Data & Insights

Explore how Polco combines public data, benchmark surveys, and resident input into powerful insights. Learn about livability domains, data indicators, benchmarking, and how to integrate your own data for smarter community decisions.

Data & Insights

The Data & Insights section of Polco provides a comprehensive view of your community’s performance across multiple dimensions of livability. It combines hard data from trusted public sources, results from benchmark surveys, and input gathered through engagement tools to create a full, actionable picture of local conditions.

What You Can Do Here

• Explore Track dashboards with over 500 curated indicators organized into livability domains.
• Compare your community’s performance to national, state, and peer benchmarks.
• Analyze both resident sentiment and objective performance data in one place.
• Filter, group, and visualize data for use in planning, reporting, and public communication.
• Integrate your own datasets through Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) for deeper insights.

Why It Matters

Data without context can be misleading. Polco’s Data & Insights tools provide the context you need by:

• Benchmarking against similar communities to reveal strengths and opportunities.
• Integrating resident feedback to understand perceptions alongside performance metrics.
• Tracking progress over time to measure the impact of policies and programs.
• Generating evidence for grant applications, budget proposals, and strategic planning.

How It Works

1. Data Collection – Polco sources indicators from trusted national datasets, your benchmark surveys, and your locally uploaded information.
2. Data Processing – Indicators are standardized, benchmarked, and organized into domains using the GPAL (Government Performance Action & Learning) framework.
3. Data Presentation – Interactive dashboards, AI-driven summaries, and exportable reports make the data accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences.

In the following sections, you’ll learn exactly what data is available, how domains and indicators are defined, and how to make the most of Polco’s benchmarking and AI analysis capabilities.

 

 

What Data Is Available on Polco

Polco provides a curated, integrated view of community performance by combining multiple types of data into one platform. This includes objective statistics from trusted public sources, representative survey results, and locally supplied datasets.

 

1. Publicly Available Data (Track)

Polco’s Track module contains over 500 indicators sourced from national, state, and regional datasets. Examples include:

• Economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Health outcomes from the CDC and state health agencies
• Environmental metrics from the EPA and FEMA
• Housing data from HUD
• Transportation and mobility data from DOT and local agencies

These indicators are organized into 11 livability domains and benchmarked against peer communities for context.

2. Benchmark Survey Data

Results from Polco’s nationally benchmarked surveys are integrated into the platform, including:

• The National Community Survey (NCS) – Resident satisfaction and quality of life across all livability domains.
• The National Business Survey (NBS) – Local business climate and economic health.
• The Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA) – Needs and experiences of residents aged 55+.
• The National Law Enforcement Survey (NLES) – Resident perceptions of safety and police performance.
• The National Employee Survey (NES) – Local government employee engagement and workplace culture.

Survey results are statistically representative and can be compared to national and peer benchmarks.

3. Resident Engagement Data

Information collected through polls, open participation surveys, and interactive simulations on Polco is stored and can be used alongside benchmark data. This includes:

• Quick poll responses and demographic breakdowns
• Survey responses from open-link distribution
• Simulation interactions (e.g., budget allocations, policy trade-offs)

4. Locally Uploaded Data (BYOD)

Through the Bring Your Own Data feature, governments can upload and integrate their own datasets, plans, or reports. Examples include:

• Strategic plans and performance reports
• Department-level operational metrics
• Grant and funding allocation data
• Specialized community studies or audits

 

 

Understanding Domains and Indicators

Polco organizes community performance data into livability domains and indicators to make analysis and decision-making easier. This structure follows the Government Performance Action & Learning (GPAL) framework, ensuring consistency, comparability, and clarity.

What Is a Domain?

A domain is a broad category of community well-being. Each domain represents a key aspect of livability and includes multiple indicators that measure performance in that area.

Polco uses 11 livability domains:

1. Economy – Jobs, business climate, income, and economic resilience.
2. Education, Arts & Culture – Educational attainment, cultural opportunities, and lifelong learning.
3. Finance – Municipal fiscal health, credit ratings, and revenue stability.
4. Health & Wellness – Physical and mental health outcomes, access to care, and health behaviors.
5. Housing & Community Design – Housing availability, affordability, and land use patterns.
6. Inclusivity & Engagement – Civic participation, equity, and community trust.
7. Mobility – Transportation access, infrastructure quality, and commute patterns.
8. Natural Environment – Air and water quality, sustainability, and resilience to natural hazards.
9. Parks & Recreation – Availability and quality of parks, open spaces, and recreational programs.
10. Safety – Crime rates, emergency response, and perceptions of safety.
11. Utilities – Water, electricity, broadband, and other essential services.

What Is an Indicator?

An indicator is a specific, measurable value within a domain that shows how the community is performing in that area. For example, within the Economy domain, indicators might include the unemployment rate, median household income, and job growth rate.

Indicator Attributes

Each indicator in Polco includes:

• Name – The primary title of the indicator.
• Description – A brief explanation of what it measures.
• Source – Where the data comes from (e.g., Census Bureau, CDC).
• Value – The most recent measurement.
• Trend – Change over time (increasing, decreasing, stable).
• Benchmark – Comparison to national, state, or peer averages.
• Synonyms – Alternative search terms for easier discovery.

Why This Structure Matters

• Clarity – Data is grouped into meaningful categories instead of isolated metrics.
• Comparability – Benchmarks allow for side-by-side evaluation with similar communities.
• Actionability – Understanding which domain and indicator is underperforming helps target policies and resources effectively.

Example

Domain: Housing & Community Design
Indicator: Housing Cost Burden for Renters
Description: Percentage of renter households spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS)
Value: 42% (2024)
Benchmark: Higher than the national average of 36%
Trend: Increasing over the past three years

By understanding the relationship between domains and indicators, you can quickly identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity for your community.

 

 

What Is GPAL?

GPAL stands for Government Performance Action & Learning. It is Polco’s data framework for organizing, benchmarking, and interpreting community performance indicators across all 11 livability domains.

Purpose of GPAL

GPAL was developed to help local governments move from simply collecting data to actually using data for decision-making, planning, and continuous improvement. It ensures that all metrics are:

• Standardized – Consistent definitions and calculations across communities.
• Benchmarked – Compared to national, state, and peer averages for context.
• Action-Oriented – Linked to practical recommendations and potential policy responses.

How GPAL Works

1. Indicator Selection – Choose high-quality, reliable metrics from trusted public sources, benchmark surveys, and local datasets.
2. Domain Assignment – Group each indicator into one of the 11 livability domains.
3. Benchmarking – Compare results against national, state, and custom peer groups.
4. Trend Analysis – Track changes over time to identify emerging issues or improvements.
5. Insight Generation – Use AI tools like Polly to connect indicators, highlight patterns, and suggest possible actions.

Why GPAL Matters

• Gives a holistic view of community performance, combining objective data with resident input.
• Helps prioritize resources by showing which areas are most in need of attention.
• Supports grant applications, budget proposals, and strategic plans with credible, benchmarked evidence.
• Provides a consistent framework for tracking progress year over year.

Example in Practice

If the GPAL framework shows declining scores in the Housing & Community Design domain, and the related indicators include increasing rent burden and low housing unit growth, the platform can surface related policy options, highlight successful peer examples, and help guide targeted community engagement on housing issues.

By using GPAL, local governments can confidently move from data collection to evidence-based action—and learn from their own progress over time.

 

 

How to Use Benchmark Data

Benchmark data provides the context needed to understand whether your community’s performance is strong, average, or in need of improvement. In Polco, benchmark comparisons are built into Track dashboards, survey results, and many AI-generated insights.

What Is Benchmark Data?

Benchmark data is your community’s performance compared to a reference group, such as:

• National Average – The typical result across all U.S. communities.
• State Average – The typical result within your state.
• Peer Communities – A custom set of communities with similar size, demographics, or other characteristics.

Why Benchmarking Matters

• Context – A statistic without comparison is hard to interpret. Benchmarks show whether your value is high, low, or typical.
• Goal Setting – Targets can be based on outperforming peers or reaching the top quartile nationally.
• Prioritization – Areas where you lag significantly behind benchmarks may deserve urgent attention.
• Accountability – Benchmark comparisons demonstrate progress (or lack of it) over time.

How to View Benchmarks in Polco

1. Go to the relevant Track dashboard or survey results page.
2. Locate the Benchmark Comparison panel for each indicator or question.
3. Select the benchmark type (national, state, peer group) from the dropdown if multiple are available.
4. Review visual cues such as:
   • Above Benchmark – Marked in green or positive icons.
   • At Benchmark – Neutral colors or icons.
   • Below Benchmark – Marked in red or negative icons.

Tips for Applying Benchmark Data

• Combine benchmark data with trend analysis to see i