Census.gov (www.census.gov)

The most important source of demographic statistics is the US Census Bureau's free website.  American Factfinder (http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en) is the easiest way to access population, social, economic and housing data from the Decennial Census, the Economic Census, the American Community Survey, and Population Estimates.

Statistical Abstract of the United States (http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/)

Available in print and from the US Census Bureau website, the annual Statistical Abstract is a summary of statistics on social, political and economic conditions in the United States taken from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other Federal agencies and private organizations.  Includes selected international comparisons.  Earlier editions available from 1878.  Serves as a guide to sources of additional information.

Community Sourcebook of ZIP Code Demographics

This print annual provides updated demographic data for every US ZIP code and state, and five-year forecasts.  It also includes a count of business firms and employees, consumer spending indexes for 20 product and service categories, and a Dominant Community Tapestry lifestyle segmentation for each ZIP code.  Tapestry lifestyle segments characterize a community’s primary constituent, e.g. “Midlife Junction” and “Green Acres.”

Holdings: BYU, CCSN, Dixie, UNLV, UVSC

Sales and Marketing Management’s Survey of Buying Power

Once a year Sales and Marketing Management publishes a special issue, the Survey of Buying Power and Media Markets.  It features statistics, rankings, and projections for every county and media market in the US, with detailed demographic information.  Its Buying Power Index (BPI) is constituted of population, effective buying income, and retail sales data.  This information is presented for both Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) and Designated Market Areas (DMAs).  This issue is included with regular subscriptions to Sales and Marketing Management, and is also available through databases such as ABI/Inform.  This popular resource was discontinued for several years but has again become available in an online format (http://www.surveyofbuyingpower.com/sbponline/index.jsp). Libraries have reported difficulty in licensing it, and it is unknown if any Utah libraries have it.