
National Historical Geographic Information GIS filesBoundariesState, County, Census Tract, Block Group, City Geographic information systems (GIS) shapefiles.
Longitudinal Tract DatabaseBoundariesMSA, County, CityCensus data normalized to a certain boundary year, the site provides crosswalks to normalize any tract level data.
500 Cities projectVisualizationPopulation, Health, HealthcareCity, Census TractCity and census tract level small area estimates for chronic disease risk factors, health outcomes, and clinical preventive service use for the largest 500 cities in the United States.
National Core IndicatorsVisualizationStateA voluntary effort by public developmental disabilities agencies to measure and track their own performance. The core indicators address key areas of concern including employment, rights, service planning, community inclusion, choice, and health and safety.
National Historical Geographic Information SystemBoundaries Population, Housing, Economy, EnvironmentNational, State, County, Census Tract, ZIP Code, MSASummary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS compatible boundary files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and blocks.
Migration Data HubVisualizationPopulationNational, State, CountyState-level immigration data profiles including data on (authorized and unauthorized) immigrate demographics, language and education, workforce, and income.
Follow the MoneyVisualizationPolitics, Economy,State, National, FederalInformation on campaign donors, lobbyist, and related expenditures.
Social Capital ProjectVisualizationPolicy, Economy, PopulationState, CountyCounty and state level data on a range of social, economic, demographic, health, religious, and other indicators related to family structure and stability, family interaction and investment, civil society, trust and confidence in institutions, community cohesion, institutions, volunteerism, and social organization.
State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) SystemVisualizationPolicy, HealthState, CityCurrent and historical data on tobacco use, prevention, and control (e.g., excise taxes and smokefree laws).
The Policy Surveillance ProgramVisualizationPolicyState, City, Local Government, CountyPolicies related to 17 topics: alcohol, tobacco, & drugs; environmental health; health communication and IT; housing; injury and violence prevention; maternal, infant, and child health; occupational safety and health; public health.
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health FactsVisualizationPopulation, Health, PolicyStateHealth and health care data across 9 categories (and 800+ variables), including demographics and the economy, health costs and budgets, health coverage and uninsured, health insurance and managed care, health reform, health status, HIV/AIDS, Medicaid and CHIP, and Medicare.
United States Mortality Database- Interactive MapVisualizationStateMap based data visualization tool for comparing US Mortality Database lifetable indicators across and by state.
The Dartmouth Atlas ProjectVisualization, CrosswalksHealthcare, HealthZIP Code, LAT/LON, Census Tract, State, National, HRR, HSA, CountyMedicare and Medicaid data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
Census Cartographic Boundary FilesBoundariesNational, Congressional District, County, MSA, State, ZIP Code, Census Tract, Block Group, School DistrictSimplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER geographic database. Boundary files are specifically designed for small scale thematic mapping.
Census Relationship FilesCrosswalksNational, Congressional District, County, MSA, State, ZIP Code, Census Tract, Block Group Text files describing geographic relationships.
Census - Longitudinal Employer Household DynamicsVisualizationPopulation, Economy, HousingNational, State, MSAPublic use information combining federal, state and Census Bureau data on employers and employees under the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership.
HUD ZIP Code crosswalksCrosswalksZIP Code, Congressional District, Census TractZIP code level data combined with demographic data tabulated at various Census geography levels. Originated directly from the USPS and updated quarterly. Highly responsive to changes in ZIP code configurations; and reflect the locations of both business and residential addresses.
Social ExplorerVisualizationNational, County, State, City, ZIP CodeVisualize and interact with data, create maps, charts, reports and downloads. Built-in data indicators related to demography, economy, health, politics, environment, crime and more.