Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

PLACES: local health estimates and their limits

Understand model-based estimates before using a neighborhood health figure.

Read the primary source

Dataset guide / Release-specific; 2025 methodology described

Dataset guide · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Read with context.

PLACES combines survey and population information using small-area estimation. Choose the relevant geography and measure; document the estimate type and release. A tract-level estimate can frame a research question, not diagnose residents.

Before using a figure in advocacy, record the exact table or measure, geography, observation period, population, denominator and uncertainty. This page is a research guide; it does not claim that raw data have been imported or independently analyzed.

Limits to keep in view

Model-based estimates are not a census of every resident. Geography-level patterns do not establish individual risk or a causal policy effect.

Connect evidence to action

Choose a question, verify the relevant jurisdiction, and explain the action you are asking someone to take. A source-backed draft is a starting point—not a message sent on your behalf.

Use this in an advocacy brief

Research sources

Source text supports this summary. Human editorial approval, service availability and eligibility are separate checks.

Related policy & program records

Shared topic, not a claim of causation or eligibility.

Your working notes

Keep the context with the claim.

Write the question first

What are you trying to understand? Identify the population and place before looking for a number that might support your position.

Capture the measure

Record the source title, table or indicator, units, reference period and any stated uncertainty. Preserve the original wording of technical definitions.

Distinguish observation from explanation

A difference between groups can prompt further inquiry. It does not, by itself, identify the cause or establish the effect of a particular policy.