Using the Reports feature, subscribers can generate a detailed report for a pre-defined location, radius around an address, or custom region. Users can generate as many reports for as many locations needed without additional costs. All reports use the latest data available in PolicyMap.
First, choose the type of report you wish to generate. Each report was created with the idea that the data in a report will better describe the area you selected. Here are descriptions of each report:
-
- The Community Profile is a snapshot of life in an area, including information on its population, racial composition, age, income, workforce, and much more. See a sample Community Profile Report.
- The Rental Housing Report includes rent information by bedroom size and income, as well as affordability data. See a sample Rental Housing Report.
- The HMDA Report is a summary of the number, typical amount, and type of home mortgages origins, including high-cost lending activity and high interest loans by race or ethnicity. Data comes from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). See a sample HMDA Report.
- The Community Health Report provides a summary of healthcare access, health behaviors, general health, morbidity, mortality, food security, and social determinants of health in the area. See a sample Community Health Report. The Community Health Report is available only to premium subscribers.
Once you have selected a report, you can choose what area the report will generate for. There are many ways to select an area:
Pre-Defined Locations – To generate a report based on a pre-defined location such as a state, county, or census tract, click "Pre-Defined Location." Select a location by entering a zip code, city, state, county, or county subdivision. (A pre-defined geography cannot be an address.) You can also generate a report for census tracts, block groups, congressional and state legislative districts, school districts, and metro areas by clicking on the Location drop-down menu. Choose a geography and then click the Generate Report button on the preview page that follows.
Radius – To generate a report for the area around an address, click "Radius." Specify the center of the circle by typing in an address. The default radius is half a mile (0.5), but you can change it and then click on the search button.
On the Preview Report Area page, users can change the radius or address. When you are ready, click "Generate Report".
Custom Region – To create a report based on based on boundaries you've created, click "Custom Region" and select from the "My Custom Regions" drop down menu.
Polygon Region – Some datasets are shown on the Maps page as polygons. To make a report of the area within a certain polygon, click on the point on the map associated with the polygon, and click "See Polygon Report" in the info bubble.
Finally, once you have generated your report, use the save and print icons 
on the top right to save the report or download a PDF copy to print or share. All saved reports are available in your My Saved Work section.
When printing a report, any sections you do not want to display can be collapsed and the PDF printout will not display the data. The header for each section will still be visible.
Be sure to check the links for each feature in the tutorial for more information. If you have any questions or want to learn more, visit our training calendar and attend a free session or contact us at any time.
To read a full guide on all features on PolicyMap, please look at our Primer available here.