Most health surveys are national and are not large enough to delve beyond the national level. Some major ones to consider include:
- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (1984+) (BRFSS). Monitors state-level prevalence of the major behavioral risks among adults associated with premature morbidity and mortality. Collects data on actual behaviors, rather than on attitudes or knowledge, that would be especially useful for planning, initiating, supporting, and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention programs.
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System 1991+ (YRBS). Monitors health risk behaviors that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth in the United States. These behaviors, often established during childhood and early adolescence, include tobacco use, unhealthy dietary behaviors, inadequate physical activity, alcohol and other drug use. Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence. Not all states participate.
- SMART: BRFSS City and County Data. CDC analyzes BRFSS data for metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MMSAs), to provide localized health information that can help public health practitioners identify local emerging health problems, plan and evaluate local responses, and efficiently allocate resources to specific needs. The Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends of BRFSS SMART BRFSS) uses BRFSS data to provide prevalence rates for selected conditions and behaviors for cities and their surrounding counties. In order to appear in the database, at least 500 individuals from that SMSA must have been in the survey that year so SMSAs vary widely by year.
- Area Resource File (ARF) (1979, 1998-2000, 2005, 2008, 2012-2024). Contains over 6,000 variables for each of the nation's counties. Contains information on health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. Contains geographic codes and descriptors which enable it to be linked to many other files and to aggregate counties into various geographic groupings. ICPSR contains 1940-1990. Also known as Bureau of Health Professions Area Resource File. For the latest, see the HRSA site. Includes governmental data as well as data from the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and the American Dental Association.
- Annual Survey of Hospitals. 1975+. Survey of for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals on utilization and cost related matters is produced by the American Hospital Association.
- PLACES: Local Data for Better Health | PLACES | CDC. Provides health and health-related data using small-area estimation for counties, incorporated and census designated places, census tracts, and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) across the United States. This project, which started in 2015, is a partnership between CDC, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and CDC Foundation.
- County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute). 2011+. Includes over 80 measures of health at the state and county level including length of life, quality of life, health infrastructure, physical environment, social and economic factors, and poor mental health days. Note much of this data is modeled.
- Model-based Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) for Counties and States (2000+)
- Additional sources that may or may not be ongoing or may only cover specific areas can found in the DSS Catalog.