Research Guides: Colorado Economic Development Database: Data and Statistics

Why are Data and Statistics Important?

IF YOU'RE AN ENTREPRENEUR: For a business to survive and prosper, it's leadership needs to know the demographics of it customer population (age, race, income, home ownership, etc.), the economic health of the areas in which they live, the cost and availability of labor where the business is located, current interest rates, and much more. See below for links that may provide you with that information, or show you how to find it yourself when searching the internet.

IF YOU'RE A BUSINESS RESEARCHER: Here you'll find Colorado, national, and international statistics on a variety of topics, including economic and demographic data.

Finding Stats in Government Sources

Many government websites and publications include statistics; however, government websites can sometimes be frustrating to use and often it's easier to find statistics in government sources by using a search engine such as Google. Along with words to describe your topic, use these tricks to find statistics in government sources via Google:

Limit by URL Domain: site:gov

This limits your search to websites that end in "gov," which are typically U.S. (federal, state, and city) government websites.

Limit by Filetype: filetype:pdf

This limits your search to PDFs. Many government publications are in PDF format. Other filetypes such as .ppt (PowerPoints), .xls (Excel), and .doc (Word documents) work as well.

Add the word statistics to your search.

Example Searches

site:gov filetype:pdf education statistics
site:gov homeless Colorado statistics

Colorado Statistics

Here you can find statistics on Colorado's economy, demographics (age, race, income, home ownership, etc.), health, education, public safety, recreation, labor force, revenue and taxes, and more.

Colorado Demography Office
Primary state agency for population and demographic information. Its data are used by state agencies to forecast demand for facilities and services.
Colorado Demographic Profiles
Colorado Economic Demographic Information System (CEDIS)
From the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment: Colorado Labor Market Information Gateway
Colorado Information Marketplace (CIM)
Stats and facts issued by the State of Colorado. Includes data catalog.
Quick Guide to Colorado State Government Statistical Information
Various agencies of Colorado state government provide statistical data and related information on a wide variety of topics. The web links included in this brief list will lead to additional resources. This is a quick information guide to selected print and electronic publications, as well as web sites, maintained by state agencies only. Many current and historical print publications on this topic are available to borrow from the State Publications Library.
Colorado Small Business Profile
Here you'll be able to find data on small businesses in Colorado (those with fewer than 500 employees).

National, State, and Local Data in the U.S.

The links listed below can be used to find all kinds of statistical information (economic, demographic, governmental, etc.) on national, state, and local levels. For resources that deal exclusively with economic, demographic, or labor and employment data in the USA, or international statistics, see the other boxes on this page.

Census Business Builder (CBB)
Has menus and search tools you can use to select locations you’d like to research, and to find nearly all types of businesses.
U.S. Census Bureau: States & Local Areas
Statistics about U.S. cities and counties.
Salary Comparison Calculator
What would a salary in one city be equivalent to in another city? The calculator here will get you started on that comparison.
Data USA
Purpose is to understand and visualize critical issues facing the United States such as jobs, skills, and education. Data and data visualizations cover a large variety of industries and topics.
National Association of Counties (NACo)
NACo collects information on counties, such as county officials, courthouse addresses, county seats, cities within a county as well as various statistical and geographical information. Also use the NACo site to identify what and where countieare in a particular state.

U.S. Economic Data

Below, you'll find data and research on the USA's gross domestic product (GDP), income, employment, production,prices,credit, stocks/securities, bankruptcy, etc. Also included are U.S. economic forcasts.

Economic Indicators (US Census Bureau)
Published monthly by the Council of Economic Advisors for the Joint Economic Committee, provides economic information on GDP, income, employment, production, business activity, prices, money, credit, security markets, Federal finance, and international statistics.
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Promotes a better understanding of the U.S. economy by providing the most timely, relevant, and accurate economic accounts data in an objective and cost-effective manner.
The Beige Book
Summary of Commentary on Economic Conditions. Released eight times a year, the Beige Book contains anecdotal information on current economic conditions from interviews with key businessmen, economists, market experts, and other resources. From the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

FRASER This link opens in a new window
An open archive of economic statistical publications and data, including an image library of economic statistical publications and the data extracted from those publications. Each data point is linked to its source publication. Use in connection with data contained in FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and ALFRED (Archival Federal Reserve Data). The ability to retrieve series presented in preliminary, revised, and final releases provides a powerful tool in recreating and evaluating previous economic research and policy. Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

FAIRMODEL
A macroeconometric model of the US economy, to forecast the economy, do policy analysis, and examine historical episodes.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NEBR)
A private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, the NBER is committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals and the academic community.
Bankruptcy Data & Statistics
From the United States Department of Justice

U.S. Demographic Data

Available here is data on the demographics (age, race, income, home ownership, etc.), of the USA.

Census.gov
Comprehensive data on the United States summarized and analyzed.
data.census.gov
A source for population, economic, housing, and geographic information and data about the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island areas. Includes information about income, education, insurance, employment, housing, poverty, veterans, and much more. Replaces American FactFinder
Population Reference Bureau
Population, health, and the environment data worldwide.

Labor, Employment, Salaries, & Wages in the U.S.

Use the links below to find U.S. labor statistics, including the unemployment rate, wages, productivity, poverty rate, and more.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
The BLS is created and maintained by the United States Department of Labor. It is an excellent resource on the past, present, and future outlooks on professions.
The State of Working America
Economic Indicators, Charts and Tables, Trends, Data and Fact Sheets from the Economic Policy Institute.

International Statistics

Use the links below to find statistical information on countries around the world, including their employment, prices, industries, trade, population, education, health, and much more. Much of this is provided by well know international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and World Trade Organization (WTO).

Nation Master This link opens in a new window
Information about countries from sources including the statistical agencies of US and foreign governments, multinational organizations, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, UNESCO, OECD, and others. Useful for cross-country comparisons. Most of the content is open access, with the exception of a few fee-based services for premium subscribers. Auraria Library provides access only to the free content.

UNdata
Statistical information from member states on agriculture, crime, education, employment, energy, environment, health, HIV/AIDS, human development, industry, information and communication technology, national accounts, population, refugees, tourism, trade, as well as the Millennium Development Goals indicators.
UN Comtrade Database
Global database providing a wealth of trade information to policy makers, business community, research institutions and the general public.
UN Economic Commisssion for Europe (UNECE): Links to Official Statistical Organizations
Lists of and links to statistical agencies around the world created by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Note the link to statistical database which focuses on Europe and North America.

Eurostat This link opens in a new window
European Commission data and forecasts on the European Union as a whole or on separate countries within the Union. Eurostat relies on each country to send in their data, so it is sometimes incomplete. The site includes the Eurostat Yearbook.

OECD Factbook
Contains economic, environmental and social statistics for the OECD countries (mostly European) using over 100 different economic indicators.

OECD.Stat This link opens in a new window
Provides access to the core data for OECD countries and selected non-member countries. Covers historical and current information on: country profiles, gross domestic product (GDP), goverment debt, labor/labour market, economic indicators, consumer price indexes (CPI), foreign aid, agriculture, health expenditure, education, population, trade, productivity, energy, environment.

International Monetary Fund
Source for IMF Working Papers, Country Reports, policy discussions, etc.
International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Reports
Biannual economic and financial survey compiled by the International Monetary Fund.
World Bank Open Data
Data about development in countries around the globe by country, topic, indicator, and more.
WTO Data
The WTO Data portal contains statistical indicators related to WTO issues. Available time series cover merchandise trade and trade in services statistics, market access indicators (bound, applied & preferential tariffs), non-tariff information as well as other indicators.
Gapminder World
Reports on social, health, labor, cultural, demographic, economic and other indicators for specific countries worldwide.