Research Guides: MSA 699 Feasibility Study Resources: Demographics

Why Do I Need to Know Demographics?

The demographics of your chosen business location are important to know because the people that live near your business are your potential customers. The following resources provide information to get you started on how your business might appeal to them.

Demographic Resources

United States Census Bureau
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Provides information on the buying habits of American consumers, including data on their expenditures, income, and consumer unit (families and single consumers) characteristics.
County Business Patterns
An annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets.
Census Bureau Economic Statistics
Includes the Economic Census as well as economic indicators (monthly and quarterly) from selected sectors (national statistics only).