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.

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State and community data tools
Explore our work by state
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The survey can illuminate the impact of policy changes on the nonprofit sector, including disruptions to government funding this year.
Research Report How Government Funding Disruptions Affected Nonprofits in Early 2025
Using data from the 2025 National Survey of Nonprofit Trends and Impacts, a nationally representative survey of 501(c)(3) public charities that operate across a wide range of service areas, the report finds that a third of nonprofits reported experiencing federal, state, or local government funding
A woman walks past a sign indicating the National Gallery of Art is closed during the government shutdown
In this article, we explain nonprofits’ role in thriving communities, the amount of funding nonprofits receive from government sources, and the government funding challenges nonprofits were facing before the shutdown.
A mother and son sitting on a couch.
The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ partnership to create a data platform to better understand autism could create new risks for disabled people.
Research Report Mobilizing Cities across the World to Support Migrants and Displaced People
Cities today are at the fore of one of the most urgent, global realities: migration and forced displacement, with nearly 70 percent of displaced people seeking refuge in urban areas. The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) was established to equip mayors with the tools, influence, and resources needed to
Brief Building Credit for Small Business Owners
Small businesses play a critical role in the US economy. Yet many small business owners struggle to access the capital they need to sustain and grow their businesses. To explore how to bridge this credit gap for small business owners, we review the Get Ready loan, a credit-building product and
A man in a red shirt sitting on a leather sofa balances a laptop in his left hand, using a mouse with his right, and his left leg is in a cast, propped up on a stool next to a pair of crutches.
Among other factors, the Social Security Administration considers an applicant’s age when they apply for disability benefits, with applicants older than 50 usually having a better change of qualifying. But officials are now considering eliminating age as a factor or raising it to 60.
An elderly man and woman sit at their kitchen table analyzing a medical bill.
Amid rising health care costs and the government shutdown, fewer seniors are expected to choose traditional Medicare over Medicare Advantage this enrollment season, breaking from a decades-long pattern.