Guides: Marketing Research @ Pitt: Demographics

Demographics

view of the 2000 US census results on peoples ancestry, by county. Demographics or demographic data are the characteristics of a human population as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research.

Commonly used demographics include sex, race, age, income, disabilities, mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available), educational attainment, home ownership, employment status, and even location.

Distributions of values within a demographic variable, and across households, are both of interest, as well as trends over time.

Image by the U.S. Census Bureau, on Wikimedia Commons.

The below websites and databases are great starting points for basic U.S. demographic data.

Pitt Databases

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Social Explorer is mainly an interactive map of demographic information drawn from the US Census. Users can examine geographic areas while selecting the type of data to be shown, such as population density or income level. Note: Creation of a Personal Account is required to fully access all Social Explorer features.

Free Websites

American Census Data This link opens in a new window
Primary way to access Census Bureau data, including releases from the 2018 American Community Survey, 2017 Economic Census, 2020 Census and more. Use data.census.gov to view, print, and download statistics about population, housing, industry, and business.

U.S. Census' Quick Facts
QuickFacts provides easy access quick demographics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with more than 5,000 people.

The following websites and databases contain helpful global demographic information.

Pitt Databases

Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
1. Enter your country in the first search box
2. Enter the word "demographic" in the second search box
3. Press Search
4. On the left of the results, select Country Reports under Source Types
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) This link opens in a new window
EIU provides data and forecasts about political, economic, and business climates of various regions and up to 200 countries, as well as related news, analysis, and risk factor assessments. Coverage includes online versions of the Country Commerce, Country Finance, the Business Briefings series. Includes access to EIU Viewpoint that provides Global, regional and country-level analysis for nearly 200
markets.
CountryWatch This link opens in a new window
Provides current information and news on countries. To get to country profiles, select the CountryReviews link in the upper-left of the screen.

Free Websites

NationMaster
NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from hundreds of sources. Using the search forms, you can get maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease. With data compared across 305 countries and over 5,000 specific categories to analyze, this site offers a wealth of information. Select 'countries' to view the list offered and see information such as: Cost of Living, Environment, Industry, Lifestyle, etc.
C.I.A. World Factbook
This site contains profiles for all of the nations around the world, including demographic profiles and statistics. Use the drop-down box at the top to select the country of interest. Detailed descriptions and demographic information for each country are presented to user, such as: Population, Median Age, Urbanization, Economy, and Government.
U.S. Census Bureau's International Database
Select a report, year(s), countries or region to search for data. Other information is available by clicking the "Data" tab, such as links to the World Population Summary, Country Ranking (by population), or Global Population Mapping.
globalEdge
From the Center for International Business Education and Research at Michigan State University, information on industries and demographics for consumers can be found. Find specific country by selecting from the drop-down box By Country.

The following websites will provide helpful demographic information for Pittsburgh. Be sure to check whether the source is providing information on the city of Pittsburgh or the Pittsburgh metro area.

Pittsburgh Census Quick Facts
State and County demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau specifically on Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Data Map
City of Pittsburgh Municipal Website provides Pittsburgh neighborhood and data map resources
PGHSNAP
Made by the city government and now hosted by the WPRDC, includes raw data and Excel files with data on the city.
Census Data for Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
Includes map of city.
Pittsburgh Regional Alliance
Check out the "regional data" tab at the top of the page for comprehensive Pittsburgh specific data and demographics information
Southwestern Pennsylvania Community Profiles
Provides interactive data for 11 domains: arts and culture, demographics, economy, education, environment, governance and civic vitality, health, housing and properties, human services, public safety, and transportation.
Pittsburgh Today
Provides a wealth of data on the Pittsburgh region.

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Demographics