ACN Odyssey
Allows comparison of U.S. counties and metropolitan areas. Currently contains more than 2,500 facts on every county and metropolitan statistical area, with info promised on ZIP Codes. Allows side-by-side comparisons of up to five locations.

Governing magazine
CQ's magazine on local government.

Hennen's American Public Library Rating Index
The Index uses data provided by nearly 9,000 public libraries in the United States to create comparative rankings. The comparisons are in broad population categories.

International City/County Management Association
The professional and educational organization representing appointed managers and administrators in local governments. Its guidelines on performance measurement, and issue briefs, should be of help to journalists covering local government.

Local Government Institute
The Local Government Institute is dedicated to improving the quality of local government throughout the English speaking world. To accomplish its mission, LGI provides technical assistance to local governments, develops "how-to" and reference manuals and software, and provides services, information and advocacy. Its main areas of interest are human resources administration, governance, and community development.

Mapstats
A one-stop shop for U.S. government statistics -- broad ones, anyway -- organized by state and county. Gives basic info on agriculture, population, business, crime, education, energy, and miscellaneous information.

Meta-Indexes for State and Local Govt Info
State-by-state lists from the Library of Congress.

National Association of Counties
NACO represents counties as a lobbyist, but provides research and recommendations on the best practices in county government. This makes it an essential resource for journalists. To assess your county property assessor, find out how NACO says it should be done.

State and Local Government on the Net
Formerly Piperinfo. A thorough collection of links to public records in 50 states.

The Right Site: Census Searches
Free searches (registration required) of Census 2000 data, compiled into simple maps and tables. For a fee, 2003 updates are available. A good way to find basic information and display it for better understanding in order to answer initial questions and get direction before delving more deeply.

Welfare Reform links
Extensive links to state health departments from State and Local Government on the Net, a directory of official websites.