Who uses the data

"Immigrants are putting down roots in many greater Minnesota communities. It’s not uncommon to hear Spanish being spoken or see cultural foods at the local grocery store. While these informal observations of community changes are valuable, incorporating data into our work provides concrete evidence to support the demographic changes we are seeing in our communities."

"The Minnesota Compass data brought a better understanding of the African immigrant communities in the Twin Cities and some rural areas with a concentration of African immigrants. It demonstrated the need for more economic development programs for African immigrant communities."

"It’s our duty to educate others about what poverty is and what it looks like."

"Through data, we understand BIPOC realities such as pollution levels in neighborhoods, property ownership, levels of education, and so much more. We use data to learn, analyze our communities' realities, and include them in building policy-making."

"If we’re going to complete our mission of ending hunger through community partnerships, we need to know where the need is, who it is that is experiencing the need, and the best way to reach out to that particular sector." 

"We really wanted to quantify the things that made us stand out, and also where to grow. So we created a snapshot of indicators that, over time, we’ll be able to see progress, change, and where we are gaining—and losing—ground."

"We've relied on Minnesota Compass data to inform our work and strategic plan. The information we most commonly use includes racial demographics, disparities in income levels, availability of jobs, and median income levels."

"We use data in many different ways. To understand the true needs of our county, data are important. When organizations apply to us, we need data to help us discern if the need they are working on is real. The data also show us what issues provide us with an opportunity."

"We used the Compass data to understand more about the unusual bi-modal age distribution in our resident population. Nearly half of residents are age 18-24."

"With...basic data in mind, we are drafting recommendations to increase the well-being of the Phillips residents through accessing healthy food, growing their own food, and physical activity."

"Since using Compass data, we’ve become more aware of issues right in the neighborhood, such as the diversity of income levels and poverty, and as a result we have implemented more social justice-related programs to assist lower-income members of the neighborhood."

"We used the North Minneapolis neighborhood data to strengthen our evaluation by gaining context and understanding."

"By understanding the community demographics, we are better able to strategize our public engagement and assess community needs. This is important as we look to see who are underrepresented groups in park/trail visitation."

"Minnesota Compass is the best source for getting demographic data for our analysis of neighborhoods and communities in Minneapolis. In particular, this data helps us complete analysis related to our racial equity impact analysis work."

"Minnesota Compass’s data ... add credibility to 'anecdotal stories' that many people who are hard data minded wouldn’t believe if I couldn’t back it up with numbers."

"Minnesota Compass adds value to the organization by having a constant source of reliable data that are easily consumable and comparable across different geographies."