The U.S. Census Bureau has published the 2024 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE), identifying regions across the United States that are most socially vulnerable to natural disasters.
Social vulnerability refers to factors such as demographic, socioeconomic, or health characteristics within communities that can increase the negative effects of disasters and reduce their ability to recover. The CRE data aims to support local planners, policymakers, public health officials, disaster management professionals, and community stakeholders in preparing for and responding to disasters.
This year’s release introduces new social vulnerability rankings for every county and census tract in the country based on different types of natural hazards. For the first time, estimates are also provided for metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. The CRE presents population data by levels of social vulnerability at national, state, core-based statistical area, county, 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 (including coastal and riverine flooding), hurricanes, strong winds over 58 mph, wildfires, and earthquakes.
These resources are available for download through the CRE datasets webpage. Data can also be accessed via data.census.gov and through the Census API webpage.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau: “Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster.” The bureau explains that “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.”
Social vulnerability is calculated using ten topics from ACS data: poverty status; number of caregivers per household; crowding at unit level; communication barriers; unemployment; disability; health insurance coverage; age; vehicle access; and broadband internet access. Hazard ratings derive from FEMA’s National Risk Index released in March 2023.
There is no formal news release associated with this product—only an informational tip sheet was provided.
