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This file, “A Community Researcher’s Guide to Rural Data,” by Priscilla Salant, is a manual prepared for the Rural Economic Policy Program of The Aspen Institute, funded by The Ford Foundation. Its main purpose is to help researchers, particularly those in community development organizations, find and use reliable data to understand rural communities.Here’s a summary of its key sections:
- Introduction and Background: It highlights the dramatic demographic and economic changes in rural America and the challenge of adjusting to them. The manual emphasizes the need for reliable information and analysis, addressing the common problem of decision-makers lacking knowledge about available rural data sources. It also discusses the different conceptual definitions of “rural” used by federal agencies (urban/rural designation by the Census Bureau and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan designation by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget), and refinements to these, such as the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) coding systems for nonmetro counties.
- Data Concepts: This chapter defines basic data concepts for less experienced users, including primary vs. secondary data, census vs. administrative data, and population vs. sample data. It also details the various media in which statistical data are available (hard copy, electronic format like tapes, diskettes, laser discs, and “on-line”). It explains Census Bureau geography, ranging from national regions and divisions down to individual city blocks, and differentiates between public and private data sources.
- Overview of Sources: This section describes major data sources for analyzing rural communities.
- Decennial Census of Population and Housing: Conducted every ten years, it’s highlighted as an invaluable source of detailed and nationally uniform small-area data on educational attainment, poverty rates, and employment. It notes the over-sampling of rural areas for the long form to ensure data reliability.
- Current Population Reports and Surveys: Discusses intercensal demographic information, like the Current Population Survey (CPS), which provides regional estimates, and the Federal-State Cooperative Program for Population Estimates for more up-to-date county-level population change data.
- Other Censuses: Covers the national agriculture, economic, and government censuses conducted every five years, providing data on establishments (businesses/industrial units). It explains the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system used for economic data and mentions the detailed data available from the Census of Governments.
- Other Economic Data: Introduces the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) as a source for personal income and employment estimates, particularly its Local Area Personal Income series and the Regional Economic Information System (REIS). It also describes the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the USDA as a unique resource for rural issues, conducting research and providing data on agriculture, natural resources, and rural economic trends.
- Labor Market Information: Mentions the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as the primary agency for labor economics data, including employment, wages, and unemployment statistics at various geographic levels.
- Where to Find Data and Useful Reference Materials: The manual directs researchers to Federal depository libraries, Census depository libraries, and State Data Centers (SDCs) for accessing federal data products. It also provides contact information for the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Key reference materials highlighted include the Census Catalog and Guide, Monthly Product Announcement, Census and You newsletter, Factfinder for the Nation pamphlets, and the County and City Data Book (CCDB), which is described as an invaluable compendium of socioeconomic data for small areas.
- Sample Counties: To put data sources in context, the manual introduces six sample counties from ERS’s Policy Impact groups, each representing a different type of rural community: Attala County, Mississippi (persistent poverty); Burnet County, Texas (retirement); Coos County, New Hampshire (manufacturing-dependent); Kossuth County, Iowa (farming-dependent); Nicholas County, West Virginia (mining-dependent); and Whitman County, Washington (specialized government).
The document emphasizes that good research starts with good questions and that data are most valuable when compared across areas or time periods. It also advises researchers to seek out well-informed librarians, call data sources directly, and read technical documentation carefully.
