3 minute read
Data and Where to Access It!
By David Gonzalez, Jr. | Director, Economic Initiatives
There's a lot of data out there, but knowing where to access it can be challenging. YCEA, like many organizations, leverages data often, and we work diligently to be good stewards of data to provide sound, reliable context when promoting findings and providing insights.
Our team welcomes the opportunities to share insights into various elements of the local economy, and chances are you've attended a presentation or read a post where YCEA outlines findings. The data we use is largely publicly available, and we're always glad to share where we source our information. So much so that we created a list for your use.
LOCAL SOURCES
York County Planning Commission (YCPC.org) is a go-to source for critical insights into local government. This includes mapping (such as land use and zoning), traffic counts, population projections, the county's comprehensive plan, and reports.
York County Economic Alliance (YCEAPA.org), though it can be taboo to source ourselves, operates a few data sources, and we have directed several reports or studies, which our team refers to frequently. Sources to check out:
The landing page for the York CountyEconomic Action Plan houses all things regarding the 10-year economic competitiveness plan. The site includes the actual plan itself, along with reports directed by the plan, such as a comprehensive housing study, cultural and outdoor assets report, and COVID economic impact reports, to name a few.
YCEA's main site is also a source for up-to-date information. View page 14 for a deep dive.
STATE SOURCES
Pennsylvania’s agencies and departments (pa.gov/agencies) host an assortment of relevant data, both statewide and at the county/local levels, that allow for economic insights. Frequent data sets we utilize include:
• The PA Department of Labor & Industry shares a monthly county profile that includes a statistical snapshot of top employers, unemployment rates, and wages by sectors.
• The PA Department of Community & Economic Development provides insights such as local and county tax rates, demographics, and trends in industry.
FEDERAL SOURCES
The federal government’s various agencies and departments share data that is readily accessible to the public. Two of our go-to sources include:
• The Bureau of Economic Analysis (bea.gov), a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides useful data on GDP, consumer spending, trade, and industries, often in the form of data sets from national, state, regional, and metro areas.
• The Census Bureau (census.gov) is known as the source for all things data and is the country’s largest statistical agency, providing context on people and the economy. The census provides 2.5 million tables of raw data, along with quick facts on local data, profiles, economic indicators, and much more.
YORK COUNTY ECONOMIC ACTION PLAN
The use of data has been essential to the York County Economic Action Plan (EAP), the county’s economic competitiveness plan adopted in 2020 and which began implementation in 2021. The EAP calls out 142 action steps that cover the gamut of areas that contribute to our local economy. Workforce and economic mobility, quality of place, future of industry, rural economy, entrepreneurship, equity and inclusion, and infrastructure and the built environment are areas specifically called out in the plan, and YCEA, among several countywide partners, are identified to carry out the action steps.
The plan is nearing the 5th year of implementation and is undergoing a review and refresh. This allows for analysis on the plan’s impact at its midpoint and interjection of updated data and adjustments to priorities as the economic climate has shifted from adoption. The review of the EAP will be completed by the end of 2025.
