JAN. 30, 2025 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2023 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE), which highlight socially vulnerable areas in the United States.
Along with a new CRE interactive tool, this release includes seven ranking tables per geographic level, highlighting the nation’s most socially vulnerable counties (top 25) and census tracts (top 100) in the following context:
Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster. Using 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year microdata modeled with Population Estimates Program data, 2020 Census Redistricting Data Summary Files (Public Law-94-171), and the Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC), the CRE measures the social vulnerability of a community that inhibits community resilience. Data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index provides specialized estimates for the most socially vulnerable areas with at least a moderate risk of experiencing the given hazard. These estimates are based on 10 ACS topics that are components of social vulnerability, including poverty status, employment status, disability status, age, number of caregivers in the household, unit-level crowding, language barrier, vehicle access, broadband internet access, and health insurance coverage. These estimates are based on 10 ACS topics that are components of social vulnerability, including poverty status, disability status, age, broadband internet access and health insurance coverage.
Local planners, policymakers, public health officials, and community stakeholders can use the estimates to help assess the potential resiliency of communities and plan mitigation and recovery strategies in the event of a disaster.
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