Description: The Pierce County Community Impact Index data highlights opportunities to improve equitable access and outcomes for residents of Pierce County. This Index includes an overall Community Impact Index rating which is made up of six categories (Community Vitality, Education, Environmental Health, Health and Wellness, Housing and Infrastructure, Jobs and Economy), and 42 individual data points. The data is presented in the Pierce County Community Impact Index web application (https://piercecountywa.communityimpactindex.econw.io). How Are Index Scores Calculated?Each block group is assigned a z-score, which indicates how it compares to the county average for a specific indicator. After normalizing the underlying estimates, these z-scores are averaged across all indicators within a category to calculate the Category Score. Finally, the Category Scores are averaged to produce the Overall Community Impact Index Score.The z-scores range from negative to positive values, where:Negative Scores: Indicate performance below the county average.Scores of 0 Indicate performance at the county average.Positive Scores: Indicate performance above the county average.These scores help you evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of block groups in terms of community dimensions such as housing, health, and education. They also provide insights into how these dimensions contribute to the overall community impact index.Community Impact: measures the average score of all 6 categories, providing a single assessment of community conditions for Pierce County. Community Vitality Indicators: Community and Recreation Center Access, Crime Rate, Daycare Access, Heavy Traffic Proximity, Library Access, Park Access, Transit Access, Voter Participation. Education Indicators: Assessment met Standard, Chronic Absentee, Dual Credit Enrollment, Education Attainment, High School Graduation Rate, Kindergarten Readiness, Student Teacher Ratio.Environmental Health Indicators: Diesel Emissions, Drinking Water Non-Compliant, Extreme Heat Days, Fire Risk, Flood Risk, Ozone Concentration, Tree Canopy Cover, Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 Concentration, Superfund Site Proximity. Health and Wellness Indicators: Cancer Rate, Depression Prevalence, Healthy Food Access, Health Uninsured rate, Opiod Overdose Call Rate, Low Life Expectancy, Poor Health. Housing and Infrastructure Indicators: Housing Affordability, Average Transit Stop Per Hour, Total Cost Burdened Households, Homeownership Rate, Internet AccessJobs and Economy Indicators: Commute under 15 min, High Quality Jobs, Median Household Income, Households at 200% of the Poverty Line or Less, Unemployment Rate, Vehicle Access.
Copyright Text: ECONorthwest & Pierce County Finance Department.