Statistics for Community Analysis
This guide is designed to aid students and researchers who are conducting a community analysis of the Los Angeles area neighborhoods and communities. While many resources are from LA city or county agencies, others are from state and federal sources which can be used to study other cities or communities outside of LA.
UCLA Courses who have used this guide: Social Welfare 132, Social Welfare 201.
Identify Your Community
Most data sources have statistics by city. (In the Census, cities are called
"places".) However, if your community is an unincorporated
area or a neighborhood in a larger city, then you'll have to define
it by adding up smaller geographic areas such as zip codes or census
tracts. These communities usually have no official boundaries, and it's
up to you to decide which zip codes or tracts fall within your community. Often
zip codes and tracts will include areas that fall outside your community boundary.
LA City Department of Neighborhood Empowerment - NC Database and Roster
Find information about each forming and certified Neighborhood Council: boundaries, leaders, contact information, meeting times, etc.
Community Plan Areas (LA City Department of Planning)
Access to reports and maps on the 35 Los Angeles Planning Areas, plus the Port of Los Angeles and LAX.
Los Angeles Department of City Planning, Community Plan Profiles and Statistics
A variety of statistics, including Census 2000 figures, aggregated for city Community Plan Areas (CPAs) or city council districts.
- current: Online
Access
- 1995: Online
Access
- paper (current and past): YRL Reference Reading Room, call numbers beginning with HT168 .L7
Navigate LA - My Neighborhood (LA Department of Water & Power)
Web-based mapping application that delivers maps and reports based on data supplied by various City departments, Los Angeles County, and Thomas Bros. Maps. "My Neighborhood" will link you to City and Neighborhood Council website and maps.
Los Angeles Almanac
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Identify an address and zip code that is within your community
In order to use most of the resources listed in this guide, you must have an address and zip code, as they use mapping software or GIS to display information.
Identify Census Tracts
City of Los Angeles Website
Note: Use the "My Neighborhood" search feature to find Thomas Guide page and grid, Census Tracts, Police Bureau, Council, Neighborhood Council, School, and Sanitation Districts.
Reference Maps from American Fact Finder
Guide: How to Use Census Reference Maps
Census 2000 Tract Outline Maps
Maps are Acrobat pdf files; select State, then County. The first file in each county is an index map.
Navigate LA Map Gallery: Census Tract Map
A .pdf map that shows all of the Census Tracts for LA County; the zoom and pan tools will help you locate your area and tract numbers.
Groupings of Los Angeles City Census Tracts by Community (LA Almanac)
Los Angeles and Orange Counties Street Guide & Directory, Census Tract Edition
(1990 zip codes and census tracts) YRL Reference Government Resources Table, Call Number G 1528 .L89T36lo 1989
[Note: First table, facing in toward Reference
area]
Neighborhood Knowledge CA (NKCA)
Use the "Data and Charts" section to find single census tracts by address. Use the "Maproom" to create a neighborhood and find multiple census tracts that cover your community.
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Demographic Data
American Factfinder
Access to the most comprehensive demographic and socioeconomic data in the United States. 2000 data plus most 1990 data. For basic demographic variables (population, race, sex, and age) choose Summary File 1.
For socioeconomic variables such as income, occupation, educational attainment, place of birth, and citizenship choose Summary File 3.
[Note: Be sure you know your Census Tracts!!]
Neighborhood Knowledge CA (NKCA)
Create custom maps of your communities, get demographic reports, find out which census tracts are included in your neighborhood. Part of the resources from UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.
Guides for Understanding the Decennial Census
Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census. (2000). YRL Reference Desk, Call #HA37.U55 C66 2000
Reference Resources for Understanding Census Geography
Census 2000 Questionnaires
Includes access to the 1990 Census questionnaire and Measuring America: Decennial Census 1790-2000, contains all questionnaires.
Census 2000 Briefs
Publications that are useful for introducing the public to key Census 2000 population and housing data, e.g. Hispanic Population, Ancestry, Foreign Born, etc. Each brief includes the Census question(s) from which the data are taken as well as definitions and tables on the topic.
Census 2000 Reports
Special reports that provide an in-depth analysis of Census 2000 population and housing topics, e.g. internal migration, un-married household populations.
Subjects A-Z
Complete index of census subjects and topics.
Publications for Decennial Census Population and Housing
Access to census reports and briefs, technical documentation, etc.
Unofficial Groupings of Los Angeles City Census Tracts by Community Census 2000 (Los Angeles Almanac)
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Statistical Abstracts and Compilations
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Statistical Databases
American Fact Finder (U.S. Census Bureau)
FedStats
UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge - Projects (Includes access to NKCA.)
LexisNexis Statistical (UCLA Only)
Provides comprehensive access to statistical publications and reports from over 200 federal agencies, 50 state governments, 100 international
intergovernmental organizations, and 500 private and academic sources. Statistical Universe draws from American Statistics
Index (federal statistics), Statistical Reference Index (state and private statistics), and Index to International Statistics
(international intergovernmental statistics).
ICPSR Direct (University of Michigan) (UCLA Only)
Available to UCLA faculty, staff, and students only. ICPSR is one of the largest archives of surveys useful in secondary
analysis and quantitative research. Holdings include political and election studies, education studies, population research,
economic attitudes and behavior, social indicators, and studies on health status from the United States and many countries
worldwide. Searches of ICPSR holdings are possible using author, title, keyword or study number. Advanced and boolean search
capabilities are available. For assistance, please contact the ISSR Social Science Data Archives, libbie at ucla.edu.
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More Resources for Community Data and Services
Quick Data Guide (Weingart Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty)
Excellent starting point, shows availability of economic and social statistics broken down by geography for nation, state, coutny, city, zip code and census tract.
Community and Social Services
Riddick-Norton, Glenda. Los Angeles County Social Service Rainbow Resource
Latest ed., YRL Reference Desk, Call Number HV89 .R53
Los Angeles Sourcebook
YRL Reference Desk, Call Number HF5038 .L84 P58 1997
Los Angeles Economic Roundtable
A non-profit, public benefit corporation organized to conduct research and implement programs that contribute to the economic self-sufficiency of individuals and communities. Areas of research include homelessness, childcare, healthcare, and labor.
ImapLA
Access city information and services, including parcel maps and associated data, basic demographic data, elected official district maps, and information about locations of services available in your neighborhood.
Healthy City
An information portal that offers access to the largest database of community resources (basic needs, health, criminal justice, education, environment, income security, mental heatl, etc.), demographic/health data, as well as interactive mapping. Part of the resources from UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.
LILA - Living Independently in Los Angeles
A consumer-directed and regionally focused online project to benefit people with disabilities living in Los Angeles County. Find services, housing, activities, businesses and other independent living resources through the interactive maps. Part of the resources from UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.
Pitt, Leonard. Los Angeles A to Z : an Encyclopedia of the City and County
YRL Reference Desk, Call Number F869.L84 P58 1997
United Way Research Catalog
Access to research, data and policy information for people working to address poverty, homelessness, and related issues in Los Angeles.
Solutions for Our City (UCLA Anderson Forecast) *Best viewed with IE browser.
Briefs that address potential solutions for Los Angeles in the areas of affordable housing, education, community relations, finance, governance, healthcare, traffic, youth/children.
Business & Industry
Crime
Education
LAUSD School Finder
Enter an address to find the Elementary, Middle and High Schools for an address within the LAUSD boundaries. Provides basic school information as well as a complete school profile, race/ethnicity of students, attendance, staffing, etc.
Los Angeles Unified School District
Click on Schools >Find a School to search for schools by address or zip code; get information about elementary, middle, and high schools in your area.
LAUSD Beyond the Bell - before/after school day and weekend activites.
Data and Statistics (California Department of Education)
Access to a variety of reports at the school and district level for public and private schools - test scores, academic performance index, adequate yearly progress, attendance, dropouts, enrollment, staffing, english learners, etc.
ED-Data: Education Data Partnership
Demographic, fiscal and performance data for California's K-12 schools. Get reports by state, county, district, or school.
Environment
Enviromapper (EPA)
Use a zip code to map environmental conditions and features in your area; find surface water, hazardous waste sites, pesticides, pollution cleanup, etc.
Environmental Databases (The Right to Know Network, OMB Watch)
Provides free access to government databases on the environment, including the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), Biennial Reporting System (BRS) for hazardous materials, etc.
EnviroStor Database (CA Department of Toxic Substance Control)
Search for properties regulated by the DTSC's Site Mitigation and Brownfields Reuse Program where extensive investigation and/or cleanup actions are planned or have been completed.
Geotracker (CA State Water Resources Control Board)
An online mapping system that provides access to environmental data. GeoTracker is the interface to the Geographic Environmental Information Management System (GEIMS), a data warehouse which tracks regulatory data about underground fuel tanks, fuel pipelines, and public drinking water supplies.
LA City Environmental Affairs Department
Programs for a Green L.A. (LA Department of Water and Power)
888Clean LA (LA County Department of Public Works)
Health
Statistics, Data and Reports (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health)
LAPublicHealth.org SPA's in Your Community
Get a variety of public health reports, statistics and data, e.g. communicable diseases, causes of death, infant mortality, asthma, injury facts, by LA County Service Planning Area. Find out what a Service Planning Area is.
Los Angeles County Health Survey
A survey of adults and children living in LA County that provides statistics and reports on topics as alcohol and drug use, nutrition, physical activity, health insurance, health care, child care, parenting practices, etc. Survey data and reports are
available for 1999-2000, 2002-03 and 2005
CHIS - California Health Interview Survey (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research)
State and local data on hundreds of health topics. Run your own customized search using AskCHIS, review publications and data summaries, etc.
Los Angeles Government Resources: Health (CSUN Library)
California Health Statistics
Access health statistics at the county level - reports include AIDS, Diabetes, Vital Statistics, etc.
Housing and Property Information
NKLA
Provides tools for accessing property and neighborhood data, like code complaints and enforcement, Contract Nuisance Abatement, building permits, tax delinquency, etc.; includes statistical profiles from 1990 and 2000 Census and an interactive map of LA area non-profits.
Residential Vacancy Data, from the Department of Water & Power, Los Angeles Housing Department
Based on "Individually Metered Apartment Vacancy Survey" data and "Residential Meter Activity" data, reports show vacancy rates by Community Planning Area, Zip Codes, and Census Track
LA County Assessors' Office Property Assessment Information System
Get basic property, sales, and tax information for individual properties.
Articles Databases
If you are conducting research off-campus and need access to restricted materials, such as article databases and other electronic resources, take a few minutes to set up your computer for the proxy server.
For quick instructions on this, go to the UCLA BOL Proxy Services page.
America: History and Life(UC Only)
The most comprehensive index to American (U.S. and Canada) history. Indexes over 2000 journals worldwide, as well as book reviews and dissertations.
Anthropology Plus (UC Only)
Anthropology Plus brings together into one resource Anthropological Literature from Harvard University and Anthropological Index, Royal Anthropological Institute from the UK. Anthropology Plus provides indexing of journal articles, reports, commentaries, edited works, and obituaries in the fields of social, cultural, physical, biological, and linguistic anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, folklore, material culture, and interdisciplinary studies. The index covers core periodicals internationally in the field in addition to local and lesser-known journals from the late 19th century to the present.
Chicano Database (UC Only)
Indexes all types of materials in the areas of Mexican-American topics from 1967 to the present and, since 1992, materials on other Latino cultures.
Ethnic NewsWatch (UC Only)
Contains the complete text of articles since 1960 from over 200 publications of the ethnic, minority, and native press. Covers news, culture, and history, and is searchable in both English and Spanish.
EBSCO Academic Search Complete (UC Only)
Indexes periodicals in all subject areas from 1980 to the present, both popular & scholarly. Includes scholarly journals, news magazines, and newspapers - many with full text.
Family & Society Studies Worldwide (UC Only)
Indexes publications, 1970 to the present, from a wide range of social science disciplines including anthropology, sociology, psychology, demography, health sciences, education, economics, law, history, and social work. Covers popular issues and information for professionals in the fields of social work, social science, and family practice. Many citations provide the complete text of the article.
Hispanic American Periodical Index - HAPI Online (UC Only)
Index to journals on Central & South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Hispanics in the U.S. from 1970 to the present.
ISI Web of Science (UC Only)
Through the Web of Science, users can access the three ISI Citation Databases: Science Citation Index Expanded (1945- with full-text author abstracts for many items from 1991-); Social Sciences Citation Index (1956- with full-text author abstracts for many items from 1992- ; Arts & Humanities Citation Index (1975- with full-text author abstracts 2001-); . Cited reference searching, unique to ISI, lets you search the databases for articles that cite a known author or work.
JSTOR (UC Only)
Full text of core scholarly journals from their beginning to approximately five years ago. Disciplines include botany, business, ecology, general science, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, statistics. Browsable by discipline and full-text searchable across all disciplines.
Proquest Digital Dissertations (UC Only)
Index to doctoral dissertations from 1861 to the present, with abstracts since 1980. A number of master's theses are also indexed, with abstracts since 1988. Complete text of dissertations and theses from University of California campuses since 1997 is available at no charge to download in PDF format.
Project Muse (UC Only)
Full text of current issues (from about 1990) of scholarly journals published by university presses, chiefly in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
RAND California (UCLA Only)
Provides data on California and United States public policy issues, with an emphasis on statistics.
Sociological Abstracts (UC Only)
Index (with abstracts)to journals in sociology from 1963 to the present.
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