The Community Indicators Project

Community Research Partners collects and analyzes original and secondary data to enhance understanding of community conditions, trends, resources, and needs. This information supports planning, policy, and action by funders, program providers, and residents. Community Indicators is one of CRP’s Data Access Tools that make these data accessible to the general public. The “ready to use” graphs, tables, and bullet-point analysis provide a big picture perspective on our community.

The Community Indicators website represents the evolution of a project begun in 2001, when CRP released the first Community Indicators Database Report. To compile this report, CRP reviewed indicator projects from across the country and established an advisory group to provide input on data selection and analysis. The first printed report was followed by two comprehensive updates in PDF format posted on the CRP website.

In 2007, CRP began work on the design of a Community Indicators website, which was launched in April 2008. The website represents a baseline for more frequent data updates and the addition of new indicators.

In October 2008, CRP released a formatting update to bring a fresh new look to the Data pages for each indicator. At the same time, an update to the indicator data in the Population and Education sections was completed to coincide with the release of both the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 American Community Survey and the Ohio Department of Education’s Interactive Report Card data.  Indicator data within the other categories will be updated as new data becomes available.   To a limited extent, we will also change the indicators offered, eliminating indicators for which recent data is unavailable and adding indicators on pertinent topics. Recent changes to the indicators include the removal of Adult Literacy data and addition of Kindergarten Readiness data in the Education section, as well as the addition of the Foreclosures page in the Housing section.  Future changes to the indicators will be noted on the front pages of each indicator set.  

If you have any questions regarding the Community Indicators website, please contact David Norris at dnorris@communityresearchpartners.org.

Navigating the Community Indicators Website

The Community Indicators website is designed for a variety of users, with enough detail so that many users will not need to look further for information on community conditions. Like the reports that preceded it, the indicators are currently organized into six categories: population, income and employment, housing, education, health, housing, and safety. Within each category are 6-12 indicator topics, each with data displayed in tables and graphs, bullet point analysis, and information about data definitions and sources. Each category also includes a “links” page for those who want to delve further into the data.

About the Data

The Community Indicators include data from many sources. These sources vary in a number of ways, including: 1) geography (metro area, county, sub-county); 2) frequency of data updates; and 3) terminology (race/ethnicity, age, gender, geography).

Geography

Because the indicators are intended to provide a big picture view, the primary geographies reported are the city of Columbus, Franklin County, and Central Ohio/Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area. To provide a basis for comparison, some indicators also include data for other communities, the state of Ohio, and the U.S. Selected data is presented for other Franklin County jurisdictions, central Ohio quadrants/market areas, and the Columbus “older city”. (Note: see DataSource for small geography demographic, social, and property data).

Age of the data

Users will notice differences across indicators in the age of the data. There are many reasons for this. Because of the time needed to collect, analyze, and disseminate data, “new” annual data sets may be from one to two years old. For example, in April 2008, the newest American Community Survey data were from 2006. The indicators also use data from sources where new data is not available annually, and updates may be possible only every three, five, or even ten years. For data that is not publicly available from a website or report, CRP is dependent on staff of other organizations for updates. Some data providers respond to requests for new data in a timely way, while others do not.

Other factors also limit the ability to update the indicators. Some data that were available for the 2001, 2003, and 2005 reports are no longer available. There are also indicators that cannot be updated because they include data from one-time research reports. Although all of the original indicator categories were included in the initial website development, over time, indicators that cannot be updated may be removed.

Data labels and terminology

CRP chose to retain the terminology used by the original source when presenting the indicator data. This is most evident in data labels for race and geography. For example, some data sources use the term “black,” while others use “African-American.” There are also several variations on the concept of “Central Ohio” in use by data sources. Definitions and explanations of the data labels are provided on the data pages.

Data analysis

The analysis page for each of the indicators summarizes key points drawn from the data tables and graphs. In some cases, CRP uses the term “significant” in the analysis. The use of this term does not imply statistical significance. Rather, it indicates that, in the opinion of CRP, change over time or differences between demographic groups or geographic locations are great enough to be noteworthy.

Caveats about accuracy

CRP has been very careful in collecting, analyzing, and presenting data from a variety of sources.  Although CRP has judged its data sources to be reliable, it was not possible to authenticate all data. If careful users of the website discover data errors or typographical errors, CRP welcomes this feedback and will incorporate corrections into its periodic data updates.

Feedback and Suggestions

CRP welcomes the feedback of users on how we can improve the site and make it more useful. If you have comments, questions, or suggestions, or wish to have your name added to our email list for website updates and news, contact David Norris, Community Data Manager, at 614-224-5917, ext. 109, or dnorris@communityresearchpartners.org

How Indicators can be Used

The indicator data can be used in a variety of ways—for policy and program design, resource allocation, grant applications, program evaluation, advocacy, and research. The following describe the ways that indicators help us understand our community:

• Indicators provide information about large systems.

The Community Indicators Handbook (Authors: Tyler Norris Associates, Redefining Progress and Sustainable Seattle) includes this definition of indicators:
“Indicators are small bits of information that reflect the status of larger systems…When we can’t see the condition of something in its entirety– whether it’s… a person, an educational system or a whole community–we need indicators to make these conditions visible. Indicators can’t tell us everything, but they can tell us enough to make good decisions possible.”

• Indicators help us see relationships among aspects of community life.

Redefining Progress, a nonprofit research organization, provides the following perspective on indicators:
“…indicators can bring many different sectors of the community together, foster new alliances and relationships, provide all citizens with a better compass for understanding community problems and assets…Unique partnerships for improving communities can be formed as community members begin to appreciate the linkages among seemingly unrelated aspects of community life.”

• Indicators link the past to the future.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development describes the use of indicator data in this way:
“Societies measure what they care about. Measurement…provides an empirical and numerical basis for evaluating performance, for calculating the impact of our activities on…society and for connecting past and present activities to attain future goals.”
The Community Indicators Database is being developed with all of these viewpoints in mind. CRP hopes that the database will help the community to better understand its systems, gain new insights into the interrelatedness of community trends, and most importantly, develop consensus on data-driven goals for the future.