The Yampa Valley Data Partners Community Indicators Tool is a powerful, easy-to-use system to help you compare data from across the three county area.  To enter the Community Indicators Tool, click here. The following instructions will give you an understanding of how to use the system and what it can do to help you!  Here is a list of instructions to help you find what you are looking for:

1. Comparing Two Sets of Community Indicators
2. Changing a Data Set
3. Changing the Chart Scale
4. Change the Years Viewed
5. View the Data on the Graph
6. Export the Data to Excel
7. View the Chart at Full Screen
8. Print Your Chart
9. Share Your Chart

Comparing Two Sets of Community Indicators

The main function of the Community Indicators Tool is to allow our visitors to compare two different sets of data against one another.  This allows you to look for patterns over time.  In order to do this, you first need to find which sets of data you want to compare.  You can do this by:

searching for a keyword...	OR	...using the category selection tree

When you search by keyword and find a data set you want to view, the system will remember your first data set while you search for another one to compare it against.

You can also use the category selection tree.  Simply click on any category that has a "+" sign to expand it.  Click on any category that has a "-" sign to contract it.  The categories with the ">" sign include data that can be compared.  Click on those categories and it will automatically graph the data for you.

After you select the data category you want to compare, you will see it automatically graphed, like this:

Simply choose another category to compare it to, select it, and the two categories will both be shown on the same graph.

The information for the first set of data is shown in blue and uses the Y-axis on the left side of the graph.  The information for the second set of data is shown in green and uses the Y-axis on the right side of the graph.

Changing a Data Set

If you want to remove one of the categories, simply click the Remove button at the top of the screen for that category.  If you want to remove both, you can click "Clear All."

Then you can select a new category to compare it to.

Even if you forget, and select a new category without removing one first, the system will see that you already have two categories that are being compared and ask you if you want to replace one of the old categories with the new one, as shown here.

Changing the Chart Scale

In many cases, you will notice that the Y-axis on each side of the chart are at different scales.  This is done automatically to make it easier to see where there may be relationships between the data.

However, you may be interested to see them at the same scale.  This can be easily done by unchecking the "Scale Data to Fit" box and clicking "Go". Then the data will be on the same Y-Axis scale for both sets.

Change the Years Viewed

You may also want to change which years are shown in your graph.  This can be done by changing the years selected in the drop down and clicking the "Go" button.

View the Data on the Graph

You can view the data for each point on the graph and which year it is associated with by simply hovering over an individual point.  An orange line will appear telling you which year it is associated with and a box will show the exact number of that individual data point.

Export the Data to Excel

You can export the raw data into Excel and save it on your computer.  Simply click the "Export Data to Excel" button, and save the file on your computer.

View the Chart at Full Screen

To view the chart at full screen, simply right click anywhere on the chart and select "Full Screen".

Print Your Chart

You can easily print your chart out by right clicking on the chart and selecting "Print Chart".

Share Your Chart

To share your chart, click on the "Share This Chart With Others" button.

A pop up window will show up with a selection of code.  Copy and paste that selection of code into a webpage or blog and the chart you have created will be placed on that page.

Thank you to the Gates Family Foundation for funding the Community Indicators Tool Project