There are many excellent sources for finding health statistics online at the national, state, county, city and even zip code level. Health statistics can be used to provide information about the health of a population and what influences it. They can also be used to guide research, policy, and program development and then to evaluate research, policies, and program effectiveness. 

Steps to Finding Health Statistics: 

1. Formulate the question
2. Choose the best resource
3. Evaluate the results
4. Repeat as necessary 

Statistics Portals: 

• MedlinePlus - a web portal from the National Library of Medicine. Can be a great starting point and also contains a wealth of consumer health information from credible sources. A good way to locate statistics is to look up a specific health topic or condition. Under that subject is a link for Statistics and Research. 

   

• National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) - This is the principal health statistics agency for the U.S. and has been part of the CDC since 1987. It brings together data from several sources and also provides information to support actions and policies relevant to health of Americans. This source includes population surveys, vital records, provider surveys, historical surveys, mortality dashboards, and so much more. 

   

• FastStats - a part of the NCHS. Use this index for quick and easy access to:
  • Selected statistics on a variety of health topics.
  • The latest data in reports, databases, and other resources.
  • Additional data and tools.

     

• Stats of the States - Also part of the NCHS. This site is great for sourcing individual state data or comparing data between different states. 

   

• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) - The BRFSS is the nation’s premier system of health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services. It completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year, making it the largest continuously conducted health survey system in the world. 

   

• State Health Facts - A project from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation that provides data on the state level on over 800 health indicators including: 
  • Demographics and Economy
  • Women's Health
  • Disparities
  • Health Costs & Budgets
  • Health Coverage & Insurance

     

• U.S. Census Bureau - The federal government's largest statistical agency which provides facts and figures about America's people, places and economy at the state, county, city, town, and zip code level. This site has a great FAQ pages and a Census Academy to teach yourself how to use and access all the data. 

   

• County Health Rankings & Roadmaps - This is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Data can show how health is influenced by where people live, work, learn, and play. There are statistics at the county level on factors such as: 
  • Quality of Life
  • Health behavior
  • Social and economic factors
  • Physical environment

     

• City Health Dashboard - This site includes 36 measures of health for over 750 of the largest U.S. cities. Some of the data can be filtered down to the census tract level. The measures align with those used by the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. 

   

• Rural Health Information Hub - The RHIhub is your first stop for Rural Health Information. It is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues. The site can help users plan, develop, learn, and connect.