Urban across the Country

Urban’s researchers partner with state and local leaders to provide the evidence, tools, and support they need to improve lives and strengthen communities. This work includes strategic advising to translate research into action, program evaluations to measure effectiveness, and research and data analysis to inform decisionmaking. Our experts develop custom data tools and modeling to support equitable resource allocation and lead community-engaged research and convenings to ensure policies reflect local priorities.

Use this page to explore Urban’s work. Search by region to see examples of our research, and filter by evidence and products to narrow results by topic or type of work.

Dive deeper into your state and community with our data tools. View highlighted tools below, select “Data tools” under “Filter by Product Types,” or head directly to our data tools page.

Get Involved
State and community data tools
Explore our work by state
Research Report Restructuring Medicare: Impacts on Beneficiaries
This paper examines two major restructuring options for reforming Medicare: defined contribution and premium support. It describes each of the basic approaches, models the options, and discusses the ramifications of these options on the financing obligations of the federal government and on
Research Report Long-Term Care for the Elderly in the District of Columbia
The first section of this paper presents background information on the elderly population, the supply of nursing homes and other providers, and Medicaid expenditures. The next section briefly describes the principal agencies involved with long-term care in the District. The next five sections of the
Research Report The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable Children
Data from the Urban Institute's 50-state survey of child welfare expenditures provides new insight into how states differ in their strategies for financing child welfare. Among the conclusions: total child welfare spending is greater than previously estimated; non-traditional federal funding streams
Brief Federal Budget Rules
This brief discusses how the 1974 budget rules established a new system of budget decisionmaking that also made federal policymaking more complex. These budget rules shifted the debate on social programs from policy considerations to budget questions. This emphasis on budget often makes it difficult
Research Report Performance Measures for The New IRS
Senior Fellow Eugene Steuerle examines possible performance measures and other criteria that could be used to assess the effectiveness of the IRS.