Looking for demographic data? Check out DemographicsNow: “From population and Census data to housing expenditures, users of DemographicsNow will have access to demographic information including income, housing, race, age, education, retail spending, consumer expenditures, businesses and more.” 

First, set your geography. Go to Options > Geography List and pick Grand Rapids and your hometown to do a comparison.

Second, click the Demographics tab. Choose a report. The Complete Demographic Comparison Report is a good one to start with.

Third, run the report. You’ll see columns for Grand Rapids and your hometown and then rows of census data like age, race, income, and housing statistics.

Jump over to the Maps tab and view a map of the geography you’ve set. Apply demographic variables to the map, such as age or income, and download your map for use in a report or presentation.

Use the People & Companies tab to look up the names and addresses of various businesses in your geographic area. When creating a business list, go to “business type” and search by keyword for the kind of business you’re looking for.

(Article submitted by Katherine Swart, Collection Development Librarian)