Consumer Demographics and Market Research

This guide covers topics related to finding sociodemographic data and how to use these statistics for market research projects.

Key resources for US statistics

Sage Data
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The Data-Planet repository of statistical content currently holds datasets presented in 2+ billion views of data (maps, trends, tables, rankings). The datasets are sourced from reputable public and private organizations and cover topics across 16 broad subject areas, including education, population and income, industry, commerce, trade, housing and construction, and much more.

Community survey statistics are available under population and income. The information covers a variety of topics, among which citizenship and place of birth, disability, education, employment, household characteristics, health, housing and home ownership, income, poverty, languages, immigration, race and ethnicity, religion, technology, transportation and much more.

Other categories where sociodemographic information is available include education, housing and construction, labor and employment.

Gale Business: DemographicsNow - Florida Electronic Library Resource
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Gale Business: DemographicsNow is an online subscription resource that provides users with access to robust and highly detailed U.S. demographic data. It is ideal for gaining consumer and market insight when opening a business, finding an untapped audience for products/services, analyzing the shifts and needs of a given population, and so much more. Additionally, the power of Gale Business: DemographicsNow stands out with its reporting capability, which allows users to easily and rapidly produce a variety of compiled reports -- standard and custom -- that will help them make informed and accurate decisions.
IBISWorld
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Whether your company requires a better understanding of market conditions and forecasts; whether you need a clearer picture of a supply chain, or whether you need to keep abreast of competitor activity in your industry, IBISWorld’s comprehensive reports will keep you informed. IBISWorld’s industry research reports consist of 30 to 40 pages of key statistics and analysis on market characteristics, operating conditions, current and forecast performance, major industry participants and more. IBISWorld’s industry risk rating determines how much risk an industry will face over the next 18 months by assessing the operating conditions for companies in the industry.

From Industry Research go to US Business Environment Profiles where reports are organized by topic. Among those you will find Consumer Behavior and Demographics. Each report has a section on Industries Affected.

PolicyMap
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PolicyMap is a U.S. national data and mapping tool and analytics platform with multidisciplinary applications. It is used in research related to social sciences, urban studies, real estate and housing analysis, community and economic development, public administration, public health, policy and political science, education, business, economics, statistics, and geography, among others. Users can leverage thousands of U.S. data indicators in PolicyMap to perform demographic and socioeconomic analysis, from a neighborhood census block group in many cases, up to a national level, as well as create custom regions, for their research and studies.

Books

Diversity Explosion by William H. Frey At its optimistic best, America has embraced its identity as the world's melting pot. Today it is on the cusp of becoming a country with no racial majority, and new minorities are poised to exert a profound impact on U.S. society, economy, and politics. The concept of a "minority white" may instill fear among some Americans, but William H. Frey, the man behind the demographic research, points out that demography is destiny, and the fear of a more racially diverse nation will almost certainlydissipate over time. Through a compelling narrative and eye-catching charts and maps, eminent demographer Frey interprets and expounds on the dramatic growth of minority populations in the United States. He finds that without these expanding groups, America could face a bleak future: this new generation of young minorities, who are having children at a faster rate than whites, is infusing our aging labor force with vitality and innovation. In contrast with the labor force-age population of Japan, Germany, Italy,and the United Kingdom, the U.S. labor force-age population is set to grow 5 percent by 2030. Diversity Explosion shares the good news about diversity in the coming decades, and the more globalized, multiracial country that the U.S. is becoming. Contents A Pivotal Period for Race in America Old versus Young: Cultural Generation Gaps America's New Racial Map Hispanics Fan Out: Who Goes Where? Asians in America: The Newest Minority Surge The Great Migration of Blacks--In Reverse White Population Shifts--A Zero-Sum Melting Pot Cities and Suburbs Neighborhood Segregation: Toward a New Racial Paradigm Multiracial Marriages and Multiracial America Race and Politics: Expanding the Battleground America on the Cusp
ISBN: 9780815723981
Publication Date: 2014-11-19

Please note some of these books might be reference books; reference books are only available for use in the library. You can identify those by looking at the Copies tab in the record of each book – the Location section should say Sherman Library Reference and the Status section should say LIB USE ONLY.

Recommended websites

U.S. Census Bureau

American Community Survey (ACS). Explore tables and maps from the Data section on the left.
American Housing Survey (AHS) - Covers past, current and future housing needs of the U.S. population.
Census Business Builder (CBB) - Small Business Edition is primarily for small business owners who need key data for their business plan or to better understand their potential market. Choose the type of business you want to research, then the location and click on Create Report to know more about demographics, business information and spending patterns in your area of choice.
Current Population Survey (CPS) – In collaboration with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Population projections - Projections for the United States: 2017 to 2060.
Population Reference Bureau - Key U.S. indicators that can be viewed in map, tabular, and trend chart formats, by state and county.
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) - Covers income, employment, household composition, and government program participation. Locate publications and table packages from the Library section.

Deloitte + Datawheel

DataUSA - The most comprehensive website and visualization engine of public US Government data. Go to menu – explore locations – search by place (this can be a city, county, state)

Advameg Inc.

City-Data.com - Informative profiles for every city in the United States.

United States Department of Agriculture

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America covers demographic data from the American Community Survey, information on employment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, income and poverty statistics, information on veterans.

ZoomProspector

National site selection portal that uses more than 1,000 variables to help find the right community for businesses.