PolicyMap: A New Resource for Finding and Mapping U.S. Data
PolicyMap is an online data and mapping tool for demographic and socioeconomic analyses. It includes broad categories of data on:
- Demographics
- Income and spending
- Housing
- Lending
- Quality of life (e.g., transportation, disaster risks, food access, crime)
- Economy
- Education
- Health
- Federal guidelines (e.g., FEMA disaster declarations, housing and urban development)
Data is available at common U.S. geographies such as address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), as well as other geographies such as school districts, watersheds, hospital referral regions and political boundaries. Custom regions can also be created.
Data is provided from a variety of sources, including the U.S. government, and is updated on a regular basis. The source of data is made clear in the interface. Some potential uses of PolicyMap include teaching and informing research on health disparities, public policy and food studies; site selection for organizations and businesses; identifying areas with environmental and economic disparities that are eligible for federal funding; and much more. You can read more of PolicyMap’s customer stories on their website.
Custom datasets may be uploaded to PolicyMap. Datasets are viewable through interactive maps, tables, and community-based reports.
To expedite downloads and exports, as well as ensure that your data will not be shared with everyone at the university, create a free, personal PolicyMap account with your VCU email address. This will also allow you to access your saved data and maps for later use.
For assistance with PolicyMap, please reach out to a librarian who works with your school or program.
Link: https://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url=https://vcu.policymap.com
Categories Business, Data, Technology and collections