Profiles of America - Western Region, Vol. 2 by Grey House Publishing (Manufactured by)

Product Details

Library Journal

This title provides basic statistical and descriptive information for every populated place in the United States, from counties and megacities all the way down to tiny, unincorporated communities like Hobart Bay, AK, with a population of three. The amount of information, 78 percent of which comes from the Census and other governmental sources, varies according to the size of the place. Large counties and cities include basic data on weather, history, population, vital statistics, economy, income, taxes, education, housing, hospitals, safety, newspapers, transportation, airports, national and state parks, and the 2000 presidential election. Contact information is provided for educational institutions, some county offices, and chambers of commerce. Even at the smallest community level, data is included on population, economy, income, education, housing, and transportation at minimum. The four volumes cover different regions of the country, and an introductory "Explanation of Data" in each details sources for all data, including some URLs. Volume 4 contains an alphabetical master index of place names. The addition of ranking indexes for major data elements would have made this valuable title more useful. Also, while the inclusion of hard-to-find statistics on religion is welcome, percentages are given for only the top five religious groups rather than all religions represented in a given place. Although this work doesn't provide the level of detail found in the publisher's America's Top Rated Cities or America's Top Rated Smaller Cities, it covers far more communities. Recommended for academic and public libraries; those that can't afford the whole set can purchase the volume for their region.-Nadine Cohen Baker, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.