County-level measure of social capital

Data sets, maps, and other resources related to social capital.

Have a question about our social capital data? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions before contacting us. Thanks!

Here you will find data on the estimated stock of social capital in each US county for the years 1990, 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2014.

PLEASE NOTE: The data are presented “as is” without any implied guarantees for accuracy, and that there are slight differences between 1990/1997 and 2005 as a result of the switch from the SIC to the NAICS codes.

If you decide to use these data, please cite the source as follows:

Rupasingha, A., Goetz, S. J., & Freshwater, D. (2006, with updates). The production of social capital in US counties. Journal of Socio-Economics, 35, 83-101. doi:10.1016/j.socec.2005.11.001.

“Thanks…for updating your social capital measure…I continue to spread the word about that valuable resource.”

-Robert Putnam, Author of Bowling Alone, and Professor, Harvard University