Demographics & Consumers - BUS 2010 - Entrepreneurial Fundamentals / MKTG 5583 - Entrepreneurship - Research Guides at University of Northern Iowa

Consumer Behavior & Attitudes

Various national and state and local government agencies may collect and make available useful data for marketing purposes.

Here is one example regarding consumer expenditures:

Consumer Expenditure Survey
*Provides "information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics. The survey data are collected for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau."

Demographic & Economic Data

Governments conduct censuses and surveys, and most results are available for public use.

Many U.S. federal government census and survey data can be reached via the Census Bureau's Business & Industry page.

Many other types of organizations, such as trade associations, also gather data; some may be available for no charge and without restriction, some may be available only to members or for a fee.

American FactFinder
*Produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, this site includes demographic and economic data from the population and economic censuses and surveys, for the U.S. as a whole, states, and smaller areas. *See also: data.census.gov
data.census.gov
"Starting in July, data.census.gov will be the primary way to access Census Bureau data, including upcoming releases from the 2018 American Community Survey, 2017 Economic Census, 2020 Census and more. After July 1, 2019, all new data (previously released on American FactFinder) will be released on this new data platform."
Business & Industry: Census Bureau Economic Statistics
*Economic and Population Census data
County Business Patterns
*Contains data on number of employees, number of establishments, and payroll for SIC and NAICS defined industries for states and counties.
*fill out form to request state and specific county
Industry Statistics Portal (U.S. Cenus Bureau)
*Provides economic data to the six digit NAICS industry code level
*Data frequency includes quarterly, annual, and every 5 years
State Data Center of Iowa
*Official source for U.S. census statistics about Iowa.
Cedar Valley Alliance
Economic development organizations compile data about their regions.
National Restaurant Association
This is an example of a trade association that gathers data and produces various reports and articles. The News & Research tab at this NRA site leads to some reports that are free.