Created for the specific needs for grant writers working on EPA brownfield-related projects in Indiana, the toolbox offers county-level information including demographics, education, health, and social capital. It also includes information about tax increment financing (TIF) and a calculator for estimating the economic and fiscal effects of new business development. Use the toolbox.
This report provides an objective, data-focused assessment of the factors that influence the quality of life in Indiana and the economic conditions within each county. This report is produced every four years in collaboration with the Indiana Communities Institute. View the report.
In collaboration with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and the Indiana Communities Institute, the Community Readiness Initiative is a low-cost, high-impact approach for communities across Indiana to plan for sustainable economic and community growth in the 21st century. Learn more.
Produced for Conexus Indiana, this annual report evaluates state-level performance and issues grades for all 50 states on a number of factors that affect the health of the manufacturing industry. View the report.
This tool allows you to estimate the direct and indirect economic effects of a hypothetical business coming to an Indiana county. Calculate the impact using the annual production (e.g. sales of $5,000,000 per year) or the number of employees at the location. Use the calculator.
Not well-versed in economic terminology? Roll over the blue question mark icon next to a category to get a brief definition. This calculator is produced in collaboration with the Indiana Communities Institute.
View regularly updated data sets from trusted primary sources for the US, Indiana, and metropolitan areas. These data sets are compatible with DataZoa research tools. Updated data releases are announced each week through the Indiana Business Bulletin and Twitter. View the data.
Thinking of moving from Illinois to Indiana? Compare daily living costs at the county level. Use the calculator.
Access county-level information including demographics, education, health, and social capital. This site also includes the Economic Impact Calculator, a tool that estimates the direct and indirect effects of the introduction of a new business to a county in Indiana. This resource is produced in collaboration with the Indiana Communities Institute. View the data.
CBER publishes a wide variety of unbiased, data-driven projects and publications that are useful to policy makers, industry experts, community leadership, consultants, and informed citizens. View the library.
Michael J. Hicks delivers his personal perspective on current issues in business, government, and society. This weekly op-ed is published in newspapers across Indiana, including the Indianapolis Star. Hicks’ column is also included in CBER’s news digest, the Indiana Business Bulletin. Read his commentary.
Indiana Business Bulletin
The Indiana Business Bulletin is a weekly email featuring commentary from researchers and news about CBER events and publications. Subscribe to receive the IBB in your inbox at the beginning of each week.
Other Resources
Looking for more? We’ve compiled a list of outside resources to assist you in your research.
Ball State University Libraries houses a digital collection of archived photos and documents pertaining to the Center for Business and Economic Research and the former Bureau of Business Research. Some discontinued gems include the Muncie Business Index and the Ball State Business Review. View the repository.
This user-friendly calculator compares the daily living costs for specific cities across the US, using a combination of COLI, Census, transportation, and school data. The site offers several other useful calculators and financial information. (Note: CBER is not affiliated with this site.) Visit the website.