Collaborative for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (CTEC)

The term "product-market fit" refers to whether a product is a good match for the needs of the target market. The following resources can help you determine product-market fit for your potential product.

• Data-Planet Statistical Datasets

  Fast and easy access to data from more than 70 organizational sources, with over 35 billion data points from 4.9 billion datasets available.
• Mintel Reports

  Consumer product and industry market research reports covering US and International marketplaces. Each report combines data and analysis of the competitive landscape, supply chain, market-share size and trends, and consumer profiles. Data is compiled from consumer survey research firms, retail sales figures and trade associations.
• New Jersey Data Book

  From the Center for Government Services at Rutgers. Includes data on population, employment, education, taxation, crime, elections, etc. Can be searched at municipal, county, and or by congressional ore legislative districts. Free, but requires registration and log-in.
• PolicyMap

  An online data and mapping application providing access to over 10,000 indicators related to demographics, housing, income, crime, mortgages, health, jobs, and more. Data is available at many common geographic entities (address, block group, census tract, zip code, county, city, state, metro area) as well as unique geographies such as school districts and political boundaries. 
• Social Explorer

  Uses an interactive mapping tool to provide access to several major sources of demographic data: the U.S. Decennial Census of population and housing, the American Community Survey, and data on religion from InfoGroup and the Religious Congregations and Membership Study.
• Statista

  Statistical data from over 80,000 topics in areas such as business, education, finance, media, politics, society, and technology.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States

  US Census data--most on national or state level. Footnotes often identify sources for additional data.
• UNData

  Multi-disciplinary source providing official statistics produced by countries and compiled by the United Nations data system.

• Start with the Business and Economy Portal from the US Census Bureau for access to many different data sets. You will need to know the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code for your industry, and being familiar with The North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) will also prove useful.
• The Economic Census, conducted every five years, covers retail trade, wholesale trade, service industries, construction industries, manufactures, mineral industries, transportation, communications, utilities, and financial, insurance, and real estate industries.
• Over 100 industries are covered in the Industries at a Glance series of reports on employment, earnings, and workplace trends, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• The number of establishments with employees in each industry may be found in County Business Patterns from the Census Bureau. Data is also available for Metro areas and by ZIP code.
• Compare manufacturing data over time via the Industrial Statistics Database: INDSTAT 4. Located on the UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization) platform, it contains manufacturing sector data from 1990 to the present.

• The mother of all data sources on the population and on business establishments is the U.S. Census Bureau. For the latest available information, start with data.census.gov. You have two options to start your search on the landing page: a free-form single search bar or an advanced search filtering experience.
• At the bottom of the page you will find links to:
  • Industry and NAICS Statistics for:
    • Manufacturing
    • Wholesale Trade
    • Retail Trade
    • Transportation and Warehousing 
    • Accommodation and Food Services 
  • Includes County Business Patterns for the number of establishments and employees by NAICS industry sector as well as Nonemployer Statistics for the number of establishments without paid employees, also organized by NAICS industry sector.
  • Maps and Visualizations for: 
    • Total U.S. Population
    • Educational Attainment
    • Median Household Income
    • Employment Status 
    • Housing Units.
  • ​Data Profiles for:
    • United States
    • Los Angeles County 
    • New York City
  • With links to topics including People and Population, Race and Ethnicity, Families and Living Arrangements, Health, Education, Business and Economy, Employment, Housing and Income and Poverty. 

QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

Expert tips and tricks outlining how to access and use Census Bureau Data:

• New Updates to data.census.gov – June 2019
• Data Gems Tutorials - a series of "how-to" videos for data users looking for an easy and quick way to enhance their knowledge of Census data. They outline various concepts and techniques to improve navigation of the data.census.gov website and utilize data-access tools.