Explore the Library

To find community examples and tools for collecting and using health data, browse through all content or select by topic.

About These Tools

The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust is presenting these data tools for your information and use, but did not create them. These tools may be subject to copyright, and should be used within the terms of use outlined in any copyright restrictions.

Be Advised

We hope you find these tools useful. We advise you to keep in mind that the content in these tools may cover sensitive issues that could be triggering for certain individuals.

Community Data Platform

Author: Cape Fear Collective
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

The Community Data Platform (CDP) is a cloud-based AWS MySQL database with over 1,000 metrics sourced from public sources, regional anchor institutions, and other community partners.

Participatory Asset Mapping Toolkit

Author: The Advancement Project
Tool Type: Guides
Data Collection Tool

This guide is a resource developed by the Advancement Project by Healthy City to support Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in leveraging community knowledge and assets for advocacy. Focusing on Participatory Asset Mapping, it combines participatory mapping and asset mapping to identify and document community assets. The toolbox provides practical guidance for hosting asset mapping events, conducting workshops, and conducting research within the Community Based Participatory Action Research framework. It emphasizes community-based organizations that actively engage residents and aims to amplify community voices in decision-making. This guide can be used to help organizations identify community assets, empower communities, and create positive change at the local level.

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps

Author: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, School of Medicine and Public Health
Tool Type: Reports
Existing Data Source

This data source produces annual county health ranking reports at the state and county levels. The rankings are based on a variety of health factors that influences the wellbeing of the communities, including health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. In addition to the rankings, this data source provides guidance and additional resources for the stakeholders to improve health outcomes and promote health equity in their communities.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections Results & Data

Author: North Carolina State Board of Elections
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

This dashboard features data showing election results for both federal and state elections, voting maps and redistricting, voter registration data, voter history data, and voter turnout. Dashboards are available to display the datasets on the website.

North Carolina Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard

Author: NC Department of Health and Human Services
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

The NCDHHS Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard includes timely information on emergency department visits for respiratory viruses (COVID-19, influenza, and RSV), as well as COVID-19 wastewater monitoring and hospitalizations, and archival information on COVID-19 cases, deaths, and vaccinations. The archives include data up to May 10, 2023.

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index

Author: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

This tool is used to determine the relative social vulnerability of every U.S. Census Tract. The SVI data are updated bi-annually and available in different formats, such as interactive maps, tables, and excel files. SVI is based on themes including Socioeconomic Status, Household Characteristics, Racial and Ethnic Minority Status, and Housing Type and Transportation, which factors are associated with the community’s ability to prevent human suffering and economic loss from natural or human-caused disasters or disease outbreaks. More importantly, SVI helps public health officials and local planners identify socially vulnerable populations and better support the groups to prepare, respond, and recover from disaster or disease outbreak events.

North Carolina’s School Report Cards

Author: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

This dashboard contains school characteristics and performance data at the state, county, district, and school levels. The variables include school discipline, drop-out trend, school enrollment trend, school performance (3rd-grade reading level and high school graduation rate, etc). Most of the variables are disaggregated by sex, race/ethnicity, and economic disadvantage. Furthermore, users can compare the school’s performance with another within the same geographic area.

Log Into North Carolina

Author: North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

This dashboard is a user-friendly interactive data retrieval service containing historical information on topics including population, labor force, education, transportation, revenue, agriculture, vital statistics and health, environment and recreation, energy and utilities, and other topics. Each topic category provides comprehensive variables. For example, the vital statistics and health category has detailed data on births, deaths, pregnancies, marriages, divorces, nursing facility beds, beds in general hospitals, persons served in program facilities (NC alcohol and drug treatment centers, mental health development centers), and more. Most data are available at both the county and state levels, and registered users have access to full datasets.