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.

Category: Updated Annually

Rural Health Information Hub

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

The Rural Health Information Hub compares rural and metropolitan areas nationally, as well as by state and county. Users can access raw data, visualizations, toolkits, evidence-based programs, and news.

American Community Survey

Author: U.S. Census Bureau
Tool Type: Dashboard, National Data Source
Existing Data Source

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. ACS offers one-year and five-year estimates, as well as demographic characteristics for states and localities. The ACS estimates are often used to track shifting demographics, learn about the local communities, and establish priorities for allocating funding and resources effectively for research and advocacy work.

North Carolina Justice Data Portal

Author: North Carolina Department of Public Safety–Criminal Justice Analysis Center
Tool Type: Dashboard
Existing Data Source

The North Carolina Justice Data Portal includes statewide and county-level criminal justice data visualizations, such as reported crimes, crime types, victim demographics, reporting agencies, and traffic stops by recent years. Contributing agencies are the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). This tool allows stakeholders to study trends and patterns in criminal justice, identify areas for improvement, allocate resources to areas in need, and monitor progress over time.

Healthy Communities NC Dashboard

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

The interactive Healthy Communities NC Data Dashboard brings together and visualizes indicator data related to the Healthy NC 2030 goals. Data are displayed at the county and census-tract levels, as well as by region (mountains, sandhills, Triangle, Charlotte-metro, etc.) and show relative rankings to compare one county to others across the state. Using this tool, you can see an overview of your county’s status and challenges, and compare them with other counties / communities in the state.

Roadmap of Need (2019)

Author: Public School Forum of North Carolina’s Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP)
Tool Type: Reports
Sample Resource

The North Carolina Roadmap of Need (2019) is a county-level, child-focused needs assessment report. Counties in NC are ranked based on various wellness indicators in four domains: health, youth behavior and safety, education, and economic development. This report can be used to see an overview of child-focused indicators of wellbeing, compare across counties, and advocate for resources or change.