Research Guides: Statistics and Data by Topic: Demographic

Boston & Massachusetts Demographics

Massachusetts State Data Center
Collection of population, housing, and socioeconomic data in Massachusetts.
Office of Data Management and Outcomes Assessment
MA Dept of Public Health
Boston Planning & Development Agency: Boston's Neighborhoods
Contains census data that is not available from the US census website.
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For Census Publications:
1. Click on Publications
2. Research and Publications
3. Census

United States Demographics

America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
Indicators illustrating the well-being of Nation's young people.
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The report presents 40 key indicators on important aspects of children's lives. These indicators are drawn from our most reliable statistics, easily understood by broad audiences, objectively based on substantial research, balanced so that no single area of children's lives dominates the report, measured regularly so that they can be updated to show trends over time, and representative of large segments of the population rather than one particular group.
Data.Census.Gov
Data.census.gov is the new platform to access demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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The vision for data.census.gov is to improve the customer experience by making data available from one centralized place so that data users spend less time searching for data and content, and more time using it.
Census FAQs
Elder Economic Security Index
county-by-county measure of the income needed by older adults to maintain independence and meet their daily living costs while staying in their own homes.

Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
Historical Statistics includes statistics about the United States from the colonial times up to the start of the 21st century. It provides U.S. population, economic, employment, governance and international relations data. Researchers can create and save custom tables.

Kids Count
Profiles the well-being of America’s children on a state-by-state basis and ranks states on 10 key measures of child well-being.
National Map
The National Map offers a collection of small-scale datasets that can be downloaded for free.
National Center for Children in Poverty
Public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children
National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)
The National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides population, housing, agricultural, and economic data, along with GIS-compatible boundary files, for geographic units in the United States from 1790 to the present.
Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The center conducts public opinion polling, demographic studies, media content analysis and other empirical social science research.

PolicyMap This link opens in a new window
Upon first login, users will be presented with a registration form.

PolicyMap is a US national data and GIS mapping tool and analytics platform with varied applications. PolicyMap provides access to thousands of data indicators that can be analyzed as layers, as well as data points, on interactive maps. PolicyMap’s data indicators are related to demographics, neighborhood conditions, real estate markets, federal program-eligible areas, money and income, lending activity, jobs and economy, education, health, and more. Data can be viewed on a census block or census tract level in many cases, city, county, zip, state, US, as well as by congressional district, school district, state house and state senate districts.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Social Explorer is an online research tool that provides access to historical census data and demographic information. It creates intuitive maps and reports to help users visually analyze and understand demography and social change throughout history. The site currently includes the entire US Census history from 1790 to 2021, all annual updates from the American Community Survey, and the Religious Congregations and Membership Study from 1980 to 2010. Users can customize, save, print, and email maps and reports and export them to a variety of programs for further analysis and presentation.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published from 1878 to 2012, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.
U.S. Immigration Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau This link opens in a new window
The Census of Population & Housing, done every ten years, provides the most comprehensive and detailed data on the U.S. population.

International Demographics

Demographic and Health Surveys
Nationally representative data on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, gender, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and nutrition.
Human Development Report (HDR)
Presents a wealth of statistical information on different aspects of human development.
NationMaster
A central data source which compares nations from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, UN, and OECD
OECD Stat Extracts
Comparable statistics, economic and social data from OECD countries and selected non-member economies.
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OECD has been one of the world's largest and most reliable sources of comparable statistics and economic and social data. As well as collecting data, OECD monitors trends, analyses and forecasts economic developments and researches social changes or evolving patterns in trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation and more.
UN Demographic Yearbook
Click on the Statistics link under the title, Demographic Yearbook. Select the year you wish to view. Many tables are available in both PDF and Excel format.
Annual statistics on population size and composition, births, deaths, marriage and divorce. It also includes data on such special topics such as economic activity educational attainment, and ethnicity.
UNICEF Statistics & Monitoring
UNICEF measures the situation of children and women and tracks progress through data collection and analysis.
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It maintains and updates global databases and promotes dissemination of evidence-based data for planning and advocacy. UNICEF is the lead United Nations (UN) agency responsible for the global monitoring of the child-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
World Bank Open Data
Free and open access to global development data
World Factbook Country Comparison
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.