Overview
The Community Vulnerability Index (CVI) is an initiative of the County Manager’s Office which aims to demonstrate the geographical
distribution of the overall vulnerability of the residents of the county. The index combines standardized values of seven separate indicators collected from the United States Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to illustrate combined indicators of poverty. The CVI is mapped at the census tract level, providing detailed information of communities of approximately 4,000 people. Utilizing census data also enables the County to see trends over time, with the current iteration of the index comprised of the years 2010-2016.
SEVEN INDICATORS OF VULNERABILITY
- No Health Insurance Coverage
- Education – High School or Higher
- Supplemental Security Income
- Gross Rent as a Percentage of Income – Households Spending 35% or More
- Poverty
- Unemployment
- Disability
Goals
The vision of the CVI is that it can be used as an additional tool for determining resource allocation to better serve our residents and clients in need.
By partnering with county departments to obtain aggregated data by census tract regarding where the clients we serve live and where do we provide services to these clients, and overlaying this information with the readily available census data, we can continue to find better ways to break down silos, collaborate, and more directly target service delivery to our most vulnerable residents.
Future Development
The CVI is a dynamic tool, which takes an iterative process to develop over time. Upcoming developments for the index include a mapping application that shows change over time between 2010 and 2017, the addition of 2018 census data after its release in December 2019, and adding race and ethnicity into the index. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting project!