Search & filter
Find what you need in the catalog efficiently — by keyword, category, or topic.
Data Catalog
The Data Midsouth catalog is searchable and filterable. Whether you know exactly what you're looking for or are exploring a topic area, there are a few ways to narrow down results quickly.
All data assets are represented in the center of the page as cards in a catalog.
Assets are sorted alphabetically by title by default. Use the "Sort by" dropdown, located just below the catalog search bar, to change sorting behavior.
Use the search bar or filter pane to narrow results before you start browsing.
Search bar
Searches across all asset titles, descriptions, keywords, and metadata.
If a search comes up empty, try a broader or different keyword. Data assets are named by source, not always by the way you describe a topic. For example, 'eviction' will return more results than 'housing court.'
Filter pane
The filter pane on the left side of the catalog allows you to narrow down results.
Browsing by category
Available filters
Category - the type of data asset (Data asset types )
Theme - The broad topic area the asset covers — such as Housing, Health, Education, Economic Development, or Public Safety.
A good starting point if you're exploring a subject rather than searching for something specific.
Creator - The organization that produced or published the data. This could be a local agency (like the Shelby County General Sessions Court), a national source (like the U.S. Census Bureau), or the Data Midsouth team at Innovate Memphis.
Access Type - Whether the asset is hosted directly on the DMS portal or on an external website
Geographic level - The geographic unit the data is organized by — for example, parcel, address, census tract, zip code, city council district, or county.
Use this filter when you need data at a specific level of geography for mapping or analysis.
Years Available - The time range the dataset covers.
Useful when you need data from a specific period — for example, eviction filings from 2020 onward, or census estimates from a particular survey year.
Update Frequency - How often the data is refreshed — monthly, annually, or as a static one-time snapshot.
Check this before using data in time-sensitive work.
Data Export Format - The file formats available for download, such as CSV, XLSX, GeoJSON, Shapefile, or JSON.
Filter by format if your tools require a specific file type. Visit Downloads & formats for more information.
Keywords - Tags assigned to assets that describe their content in more detail than the Theme or Category alone.
Showcase - Flags assets that the Data Midsouth team has highlighted as particularly useful, well-documented, or relevant to current community priorities.
A good place to start if you're new to the portal and not sure what to explore first.
Modification Date - The date the asset was last updated in the portal.
Use this to find recently added or refreshed assets, or to confirm that a dataset you've used before has been updated since you last downloaded it.
Whenever you apply a filter, it will also update the counts for all other filters in the lefthand pane that meet the selected criteria.
Filtering & Analyzing Datasets
Similar to the DMS Catalog page, the "Explore Data" feature includes a Filter Pane and Search bar on the left.
To download a filtered dataset, visit Downloads & formats.
To share a filtered dataset, copy & paste, and then send the the link from your browser. The table will load with your custom filter choices applied. For more details, see Saving & sharing.
If the data you want doesn't exist in the catalog, submit a request at feedback.datamidsouth.org. Our team reviews all requests and prioritizes our work based on community need.
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