The U.S. Census Bureau has released the 2024 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE), which identify areas in the United States that are most socially vulnerable to natural disasters. The CRE measures social vulnerability, defined as factors that can worsen the impact of disasters and hinder a community’s ability to recover. These factors include demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics within communities.
For the first time, this release provides social vulnerability rankings for every county and census tract in the country by specific types of natural hazards. It also includes estimates for metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. The CRE data show population levels by degree of social vulnerability at various geographic scales, including national, state, county, core-based statistical area, and tract levels.
An interactive map and tables accompany the release, highlighting the top 25 most socially vulnerable counties and the top 100 tracts with at least a “relatively moderate” rating for expected economic losses from winter weather events such as snow or freezing rain; flooding from coastal or riverine sources; hurricanes; strong winds exceeding 58 mph; wildfires; and earthquakes.
According to the Census Bureau: “Social vulnerability constitutes various adverse factors that can compound the negative impact of a disaster and that inhibit community resilience. These can be demographic, socioeconomic, or health characteristics of individuals and households in the community. The estimates and rankings are useful for local planners, policymakers, public health officials, disaster management professionals, and community stakeholders who plan mitigation and recovery strategies in the event of a disaster.”
The CRE uses data from several sources including 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) microdata modeled with current population estimates as well as files from previous censuses to assess social vulnerability. Ten ACS topics are used: poverty status, number of caregivers per household, crowding at unit level, communication barriers, unemployment rates, disability status, health insurance coverage rates, age distribution (including elderly populations), vehicle access availability, and broadband internet access. Natural hazard risk ratings are based on FEMA’s National Risk Index released in March 2023.
The full set of estimates is available for download on the CRE datasets webpage as well as through data.census.gov and via API.
“Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster,” according to information provided by the Census Bureau. “The CRE uses 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year microdata modeled with 2024 population estimates from the Population Estimates Program, 2020 Census Privacy-Protected Microdata File, and Modified Age and Race Census file to measure social vulnerability that may inhibit a community’s ability to recover from a disaster.”
No formal news release accompanied this product; only an informational tip sheet was issued.
