These are the websites to use for the data portion.
Not every database below has data on all three of our cities of focus. Some databases may have state level data only. I indicate this below if that is the case. Some databases are visual; some are numerical. Some are useful to the assignments in this course; some may not be as useful. This is part of the learning: figuring out what is useful, what is not. I provide a range of sources to speak to a range of student interests, and to demonstrate the various ways of looking at a city.
All databases provide a way or ways of analyzing a city. As you explore these data sets, be sure to engage as an urban sociologist. Ask yourself: how are terms defined? Is there a particular agenda or worldview implicit in how this information is characterized? How does this information deepen my understanding of cities? What information is lacking? Remember too that data for a city can be misleading. The average median income in a city might be fantastic number — except that that median income doesn’t fully speak to the levels of poverty in the city.
Not sure where to get started? Head to the US Census Bureau and type in the name of one of our cities. You’ll find some data points show up at that point. Need help? Email me a specific question about what you’ve done and what you are needing help with — I am happy to provide assistance.
Our Data Sets: Feel free to suggest other ones! And please let me know if any of these aren’t working. The websites change sometimes. Extra credit is yours (as always) for letting me know of any errors. If a link doesn’t open, you can also do a Google search for the name of that data base. I encourage you to make the learning yours!
Center for Immigration Studies
Data.gov (type “cities” into the search bar)
Gentrification and Displacement
Food Access Research Atlas: This is 2019 data, which is the most recent data. Extra credit if you can find a more recent database.