Sacramento Community Vulnerability Index

A geographic display of vulnerability across the City of Sacramento

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The Sacramento Community Vulnerability Index is an initiative by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Diversity & Equity. Its purpose is to show specific economic disparities that exist within Sacramento’s communities and neighborhoods. 

The index was designed to assist City officials and staff as they make policy and funding decisions that involve the equitable deployment of resources across the city. It also can help community members and local organizations to better understand the variations of need among individual areas. 

The index, which uses data from The U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (CalEnviroScreen 4.0), and The Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Healthy Places Index), illustrates the geographic distribution of vulnerability by employing eight key indicators:.

  1. Health Insurance Coverage
  2. Education – High School or Less
  3. Gross Rent as a Percentage of Income
  4. Poverty
  5. Unemployment
  6. Disability Status
  7. Pollution Burden Score
  8. Healthy Places Index Score

The maps in the Sacramento Community Vulnerability Index include Council district borders and can be viewed down to census-tract level (a geographic area of approximately 4,000 people). They also include Sacramento Area Council of Government’s “ Promise Zone ” boundary and the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “ Qualified Census Tracts ” as overlays.

The U.S. Census Bureau data is from its American Community Survey and its estimates from 2016-2020. For more information about the survey, please visit:  https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs 

How to use the maps in the index: The maps are interactive so you can pan around and zoom in and out to view specific areas. Clicking on a census tract in the maps will produce a pop-up with additional information about the tract.