Statistics By Region/Agency

Community Statistics

Where do I find the data on the health of my North Carolina community?

• Federal, state and local governments collect health data, as do various health organizations (example: American Heart Association)
• Some statistics are collected regularly, some only occasionally. In general, expect a lag time of at least one year before most statistics are published. Also, expect some gaps and discrepancies
• Statistics are not regularly collected for all areas or topics
• Data on some chronic conditions and health behaviors may be difficult to locate because there is no law mandating the reporting of this information to local health departments (not "notifiable diseases")
• Become familiar with some major data collection efforts, such as those used for the Healthy People 2010 Report.
• Many federal agencies collect data at the state and even county and municipal level, so the federal government can be a great source for local statistics
• When browsing web sites, look for categories such as publications and reports as well as statistics and data
• Use a good Internet search engine, such as Google, when you are looking for more obscure data