This document is an important source of data and analysis that informs policy decisions and city administration. The Planning and Development Department maintains a collection of demographic and economic statistics called the Data Book.
Elected officials and city staff must understand national and regional trends as well as characteristics unique to Raleigh in order to maintain the quality of life that citizens enjoy. It has come to include a range of topics like age, race, employment, household size, and marital status. The Greek roots of the word demographics translate to “measurement of people.” This simple idea is a crucial part of effective governance at all scales and especially for the City of Raleigh.
