Data  Center

The East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission is one of twenty-five Alabama State Data Center affiliates statewide. The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research is the lead agency for the Alabama State Data Center. Other affiliates in the East Alabama region are:

Mr. Tim MaddenGadsden Public Library

Ms. Jennifer GreenCenter for economic development
& business research | JSU

The Commission provides data to a wide variety of data users: local governments and governmental agencies, health and human service providers, existing businesses and business prospects, educators and students, developers and individuals. Planning staff provide data in a variety of formats:

  • reading figures over the telephone;
  • mailing or faxing print-outs from data publications;
  • e-mailing links to helpful websites;
  • one-on-one lessons on navigating data websites (at the Commission office);
  • mailing standard publications prepared by Commission staff;
  • preparing customized data products such as data maps, market area radius studies, or interlinking Excel tables.

The Commission responds to simple data requests free of charge. Simple requests primarily involve looking up data on the Internet or in other data publications, then providing that information to the data user. The total time required to respond to the request tends to take no longer than two hours.

The Commission charges a fee for data requests that require extensive research and/or tabulation, the creation of maps, or other activities that require over two hours of staff time.

  • Local governments that are members of the Commission: $50.00/hour
  • Agencies of member local governments: $50.00/hour
  • Other governmental or non-profit organizations: $50.00/hour
  • For-profit businesses: $70.00/hour
  • Additional copies of maps: price varies by map size