Data Sources & Methodology

Michigan Signals aggregates publicly available federal and state data into county-level dashboards. All source data is cached locally and refreshed on a scheduled basis. The site never queries live APIs during page load.

Update Cadence

Employment data updates monthly. BLS publishes with a 4-week lag. Annual sources (Census, CDC, FBI) update when new releases are published, typically in the second half of the calendar year.

Why We Aggregate

Federal agencies publish county-level data across dozens of separate portals, formats, and release schedules. Michigan Signals pulls it into a single consistent view so you can compare metrics side by side without chasing down five different government websites.

Who Uses This

Community foundation staff, local government planners, nonprofit researchers, journalists, and residents making housing or relocation decisions. The dashboards are built for people who need accurate county data but do not have a data team behind them.

Employment

Metrics

Unemployment RateBLS LAUS
Employed / Unemployed PersonsBLS LAUS

Data Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Monthly

Housing

Metrics

Median Home ValueZillow ZHVI
Rent IndexZillow ZORI
Market Temperature IndexZillow
Median Gross Rent, Owner-Occupied Rate, Vacancy Rate, Cost-Burdened RentersCensus ACS 5-yr
HUD Fair Market Rents (1BR / 2BR)HUD FMR

Data Sources

Zillow Research Data
License: Free for non-commercial use; commercial use permitted per Zillow attribution termsCadence: Monthly
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual
HUD: Fair Market Rents
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

Demographics

Metrics

All demographic metricsCensus ACS 5-yr (2022)

Data Sources

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2022)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

Economy & Business

Metrics

Total Establishments, Employment, Payroll, Sector BreakdownCensus CBP (2021)
Labor Force Participation Rate, Gini Coefficient, SNAP RecipientsCensus ACS 5-yr (2022)

Data Sources

U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (CBP)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual
U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

Public Safety

Metrics

Violent Crime RateFBI CDE (2022)
Property Crime RateFBI CDE (2022)

Data Sources

FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR Program)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

Health

Metrics

Adults in Fair/Poor HealthCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Uninsured AdultsCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Adult Obesity RateCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Current SmokersCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Diabetes PrevalenceCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Depression PrevalenceCDC PLACES / BRFSS (2022)
Primary Care Practices per 100kCensus CBP (2021, NAICS 6211)
Mental Health Practices per 100kCensus CBP (2021, NAICS 6213+6214)

Data Sources

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health (county-level, BRFSS-based)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

PLACES provides model-based small-area estimates derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). County-level estimates reflect 2022 survey data.

U.S. Census Bureau: County Business Patterns (NAICS 6211, 6213, 6214)
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual

Provider access is measured as healthcare establishment counts per 100,000 residents. This is a practice-count proxy; individual physician counts are available through HRSA Area Health Resources Files (AHRF).

Education

Metrics

HS Diploma or Higher (25+)Census ACS 5-yr (2022)
ELA / Math Proficiency (M-STEP)MI Dept of Education (pending)

Data Sources

U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
License: Public domain (U.S. federal government)Cadence: Annual
Michigan Department of Education: M-STEP Assessment
License: Public data; bulk download pending integrationCadence: Annual

District-level data requires county crosswalk. Integration in progress.

Questions about our data or methodology? Contact us and we will respond within a few business days.