another Google tool....

I just heard about another Google tool, still very much in beta. Google PublicData is accessed directly through the basic Google search engine and provides quick comparison views of U.S. public data at the state and county level. Currently, only total population data from the Census Bureau and unemployment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is available.

Example:
At the basic Google box, type in: population pinellas.
The first result should be from Google and clicking on the link opens a simple graph with population data over the past 20 years. On the left, you can add in other counties or states. I quickly made a graph that includes 4 counties -- Pinellas and Hillsborough in Florida (Tampa-St. Petersburg); and Ramsey and Hennepin in Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul). The result is a quick overview of population change in two "twin city" metro areas over the past 20 years.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way (yet?) to cut and past the graph, but a link is provided that you can share. And, to date, the only search options for the limited content available are to use either "unemployment" or "population" as the first word of your search.

You can follow Google developments on this feature, and others, at the official Google blog.