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Social, Demographic and Economic Characteristics
Social, demographic and economic factors are closely linked to environmental
issues. Social norms and politics may enhance or hinder efforts to achieve
sustainable solutions. Different groups of people will have varying needs
and desires as to what makes a community or watershed sustainable. It
is important to be aware of the current demographic, social and economic
patterns which may assist or conflict with planning and implementation
of solutions down the road. Completing a chart which describes some of
these factors will help in the overall planning process.
Check out Community
Data, a web
site with with economic trends for a range of geographic areas is now
available on-line.
Inventorying and Information Gathering
The information sources listed below are tools that are designed to assist communities gather pertinent information to answer the question "Where Are We Now?" and to develop a Community Profile. Each of these sources contains a description of the resource, what information is available and where to locate that information, case studies, and any available mapping.
Population and Demographic Characteristics
Housing Characteristics
Economic Characteristics
Population and Demographic Characteristics
The identification of population and demographic characteristics will help to provide a better understanding of the community that is being served. Characteristics that may be helpful in creating a community profile include: Population, population density, medium age, age and sex distributions, race, and educational attainment, median and/or per capita income and percent persons below poverty.
Available Information
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Population and Housing STF1 and STF3
- Local Population and Demographic Data
- County Population and Demographic Data
- Regional Population and Demographic Data
- State Population and Demographic Data
Information Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Census
- U.S. Census Bureau, Fact Finder
- U.S. Census State Data Centers
- Local Libraries
- Local Planning Departments/Commissions
- County Planning Departments/Commissions
- Regional Planning Departments/Commissions
- State Planning Departments/ Commissions
- Local and State Universities and Colleges
- Private Data Providers
Housing Characteristics
The identification of housing characteristics will also be helpful in developing a community profile. Housing characteristics that may be helpful in developing the community profile could include: household size, housing type, housing density, age of housing stock, and the percentage of owner and renter occupied units.
Available Information
- Local Housing/Building Data
- County Housing/Building Data
- U.S. Census Data
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Construction Statistics
Information Sources
- Local Libraries
- Local Building Inspector/Department
- Local Planning Departments/Commissions
- County Building Inspector/Departments
- County Planning Department
- Regional Planning Department
- State Planning Agencies
- State Data Centers
- U.S. Bureau of the Census, Housing Data
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Datasets
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Construction Statistics Division
- Other Data Providers
Economic Characteristics
The identification of the current Economic Characteristics of a community will also be an important part of defining the community. Several economic characteristics that should be collected include information on major employers, employment by sector (agriculture, manufacturing, wholesale trends, retail trend and services), journey to work data and unemployment data.
Available Information
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Population and Housing STF3
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Agriculture
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Manufacturing
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Wholesale Trade
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Retail Trade
- U.S. Census Data, Census of Retail Services
- Local Economic/Employment Data
- County Economic/Employment Data
- Regional Economic/Employment Data
- State Economic/Employment Data
Information Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Census
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Construction Statistics Division
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Office of Trade and Industry Information
- Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Sonoran
Institute, Economic Profile System
- Local Libraries
- Local/County/Regional Planning Departments/ Commissions
- Local/County Building Inspector/Departments