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How to find statistics and numerical data: Statistics Portals

Find statistical data from government and health-related web sites; see which journals publish statistical data and which textbooks teach you about using statistics.

National Statistics 
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

  •  Sponsored by the CDC and other federal agencies, 1984-present
  • World’s largest continually conducted survey
  • Search by location, topic, compare states, and some city/local-level data estimates.
  • Citation:

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data [Internet]. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [2023] – [cited 2023 Jul 25]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/. 

Local Statistics  
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

  • Produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
  • Annual rankings provide a snapshot of a community’s health
  • Search, browse, and compare counties 
  • Citation:

University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps 2023 [Internet]. [2023] – [cited 2023 Jul 25]. Available from: https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/. 


City Health Dashboard

  • Produced by the non-profit National Resource Network in partnership with the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health and the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at NYU, 2017-present. 
  • Search, browse, and compare data on 900+ cities in the U.S. 
  • Citation:

Department of Population Health, NYU Langone Health. City Health Dashboard [Internet], [2023] – [cited 2023 Jul 25]. Available from: https://www.cityhealthdashboard.com/. 


Rural Health Information Hub

  • National clearinghouse on rural health issues funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
  • Health statistics of interest to those living in or working in rural areas
  • Data Sources & Tools table, Rural Data Explorer
  • Citation:

Rural Health Information Hub, 2022. Healthcare Access in Rural Communities [Internet]. Rural Health Information Hub [2022] – [cited 2023 Jul 25]. Available from: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/.