Social Vulnerability Maps for Chicago and Illinois

Fundamental social inequalities, including economic disadvantage, racial discrimination and spatial exclusion have dismantled community capacity, and residents in highly segregated, disfranchised neighborhoods are exposed to prolonged social stress.  These social factors result in health disparities we see in cities like Chicago that are exacerbating outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Risk factor scores

    Sage Kim, PhD, associate professor of health policy and administration created risk factor scores that account for rates of heart-related death, stroke deaths, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking, utilizing data from the Chicago Health Atlas.

  • Social vulnerability index

    Kim created a social vulnerability index using the US Census’s American Community Survey five-year estimates between 2014-2018, including: percent of residents living in poverty, percent or residents with less than a high school education, percent of households headed by a female, median household income and employment ratios.

Risk factor scores Heading link

Social vulnerability index maps Heading link