General and Demographic Sources
- data.census.gov This link opens in a new windowData from the decennial Census and the American Community Survey about households, education, income, homeownership, business, and more.
- Social ExplorerCreate maps and generate reports (i.e., tables) based on demographic data from the United States Census and related surveys (1790 to present).
- SimplyAnalytics This link opens in a new windowProvides data down to the census block level, or combine census blocks (or zip codes or tracks...) to create your own area of analysis. Access to the database is limited to 10 users (if you have trouble accessing it, wait a few minutes and try again).
- RAND State Statistics (current) This link opens in a new windowContains nearly 200 Social Science databases covering all 50 U.S. states. The California (CA) collection contains these 200 U.S. databases, plus about 80 detailed databases on California. The Texas (TX) collection contains these 200 U.S. databases, plus about 60 detailed databases on Texas.
- Census Business Builder: Regional AnalystRegional Analyst Edition is built for chambers of commerce and regional planning staff who need a broad portrait of the people and businesses in their service area.
California Offical Sources
Don't see what you need? Try browsing the list of state agencies.
- dataLALos Angeles City open data portal
- Department of Corrections and RehabilitationOffender Information Reports
- Department of EducationData and statistics collected from California schools.
- Department of FinanceIncludes state budget.
- Department of Public HealthIncludes: vital statistics, marriage data, communicable disease data, H1N1 Inluenza, HIV/AIDS and other related topics.
- Employment Development DepartmentLabor market statistics.
- Office of the Attorney General, Crime DataIncludes link to the Criminal Justice Statistics Center.
Think Tanks and Policy Centers
- RAND State Statistics (current) This link opens in a new windowContains nearly 200 Social Science databases covering all 50 U.S. states. The California (CA) collection contains these 200 U.S. databases, plus about 80 detailed databases on California. The Texas (TX) collection contains these 200 U.S. databases, plus about 60 detailed databases on Texas.
Los Angeles
Also check state and national sources for Los Angeles-specific statistics. For example, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics provides current umemployment and related estimates for the Los Angeles MSA.
- Los Angeles Police Department Crime MapProvided access to crime information (from police reports) by date, location and type.
- Crime and Arrests StatisticsPage by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Data goes back to 1996.
- Greater Los Angeles Homeless CountCompiled by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
- Historical Research Guide (Los Angeles Conservancy)A guide to researching historic properties in the City of Los Angeles (of course, some of the resources listed here will also provide information about other cities as well).