Chicago Research Data Center

The Chicago Research Data Center provides an opportunity for researchers to perform statistical analyses on non-public microdata from the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies. The center is a collaboration between the Census Bureau and a consortium consisting of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois.

Access to microdata sets will be given for approved research projects only.

Please note that individuals or organizations seeking statistical or public-use datasets should visit the Census Bureau website.

Chicago RDC Data

The following types of data are available at the Chicago Research Data Center.

Economic data

  • Censuses and surveys of business establishments and firms
  • With very few exceptions, no public use files exist for these surveys

Demographic data

  • Censuses and surveys of households and individuals
  • Data are NOT public use files
  • Complete geography (in many cases down to the block)
  • Items such as income are not top-coded
  • Individual identifiers such as name, address, and Social Security numbers are not included

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data

  • Projects will require both NCHS and Chicago RDC approval
  • NCHS will create a custom extract database for each project
  • Additional information is available on the NCHS RDC webpage

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) data

  • Projects will require both AHRQ and Chicago RDC approval
  • AHRQ will create a custom extract database for each project
  • Additional information is available on the AHRQ RDC webpage