Social Equity Mapping, Matrix of Indicators - Steven Reed Johnson

Regional Opportunity Mapping/ Equity Atlas Project 

Final Indicator List by Priority Tier as of 3/1/12 

Issue Indicator Measurements Priority Tier Map Type 

Education 

Teacher 

qualifications 

Class size 

Teacher experience 

Class size 

2 Point 

2 Points 

School success 

rate 

Course offerings 

Schools meeting/ not meeting 

Adequate Yearly Progress 

(AYP) 

Availability of Advanced 

Placement and International 

Baccalaureate courses 

2 Points 

3 (only use map if 

the data shows a 

meaningful 

pattern once 

mapped 

Points 

School discipline 

Disparities in school discipline 

3 Points 

Early childhood 

education 

Racial/ ethnic 

composition of 

school 

Language diversity 

of school 

Arts education 

Proximity to 

school 

Locations of Head Start and 

licensed child care centers 

Race of students 

Languages spoken at home by 

students 

Availability of art, music, 

theater and/or dance classes 

Walking distance to nearest 

elementary school 

2 Points 

1 Points 

1 Points 

2 Points 

1 Raster - 

proximity 

Outcome: 

Test scores 

Outcome: 

Graduation rates 

Outcome: Postsecondary 

enrollment 

Schools meting/ not meeting 

state benchmarks for test 

scores 

Graduation rates by cohort 

Percent of graduates who 

enroll in higher education 

1 Points 

1 Points 

3 (or 0 if data not 

available) 

Points 

Tiers: 1= Highest; 2= Medium; 3- Lowest; 0= Delete


Economic Availability of Density of jobs appropriate for 

1 (if data can be Raster - 

Opportunity accessible jobs workers with associate’s degree 

or below 1 

fixed) 

density 

Availability of 

living wage jobs 

Transportation to 

jobs 

Industrial lands 

for development 

Workforce 

training 

Commuting and 

job location 

patterns 

Small business 

Educational 

attainment 

Outcome: 

Employment rate 

Density of living wage jobs 

appropriate for workers with 

associate’s degree or below 

Number of jobs accessible to 

households within 

Transportation Analysis Zones 

Inventory of large industrial 

tracts available for development 

Location of workforce training 

and employment-related services 

Where do the employees of local 

employers live? Where do 

neighborhood residents work? 

Location/ growth of small 

businesses (ideally by type, 

demographics of owners) 

Levels of adult educational 

attainment 

Employment rate 

1 (if data can be 

fixed) 

2 (trial to see if it 

works with 

Context Tool) 

Choropleth by 

zip code or 

neighborhood 

Depends on 

format of 

modeled data 

– Clint will 

experiment 

3 Points or 

polygon 

2 Points 

2 (if data can be 

fixed) 

0 (Unless OMEN 

provides data) 

Needs further 

work 

Needs further 

work 

1 Choropleth by 

Census Tract 


Census Tract 

1 The original formulation of this indicator was jobs within 5 miles, but Clint will play with the distance measurements to find something 

that results in a meaningful map. The distance will be based on as the crow flies. 



Housing Housing affordability Distribution of owner occupied and 

1 To be 

rental housing by cost 

determined 

Change in 

affordability over 

time 

Housing cost burden 

Publicly-subsidized 

housing 

Fair housing 

Accessible housing 

Rental vs. ownership 

rates 

Utility costs 

Outcome: 

Ownership gap 

Outcome: 

Housing + 

transportation 

Outcome: 

Foreclosures 

Outcome: 

homelessness 

Change in housing costs over time 

Share of renters and owners 

spending over 30% of income on 

housing 

Location of publicly subsidized 

housing units and Section 8, coded 

for target population 

Loan denials by race and income 

Single story housing (as a proxy for 

housing accessible to seniors and 

those with disabilities) 

Percentage of renter households 

Household utility costs 

Minority homeownership gap 

Housing + transportation cost 

burden 

Foreclosure rate or foreclosure risk 

score 

Sheltered and unsheltered 

homeless 

1 To be 

determined 


Census Tract 

1 Points 

Section 8 as 

choropleth by 

zip code 


Census Tract 

2 Raster - 

density 

1 Raster - 

density 

2 To be 

determined 

1 Raster - 

density 


Housing 

Needs 

Analysis Areas 

2 Choropleth 

(geography to 

be 

determined) 

3 (if data will 

permit 

geographic 

mapping) 

To be 

determined 



Healthy 

Environment 

Air quality 

Proximity to sources of air pollution 

and concentrations of air toxics 

1 Raster – 

proximity 

and density 

(varies by 

specific data 

layer) 

Compromised 

environments 

Green 

infrastructure 

Water quality 

Vacant land 

Proximity to toxic waste, brownfield, 

and superfund sites 

Density of tree canopy, natural 

habitat, parks, and other sources of 

neighborhood “greening” 

Rivers, flood plains, streams, etc. 

coded by habitat health and subwatershed 

health 

Vacant and undeveloped land 

(Note: This indicator should be been 

moved to the reference layer list 

because it is more appropriate there) 

1 Points 

1 Raster - 

density 

3 Points and 

lines 

2 Polygon 



Parks and 

Natural 

Areas 

Publicly accessible 

parks 


natural areas 

Regional trails 

Recreation 

facilities 

Greenspaces with 

limited public 

access 


regional parks 

Greenspace 

quality 

Water access 

points 

Walking distance to publicly 

accessible parks 

Walking distance to publicly 

accessible natural areas 

Walking distance to walking trails 

1 Raster - 

proximity 

1 Raster - 

proximity 

2 Raster - 

proximity 

Walking distance to community 

2 Raster - 

centers, pools, tennis courts, and 

sports fields 2 proximity 

Walking distance to school grounds, 

golf courses, cemeteries, HOAS 

3 Raster - 

proximity 

Proximity to regional parks 3 1 Raster – 

proximity 

Level of greenspace development 

and presence of usable and 

accessible recreation space 

Proximity to water access point 

(e.g. boat or canoe launch) 

3 (data will need 

to be collected – 

this will probably 

need to be 

added down the 

road) 

Raster -- 

proximity 

2 Points 

2 If it is not possible to separate out sports fields from the “Fairgrounds, fields, and stadium” layer in RLIS, then include fairgrounds and 

stadiums 

3 The reason for listing these separately from other parks is that stakeholders suggested using a different distance measurement than 

“walkability” for these larger regional parks. Clint can decide whether this makes sense from a mapping perspective and what the 

distance should be. 



Food 

Proximity to food 

stores 

Proximity to supermarkets and grocery 

stores 

1 Raster - 

proximity 

Proximity to fresh 

food 

Proximity to farmer’s markets, 

produce stands, and produce markets 

1 Raster - 

proximity 

Subsidized food 

Community 

gardens 

Supplemental 

nutrition 

Unhealthy food 

Proximity to food stores and farmers’ 

markets that accept food stamps 

(SNAP) and WIC 

Locations of community garden sites 

Locations of supplemental nutrition 

programs such as food pantries, soup 

kitchens, and congregate meal sites 

Proximity to liquor stores, 

convenience stores, and fast food 

restaurants 

3 Raster - 

proximity 

2 Points 

1 Points 

1 Raster - 

proximity 



Transportation 

Public transit 

access 

Public transit stop 

safety and quality 

Walkability 

Density of transit within ¼ mile, 

measuring transit by both 

frequency and trip options 

Transit stop safety and quality 

Density of sidewalks within ¼ mile 

of a location 

1 Raster - 

density 

2 Points 

1 Raster - 

density 

Bikability 

Density of bike routes within one 

mile of a designated area 

1 Raster - 

density 


safety 

Mobility access 

Crash data analyzed separately for 

cars, bikes, and pedestrians by 

seriousness of crash 

Para-transit lift requests and fixedroute 

ramp deployments 

3 To be 

determined 

2 Raster – 

density 

Car access 

Outcome: 


costs 

Outcome: 

Commute patterns 

% of households without access to 

a vehicle 

% income spent on transportation 

Average commute time and mode 

of transit 

3 Choropleth – 

Census Tract 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 



Public services Locations of libraries, fire stations, 

1 Points 

Services and 

and other public services in RLIS and 

ESRI 

Amenities 

Human and social 

services 

Retail services 

Financial services 

Sub-prime financial 

services 

Arts 

Locations of homeless services, 

senior services, services for people 

with disabilities, and veterans’ 

services 

Density of key retail services (based 

on Healthy Development 

Measurement Tool Neighborhood 

Retail Index) 

Locations of banks, financial 

institutions, and credit unions 

Locations of pay day loan and checkcashing 

businesses 

Locations of formal arts and culture 

institutions and public art 

1 Points 

1 Raster - 

density 

1 Points 

3 (or 0 

depending on 

data availability) 

Points 

3 Points 


Issue Indicator Measurement Priority Tier Map Type 

Health Availability of medical Density of hospitals, primary care 

2 Raster - 

Care care 

physicians, dentists, and urgent care 

density 


affordable health care 

Accessibility of 

subsidized care 


affordable mental 

health care 


affordable dental care 

Availability of alcohol 

and drug treatment 

Access to preventive 

care 

Lack of preventive 

care 

Lack of access to 

health care 

Access to health 

insurance 

Locations of community, public, and 

school-based health clinics for 

uninsured or low-income patients 

Density of health care providers that 

accept Medicaid and/or Medicare 

Locations of mental health services for 


Locations of dental care services for 


Locations of alcohol and drug 

treatment 

Rate of well-child visits 

Use of ER for preventable problems 

Use of ER by uninsured patients 

(mapped by patient address) 

1 Points 

1 Raster - 

density 

2 Points 

2 Points 

3 Points 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 

3 To be 

determined 

% of population with health insurance 2 Choropleth – 

Census Tract 



Geographic 

Proximity to seat of 

accessibility of 

government, City Hall, etc. 

1 Points 

decision-making 

Democratic 

Participation 

Outcome: 

Voter registration 

Outcome: 

Voter participation 

Voter registration rates 

Voter participation rates 

2 To be 

determined 

2 To be 

determined 


Issue Indicator Potential measurements Priority Tier Map Type 

Safety and Crime rates, homicide deaths, 

1 To be 

Community security 

and/or calls to 911 

determined 

Community 

spaces 

Civic 

organizations 

Faith-based 

institutions 

Stability 

Stability 

Community centers, schools, 

granges, and other indoor 

gathering places 

Density of civic and community 

organizations 

Density of faith-based 

institutions 

% of vacant houses 

Length of time people have lived 

in their homes 

2 Points 

3 or 0 (depends 

on data 

availability) 

Raster - 

density 

2 Raster - 

density 

2 Raster - 

density 


Census Tract 



Demographic Population Density of residents in each 

1 Raster - 

and 

density 

neighborhood 

density 

Population 

Change in Above indicator with changes 

Indicators population from 1990-2000-2010 

3 Chorpoleth? 

density over 

time 

Residential + 

employee 

density 

Income 

Change in 

income over 

time 

Student poverty 

Change in 

student poverty 

over time 

Density of residents and 

employees in each neighborhood 

Median income; % of population 

in poverty 

Above indicator with changes 

from 1990-2000-2010 

% of students eligible for free and 

reduced lunch by school 


from 1990-2000-2010 

2 Raster - 

density 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 

1 Points 

3 Points 

Race/ ethnicity • Maps for each Census race 

category 4 

1 Raster – 

density or 

• A composite map of 

Populations of Color 5 Choropleth – 

Census Tract 

(?) 

Change in race 

over time 


from 1990-2000-2010 

Age Maps for 0-5, 5-17, 18-44, 45-64, 

65+ 

Change in age 

over time 

Household type 

Disabilities 

Change in 

disabilities over 

time 


from 1990-2000-2010 

Families, single adults, single 

parent families, intergenerational 

households, etc. 

% with disabilities, broken out by 

type 


from 1990-2000-2010 


Census Tract 

1 Raster – 

density or 

Choropleth – 

Census Tract 

(?) 


Census Tract 

2 Raster – 

density or 

Choropleth – 

Census Tract? 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 

4 Hispanic/ Latino will be treated as a race. Respondents who identified multiple races should be included in each map for each race 

they identified. 

5 Populations of Color would include all Census respondents except those identifying as White non-Hispanics. 


Non-English 

speakers 

Change in non- 

English speakers 

over time 

Immigrants 

Change in 

immigrants over 

time 

Low English proficiency 

households 


from 1990-2000-2010 

% foreign born; % recent 

immigrants 


from 1990-2000-2010 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 


Census Tract 

Veterans % veterans 2 Choropleth – 

Census Tract 

Change in 

veterans over 

time 


from 1990-2000-2010 


Census Tract 



Obesity Rates % adults qualifying as obese 

based on Body Mass Index 

Health 

Outcomes 

Asthma Rates 

Diabetes Rates 

Cardiovascular 

Disease Rates 

Birth Outcomes 

Mortality Rate 

Life Expectancy 

Child asthma rates 

Adult asthma rates 

Adult diabetes rates (type II) 

Cardiovascular disease rates 

(2013) 

Deaths from cardiovascular 

disease (2012) 

Infant mortality, pre-term births, 

low birth weight 

Age-adjusted mortality rate 

(possibly broken out by major 

categories of cause of death) 

Life expectancy 


Census Tract? 

(available by 

block group, 

but wait to 

match format 

with other 

data in this 

category) 

1 To be 

determined 

1 To be 

determined 

1 To be 

determined 

1 To be 

determined 

2 To be 

determined 

1 To be 

determined 


Reference Layers 

• Race 

• Income 

• Age 

• Population density 

• Transportation: street grid and transit 

• Schools: school districts, schools as points, school catchment areas (if available in RLIS) 

• Natural resources: watersheds, streams, rivers, wetlands 

• Vacant land (from RLIS vacant land layer) 

• Neighborhood boundaries 

• City boundaries 

• County boundaries 

• Political and land use boundaries: legislative districts, service districts, UGBs, urban renewal areas, zoning 

• Aerial photos 

Analysis Geographies 

• Census tracts 

• Neighborhoods 

• Cities 

• Counties 

• Population-based geographies – to be determined; will likely include: 

Above regional average populations of color 

Above regional average populations over age 65 

Above regional average populations under age 18 

Above regional average populations in poverty

Social Equity Mapping, Matrix of Indicators - Steven Reed Johnson

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