The data sources series continues with Virginia Performs, the Commonwealth's performance leadership and accountability system and data aggregator. The site pulls data from a wide range of sources including U.S. Census Bureau; Virginia State Board of Elections; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute. The complete list of data sources is on the Data Sources and Update Calendar page.
Counties are divvied up into eight regions and the four counties on the Northern Neck are among nine included in the Eastern Region. Eastern Region counties are: Accomack, Essex, King George, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland.
As the Scorecard at a Glance, above, shows, performance in the Eastern Region is a mixed bag. Of the 24 indicators, the region is improving in 46%, doing worse in 46%, and doing the same in 8%. (Get Scorecard at a Glance in PDF.)
Learn more about each category and indicator on the Regional Trends: How Are Virginia's Regions Expected to Do in the Future? page, screenshot above. As you can see, each of the indicators is hyperlinked. On each linked page is the following information:
Counties are divvied up into eight regions and the four counties on the Northern Neck are among nine included in the Eastern Region. Eastern Region counties are: Accomack, Essex, King George, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland.
Performance
As the Scorecard at a Glance, above, shows, performance in the Eastern Region is a mixed bag. Of the 24 indicators, the region is improving in 46%, doing worse in 46%, and doing the same in 8%. (Get Scorecard at a Glance in PDF.)
Learn more about each category and indicator on the Regional Trends: How Are Virginia's Regions Expected to Do in the Future? page, screenshot above. As you can see, each of the indicators is hyperlinked. On each linked page is the following information:
- Explanation of the category and indicator
- Importance of the category and indicator
- Status of state on the category and indicator
- Influences
- State's role
- Data definitions and sources
- Graphs
- Related agencies
Limitations
There are several things which limit the utility of this data source for those interested in the how the Northern Neck compares to other parts of the state. First, the region contains nine counties, not just the four on the Northern Neck. Related to this is the diversity of the counties included in this region. King George, for example, is home to Dahlgren and is close to Fredericksburg, Washington, DC, and Richmond. Accomack County on the Eastern Shore relies heavily on tourism. Other counties rely on agriculture and fishing. The result is that some indicators ― High-Tech Establishments and Patents ― might apply to King George but not to Northumberland or Lancaster.