Data, democratized.
Free, community-level health data empowers neighbors to tackle chronic disease and close equity gaps.
Chicago, like many communities across the United States, is facing a health challenge: chronic diseases are on the rise, and the gaps in life expectancy are stark. But solutions start with knowledge. What if every neighborhood had the power to see its own health story? The Chicago and Cook County Health Atlases make that possible by putting powerful, neighborhood level health data at everyone’s fingertips. From social and environmental factors shaping health outcomes to clinical care, these Atlases turn information into action, helping communities, researchers, and policymakers work together for healthier futures.
From Data Access to Community Impact
Center at the UIC School of Public Health was established in July 2020 to combine novel technology with academic expertise to provide population health data and communitylevel data analysis, evaluation, and visualization. In early 2021, the PHAME Center took over management and operation responsibilities of the Chicago Health Atlas with Metopio Inc. Building on this work, the Suburban Cook County Health Atlas was launched in 2022.
The Health Atlases provide free, hyperlocal health data for Chicago’s 77 community areas and more than 130 municipalities in suburban Cook County. These platforms offer a comprehensive view of health indicators, from chronic disease prevalence and access to care to social determinants like housing, transportation, and food security. Both the Chicago and Cook County Health Atlases are central to the PHAME Center’s core mission of democratizing data for population health.
By making the data easy to find and visualize, the Atlases turn raw numbers into something people can actually use. The Atlases let everyone—from residents to researchers—dig into neighborhood trends, compare health stats across areas, and grab data to back up programs or advocacy.
And right now, these tools are exactly what communities need. Chicago faces one of the nation’s widest racial life expectancy gaps, and chronic diseases disproportionately affect communities with limited access to resources.
The Atlases make it easy to see where health issues and social challenges collide, like areas with high diabetes rates that also have limited access to healthy food or safe spaces for exercise. These insights help create targeted strategies, such as investing in grocery access to advocating for safer streets.
Technology, Training, and Engagement
Unique to these databases, they not only provide access to community-level data, but they feature interactive maps, Free, community-level health data empowers neighbors to tackle chronic disease and close equity gaps. Data, democratized The Atlases allow users to explore multiple data visualization options. From the Chicago Health Atlas, this line graph (left) displays life expectancy by race/ethnicity between 2010-2023. From the Cook County Health Atlas, this bar chart (right) displays life expectancy by race/ethnicity in 2023. 19 customizable visualizations, and advanced analytics, such as demographic statistics by race, age, and gender. Users can download charts, tables, and maps with tailored captions and citations, making the platforms valuable for grant writing, research, and community reports.
Since the PHAME Center became a Chicago Health Atlas partner in 2021 and helped launched the Cook County Health Atlas in 2022, engagement has surged. The Health Atlases now boast over 126,000 users—a 25,000+ increase since later 2024.
To ensure communities can fully leverage these tools, the PHAME Center offers diverse training models. Programs include the Data Ambassador Program with CCDPH, workshops like “Unleash the Power of Data” and “Introduction to the Chicago Health Atlas,” and collaborations with UIC initiatives such as the Citizen Scientist Certificate and Youth Citizen Scientist. Engagement also extends to the Community Health Response Corps, ensuring residents, leaders, and youth can apply Atlas data to advance health equity
Recognition and Future Vision
The Chicago and Cook County Atlases have earned national acclaim for advancing public health through data democratization. In 2023, the Chicago Health Atlas received the Smart Cities Connect Award for leveraging technology to improve community health outcomes. Additionally, partnerships between UIC SPH and CCDPH won a National Association of Counties award for its Data Ambassadors program, which uses a train-the-trainer model to builds data literacy among local organizations and communities, enabling them to better navigate and apply information from the Cook County Atlas.
Looking ahead, the PHAME Center hopes to build trust between public health authorities and communities through three pillars: (1) improve health and data literacy to effectively use the platforms; (2) continue to grow partnerships between community-based organizations, clinics, researchers, and residents; and (3) provide data-driven reports that can demonstrate health needs and guide solutions. Ultimately, these pillars will help narrow health equity gaps and support community-led public health initiatives through democratized data.