Pennsylvania State Data Center

There are more data and information available than can possibly be developed into standard publications or tables. Thousands of data items comprise each Decennial Census, as well as the new American Community Survey. PaSDC has expertise in both sources of data, as well as other Census Bureau data sources, like the Economic Census (every five years) and Current Population Survey (each month). There are also many other sources of data at both the national and state level. Sorting through these massive accumulations of data in search of what one needs can be a daunting task. The PaSDC assists clients by directing them to the best data for their specific needs.

Consultation Services
PaSDC staff can assist clients in determining what data or information they need, what sources are available, and in understanding concepts and definitions, limitations of data, and reliability of data.

Research
Many resources are at the disposal of the PaSDC including Census Bureau reference publications and documents and federal agency and state agency reports.

Data/Information Acquisition
Information can be provided to clients in various media or formats. Data is available on the PaSDC Web site (PaSDC.hbg.psu.edu), CD-ROM or an external hard drive. Custom programs are developed to pull the appropriate data. Data can then be manipulated and calculations made.

Interpretation
Data alone can provide clients with mechanisms to make decisions. However, further refinement and analysis can be provided. Already seen by the media as an invaluable resource and used readily, PaSDC staff can analyze data, produce informationreports, and develop graphics and statistical maps to make interpreting the data easier and more useful.

Custom Data Services
The PaSDC has extensive experience in working with a wide variety of data sources, not just Census data. Our custom data projects will collect data from a variety of sources, and provide data analysis. The Data Center can locate, acquire and arrange the data you need for a custom demographic profile of any size. Pick the data items, geographies and presentation medium, and Data Services staff will coordinate the collection, tabulation and presentation of a cohesive profile. Whether the final product is a series of print publications or a demographic data web site, PaSDC can create a product that serves your organization’s needs. Custom data projects can be created for a variety of geographic levels, including counties, municipalities, school districts, state legislative districts, census tracts, congressional districts, and many more!