General Statistical  Sources	These sources provide access to county statistics on a wide variety of topics.   American Factfinder (U.S. Census Bureau) http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en Use the Data Sets section of this site to access statistical tables from the U.S. Census Bureau about social and economic issues for small geographic areas.  The American Community Survey has more recent data than the Decennial Census, but less geographic detail.   County and City Data Book (U.S. Census Bureau, via University of Virginia Library) http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/ccdb/ Print version: C3.134/2: in Government Documents Library This source compiles most demographic, economic and social statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.  The print version co-locates all statistics for each city or county, while the online version is searchable by state and specific topic.   Illinois Statistical Abstract (Institute on Government and Public Affairs) http://www.igpa.uillinois.edu/abstract/ This publication is limited to statistics about Illinois, and contains a wide variety of county information.  For topics without county information, use the source notes to find more detailed data.   County Data Book (Illinois General Assembly Legislative Research Unit) http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/ILCountyDataBook.pdf Print version: 328 IL61x in Government Documents Library A good source for tables ranking Illinois counties on various social and economic subjects.  It also contains a statistical summary about each county. LexisNexis Statistical UIUC SUBSCRIPTION http://www.library.uiuc.edu/orr/get.php?instid=258185 Use the "Search Abstracts" interface and the subject terms to find information for Illinois counties.  All searches in this database can be limited to tables that provide county information.
Topical Statistical Sources	These sources are a small sample of the many sources that cover a single topic for Illinois counties, usually in more detail than the general sources above.  Please contact the Government Documents Library if your topic is not represented here. Health Statistics (Illinois Department of Public Health) http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/statshome.htm This site compiles a wide variety of statistics on birth, death, marriage, illness, hospitals, and emergency services.  Much of the data is available by county.   Crime in Illinois (Illinois State Police) http://www.isp.state.il.us/crime/ucrhome.cfm Print version: 364.1 IL6C in Government Documents Library Details about crime rates in various law enforcement jurisdictions, including counties.    Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics 2006 (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services) http://www.state.il.us/DCFS/docs/CANTS2006.pdf Print version: 362.74 IL6C1 in Government Documents Library This is the most recent version of DCFS's statistical publication about reports to and investigations by this child welfare agency.   Local Area Unemployment Statistics (Illinois Department of Employment Security) http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm This site provides annual and monthly employment and unemployment statistics for each county in Illinois, as well as by urban, collar and rural counties.    County Business Patterns (U.S. Census Bureau) http://censtats.census.gov/cbpnaic/cbpnaic.shtml This database contains information about business establishments in each county arranged by detailed industry code (i.e. elementary school teachers, RV parks, and thousands of others).  For an explanation of the industry codes, see the 2002 NAICS Codes site.
Citing U.S. Government Sources	Citation Formats and Library Learning http://www.library.uiuc.edu/doc/classes/citation_formats_and_library_lea.htm This is a compilation of web sites with guidance on how to cite government information, particularly government information found on the Internet.
Articles About Social and Cultural Trends	Library Resources for Geography 104: Finding Books and Articles About Social and Cultural Trends http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/classes/geo104.html Once you have found county statistics on your topic, this site will help you to find articles that support your explanation of why the statistics are distributed as they are.