For questions regarding the data or generation of the index, please contact ArundelStat at arundelstat@aacounty.org
The Community Wellbeing Index was created to provide data across several indicators that help us understand where disparities, inequities, and gaps exist in Anne Arundel County. This information allows us to develop policies, practices, programs, and strategies to prevent, reduce, and eliminate barriers that inhibit equal access and outcomes for all community members. We recognize that individuals, groups, and communities will need different access and resources based on their specific needs.
This Index can be used to help County departments, community members, and other decision makers prevent and reduce gaps, inequities, and disparities in policies, programs, and service delivery for Anne Arundel County residents. The Community Wellbeing Index should be used for educational purposes and to inform critical decision making points. Examples include:
- Identifying which communities struggle with access to daycare so that the County can provide childcare services at engagement opportunities to reduce barriers to participation.
- Identifying communities with low indicators of physical and/or mental health to provide targeted services that address gaps.
- Understanding disaggregated data on homeownership rates in the County to develop more impactful programs around affordable housing.
Metrics included
The Community Wellbeing Index for Anne Arundel County measures inequity at the census-tract level for basic outcomes or causes that the County historically has promoted or addressed. These outcomes are:
- Health
- Life Expectancy
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Health insurance
- Prosperity
- Homeownership
- Income
- Poverty
- Cost-burdened (housing costs)
- Educational Attainment
- Security
- From crime
- From natural disasters
- Access
- To child care
- To a vehicle
- To healthy food
- To language
- To broadband
These outcomes reflect low opportunity and access (e.g., less access to health insurance could impact mental or physical health, less educational attainment could reduce upward financial mobility). The Office of Equity and Human Rights and ArundelStat collaboratively selected these metrics. If you have other metrics you want to be considered, please send us an email at arundelstat@aacounty.org
Data
A summary table of datasets and their sources is included below:
| Outcome | Measure | Dataset | Timeframe | Frequency |
| Health - life expectancy | Average life expectancy | U.S. Small-Area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP) | 2010-2015 | Unknown |
| Health - physical | 100 - % of population with physical health not good for >=14 days | PLACES Local Data for Better Health | 2022 (2024 release) | Annual |
| Health - mental | 100 - % of population with mental health not good for >=14 days | PLACES Local Data for Better Health | 2022 (2024 release) | Annual |
| Health - health insurance | % of households with health insurance | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Prosperity - homeownership | % of housing units occupied by owner | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Prosperity - income | Median income | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Prosperity - poverty | 100 - % of population at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Line | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Prosperity - cost-burdened | 100 - % of population paying 30% or more on housing | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Prosperity - education | % of population with high school diploma or equivalent | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Security - crime | Crime rate per capita. Multiply crimes vs persons by 2 and add to crimes vs property. Divide sum by population. Take reciprocal. Omit crimes vs society (see below) | NIBRS estimates | 2022 | Annual |
| Security - natural hazards | 100 - risk score | National Risk Index | 2021 | ad hoc |
| Access - internet | % of households with broadband access | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Access - language | 100 - % of residents who speak English less than very well | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Access - healthy food | 100 - % of tract population beyond 1 mile from supermarket | Food Access Research Atlas | 2019 | Ad hoc |
| Access - vehicle | 100 - % of households without access to a vehicle | American Community Survey 5-year | 2023 | Annual |
| Access - child care | 100 - children per licensed childcare slot (all census tracts with 1 or fewer children per spot have 100 for this metric) | Center for American Progress - Childcare Desert | 2018 | ad hoc |
Standardization
Once the values for each metric were compiled at the census tract level, they were standardized on a scale of 100. To do so, all values at the tract level were divided by the tract with the highest value and the result multiplied by 100.
Weighting of measures within outcomes
For some metrics, measures were combined to make the overall metric more robust. Descriptions of those are included below.
Security from Crime
The NIBRS contains three categories of crime: against persons, against property, and against society:
Crimes Against Persons, e.g., murder, rape, and assault, are those in which the victims are always individuals. The object of Crimes Against Property, e.g., robbery, bribery, and burglary, is to obtain money, property, or some other benefit. Crimes Against Society, e.g., gambling, prostitution, and drug violations, represent society’s prohibition against engaging in certain types of activity and are typically victimless crimes.
Because the outcome is security from victimization, we committed crimes against society. Further, crimes were weighted against persons twice as heavily as those against property, to register the greater fear and trauma that violent crimes provoke using the following formula: (2 * Per capita rate of crimes against persons) + Rate of crimes against property.
When exploring the Community Wellbeing Index, we recommend viewing data both with and without the filter for race to observe gaps in outcomes and impacts. Regardless of geographic region, racial inequities continue to be deep, pervasive, and persistent across all indicators for success. To ensure that race is not a predictor of success, we use data to identify evidence-based solutions. This data helps us understand where there are gaps in resources, opportunities, and access so that we can develop policies, practices, and procedures to address inequities.
Inspired by Tacoma Washington's equity index which “intentionally reversed typical mapping colors to counter historical and often current representations of low income or communities of color as “negative”. Instead, darker colors on the Index represent areas with more opportunity while lighter colors call out the need for more investment in opportunity.”
The Community Wellbeing Index will be updated annually as Census Data is published.