The Area Resource File

The Area Resource File (ARF) is designed to be used by planners, policymakers, researchers, and others interested in the nation’s health care delivery system and factors that may impact health status and health care in the U.S. The ARF contains county-level data in eight broad areas (Health Care Professions, Health Facilities, Population Characteristics, Economics, Health Professions Training, Hospital Utilization, Hospital Expenditures, and Environment). The ARF data are obtained from more than 50 sources, including:

• American Medical Association
• American Hospital Association
• U.S. Census Bureau
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• National Center for Health Statistics

To learn more about the ARF, please visit the website at:

The ARF website has a list of the types of data in the ARF, the years for which the individual data elements are available, and provides links to more detailed content on the ARF.

The website also has a link to the Health Resources County Comparison Tool built from ARF data that allows you to compare peer counties on population characteristics and health resources.

• The New 2011-2012 Area Resource File is now available (May 2012) - Data and documentation can be downloaded here in a single downloadable zip file (contains the data use license agreement, all documentation, and the Area Resource File in ASCII format only).


• The New 2011-2012 Area Resource File (MS-Access Version) is now available (June 2012) - Data and documentation can be downloaded here in a single downloadable zip file (contains the data license agreement, all documentation, and the Area Resource File in MS-Access version only). Please unzip the file, double click on the ARFSetup.exe and follow the instructions from the “2011-2012 ARF Access System Setup Wizard” to setup the MS-Access Database version of ARF data.