Get the Brief

Demographics & Population

Population, migration, and household data set the baseline every other signal gets measured against: is a place growing, aging, or hollowing out.

12 sources in this category

Start here

Census ACS 5-year API

Income, age, housing, commute, education to block-group level.

View source →

All Sources

Census ACS 5-year API

Core
U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

Income, age, housing, commute, education to block-group level

EDREENT Annual free
View source →

Census Population Estimates (PEP)

Core
U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

County/city population change, components (births, deaths, migration)

EDRE Annual free
View source →

Census Building Permits Survey

Core
U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

Residential permits by place - leading housing indicator

REEDENT Monthly free
View source →

Census County Business Patterns

Core
U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

Establishments/employment by NAICS by county - gap analysis raw material

ENTED Annual free
View source →

ISU Iowa Community Indicators Program

Core
Iowa State University · Demographics & Population

Pre-digested county/city trends: population, employment, retail

EDENT Annual free
View source →

Census QuickFacts

Core
U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

Fast county profile lookups while drafting

ENTED Annual free
View source →

Census Business Formation Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

EIN applications by state - macro cross-check for SOS filings

ENTED Varies free
View source →

IRS SOI county migration data

IRS · Demographics & Population

County-to-county migration flows with AGI - who's moving in, with how much income

EDRE Annual free
View source →

HUD USPS vacancy data

HUD / USPS · Demographics & Population

Address vacancy by tract from postal data - decline/turnaround early warning

REED Quarterly free
View source →

Woods & Poole / projections (via SDC)

Iowa State Data Center · Demographics & Population

County population projections - the long-game context layer

EDRE Annual free
View source →

Census LEHD LODES / OnTheMap

U.S. Census Bureau · Demographics & Population

Commute flows: where workers live vs work - labor-shed maps

WFED Annual free
View source →

USDA ERS county typology & rural data

USDA ERS · Demographics & Population

Rural classification, farming-dependent counties, creative class

AGED Annual free
View source →
Related playbook

How to create a town investment memo - see all playbooks →