Methodology

Data Sources Registry

Every metric on this site is traceable to a primary source. This registry documents the databases, surveys, and government reports that feed the 100-metric research template across all 50 states and D.C.

National sources

Core source registry

These sources are used across all 50 states and D.C. Sorted by frequency of use across the 100-metric template. All sources are free or publicly accessible unless noted.

# Source Data Available Update Freq. Access
1 PHI Direct Care Worker State Indexphinational.org/state/[state]/ Wages, demographics, employment, rankings Annual Free
2 BLS Occupational Employment Statisticsbls.gov/oes/ (SOC 31-1120) Median/mean wages, employment levels Annual (May) Free
3 MIT Living Wage Calculatorlivingwage.mit.edu Living wage by state/county/metro Annual Free
4 KFF State Medicaid Fact Sheetskff.org/statedata/ HCBS spending, enrollment, per-enrollee costs Annual Free
5 CMS/Mathematica LTSS Rebalancingmedicaid.gov/ltss Per-user HCBS vs institutional costs, national Annual Free
6 Genworth/CareScout Cost of Caregenworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care Private-pay NF, HHA, homemaker, ALF rates Annual Free
7 NELP State-by-State Home Care Mapnelp.org State OT/MW protections for home care workers Periodic Free
8 State Medicaid / DHS Agencies50 states + DC — see state source list Program enrollment, rate reports, EVV, waivers Monthly+ Free
9 RHIhub (Rural Health Information Hub)ruralhealthinfo.org Rural health workforce, funding programs Ongoing Free
10 USDA Economic Research Serviceers.usda.gov County-level poverty, aging demographics, rural/metro Annual Free
11 Brown University LTCFocus.orgltcfocus.org County-level nursing home data (census, staffing, quality) Annual Free
12 CMS Minimum Data Set (MDS)cms.gov (restricted access) Individual-level NF resident data Quarterly Restricted
13 State Rural Health Associations50 state associations + RHIhub directory Localized care desert reports, workforce white papers Periodic Varies
14 State Workforce / Disability Coalitionse.g., Survival Coalition (WI), ADAPT, state DD councils Caregiver surveys, workforce data, disability impacts Periodic Free
15 Provider Association SurveysLeadingAge, AHCA, state HCA affiliates (all 50 states) Vacancy rates, turnover, provider capacity Annual–Biennial Free/Request
16 State Labor / Employment Agenciese.g., MN DEED, CA EDD, TX TWC — see state source list Vacancy rates, employment projections by occupation Annual–Biennial Free
17 Home Care Worker UnionsSEIU, AFSCME, 1199SEIU, SEIU 775, SEIU 2015 — 14+ states Contract terms, wage scales, workforce stabilization data Per contract Free
18 Federal Register (DOL FLSA rules)federalregister.gov Companionship exemption rulemaking status As published Free
19 State Legislative Fiscal BureausAll 50 states — see state source list Budget analyses, program spending, rate assumptions Biennial Free
20 State Medicaid Rate ReportsCapitation rates, fee schedules, provider rate studies PMPM rates by population, HCBS reimbursement rates Annual Free

Source verification

Every data point on this site is verified against its primary source before publication. Where we use derived or proxy values, the calculation methodology is documented in the State Research Guide. Status badges indicate data provenance: Public = directly available, Proxy = imprecise or estimated, FOIA = requires public records request.
State-by-state

State data sources

Each state profile draws from the core registry above plus state-specific Medicaid agencies, labor departments, legislative fiscal offices, and workforce organizations. The full state source list documents these for all 50 states and D.C.

51 jurisdictions

State Source List

Medicaid agencies, labor departments, legislative fiscal offices, workforce coalitions, and union contracts for every state and D.C.

→ State-by-state sources
490 requests

FOIA Tracker

Pre-drafted public records requests targeting data gaps across 49 states. 10 standard templates covering workforce, geographic, and policy data.

→ FOIA tracker
Transparency

Known Data Gaps

County-level caregiver deserts, family caregiver percentages, MCO contract provisions, and other metrics requiring FOIA or independent analysis.

→ Known gaps
History

Update Log

Chronological record of data additions, corrections, and methodology changes as the site expands.

→ Changelog