An indicator provides evidence that a certain condition exists or certain results have or have not been achieved.  Frequently, data provided by CIDS in response to data requests are in the form of "community indicators". (Please see below.)

Social and socioeconomic indicators can be measured at the following geographic levels:

1. National
   
   
2. State
   
   
3. County
   
   
4. City/Township/School District
   
   
5. Neighborhood (usually consisting of one or more census tracts)
   
   
6. Census tract
   

The term "community indicator" most often refers to an indicator at the city/township/school district or neighborhood level.  Data at levels 3-6 are the primary focus of CIDS.

Program indicators can be measured to obtain information on progress within a program toward achieving certain steps, outputs, or outcomes.

Sometimes the intended long term outcome of a program or intervention is a contribution to improving a community indicator.  It would require a careful evaluation effort, however, to determine whether this linkage exists between the intervention and changes in value of the community indicator.