Posted 11 February, 2026
Community leaders across Iowa often rely on data to guide decisions about housing, workforce, health and local investment, but finding clear, usable information can be a challenge. A new website from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is designed to make that work easier.
The Community Insights website, developed by extension’s Community and Economic Development data team, gives local officials, planners, nonprofit leaders and community partners a single place to explore trusted data and resources that support informed, place-based decision-making.
The Community Insights website replaces the former Indicators Program website and introduces a completely redesigned user experience. Community Insights helps users move beyond individual data points to better understand trends and local conditions. The site includes a resource library that allows users to quickly find reports, tools and learning resources, such as Data for Decision Makers, data trend reports and interactive dashboards, using search and filter tools to narrow results by topic or need.
The website also features interactive data dashboards that make it easier to explore key topic areas, view county-level maps, examine specific measures and track changes over time. In addition, users can browse a data catalog that lists all variables included in the dashboards and use search and filter options to identify the most relevant data by category, source or year.
“Our goal was to create a site that helps people understand what indicators are showing and how that information can support real community decisions,” said Bailey Hanson, GIS and data analyst with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Community Insights is designed to meet users where they are and make data more approachable and practical.”
To introduce the new website, ISU Extension and Outreach will host a public Community Insights Website Walkthrough webinar on Feb. 24 from 11 to 11:30 a.m. The session will demonstrate how to navigate the site, find resources in the library and explore the interactive dashboards.
The Community Insights website is part of ISU Extension and Outreach’s ongoing work to support data-informed decision-making and thriving communities across the state.