At a glance
Environmental justice literature has shown that hazardous waste sites, major highways, railways, and sewage treatment plants are more likely to be placed in socially vulnerable communities. The Social Vulnerability Module (SVM) contains indicators representing those social vulnerabilities, including indicators related to minority status, socioeconomic status, household characteristics, and housing type.
Racial/ethnic minority status
Minority Status
What is minority status?
The definition of minority status varies and is dependent on various factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, and more. The EJI defines minority status as all persons, except white non-Hispanic.
Why is minority status included in the EJI?
Minority status is included in the EJI, as research has shown that racial/ethnic minority populations are more likely to live near hazardous and toxic waste sites and are more likely to experience negative health outcomes from living near those sites. Additionally, due to historical and ongoing racism and discrimination, these populations also have a more difficult time advocating against these sites being located near their communities and are less likely to receive adequate health care.
How is minority status calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population that is a racial/ethnic minority (i.e., all persons except white, non-Hispanic), using data from 2018-2022.
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Socioeconomic status
Poverty
What is poverty?
Poverty is often characterized by the lack of income to afford adequate access to food, shelter, healthcare, education, clean water, sanitation, and other essential goods and services to meet an individual's basic needs and maintain an acceptable standard of living.
Why is poverty included in the EJI?
Individuals living in poverty are less likely to be able to effectively advocate against hazardous waste sites being placed near their communities, live in healthier environments, and access resources to make their current environment healthier to live in (e.g., air purifier, water filters, healthy food options, greenspace).
How is poverty calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population with an income below 200% of the federal poverty level, using data from 2018-2022.
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No high school diploma
What does it mean to have no high school diploma?
Not having a high school diploma, means that an individual has not yet met the required standards to complete the necessary coursework to graduate from high school or has not received an equivalent level of education.
Why is no high school diploma included in the EJI?
Communities with lower levels of educational attainment may not be as aware of or as able to protect themselves from environmental hazards or the negative health outcomes associated with them.
How is no high school diploma calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population without a high school diploma, using data from 2018-2022.
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Unemployment
What is unemployment?
Unemployment refers to a situation where individuals who are actively seeking employment are unable to find work. It is an economic measure of the number or percentage of people in the workforce who are without jobs but are available to work and are actively seeking employment.
Why is unemployment included in the EJI?
Communities with higher unemployment rates may be more vulnerable to living near hazardous waste sites as low-income individuals may have limited access to resources to mitigate or address the environmental hazards they face. Unemployment has also been shown to be associated with stress and stress-related inflammation, which can make individuals more vulnerable to the negative health effects of environmental burdens.
How is unemployment calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population aged 16 or older who are unemployed, using data from 2018-2022.
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Renters
What are renters?
Renters are individuals or households who live in and use a property that is owned by someone else.
Why are renters included in the EJI?
Renters often face greater challenges in accessing safe and healthy housing, as they may live in areas with higher levels of pollution, inadequate infrastructure (e.g., access to healthcare), or limited access to green spaces. Renters may also lack the financial resources or legal protections necessary to address environmental injustices.
How are renters calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of housing units that are occupied by renters, using data from 2018-2022.
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Housing cost burden
What is housing cost burden?
Housing cost burden refers to the amount of an individual's monthly income that goes towards paying for housing expenses. The EJI defines housing cost burden as the percentage of households with an annual income of less than $75,000, that spend over 30% of their monthly income on housing.
Why is housing cost burden included in the EJI?
Low-income households, particularly those from marginalized communities, often face higher levels of housing cost burden, which can result in financial strain, limited resources for other essential needs, and potential displacement from their neighborhoods. People who are unable to find affordable housing may also experience higher stress, worsening of pre-existing health conditions from stress, and have less access to healthcare.
How is housing cost burden calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2018-2022 to calculate the percentage of households with an annual income of less than $75,000, who are considered to be burdened by housing costs, as they pay greater than 30% of their monthly income on housing expenses.
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Lack of health insurance
What is health insurance?
Health insurance helps individuals or groups pay for medical expenses and healthcare services. Health insurance is a contract between an individual (or their employer) and an insurance company, where the insurer agrees to provide financial protection for medical and healthcare expenses in exchange for regular payments.
Why is the lack of health insurance included in the EJI?
People without insurance are less likely to access health care and services and are more likely to experience illness, injury, and death from environmental hazards and exposures than insured populations. Research has shown that uninsured people are commonly single low-income families, people of color, and undocumented immigrants, who are already more vulnerable to the impacts of environmental exposures on their health.
How is the lack of health insurance calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the non-institutionalized, civilian population who have no health insurance, using data from 2018-2022.
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Lack of internet access
What is the lack of internet access?
The EJI defines the lack of internet access as a household that does not have an internet subscription. Internet access enables communities to access information, educational resources, job opportunities, healthcare services, government services, and other essential online resources.
Why is the lack of internet access included in the EJI?
Marginalized, low income, and rural communities are often disproportionately unable to access the internet, which may prevent people living in those communities from becoming aware of or involved in decision-making affecting the environmental health of their communities. Additionally, many important communications during environmental emergencies (e.g., flooding, wildfire) are shared through the internet and people living in communities without access to internet may be unable to access this important information.
How is the lack of internet access calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of households with no internet subscription, using data from 2018-2022.
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Household characteristics
Age 65 and older
What is the population aged 65 and older?
The population aged 65 and older, includes all persons 65 and older in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Why is the population aged 65 and older included in the EJI?
Adults 65 and older are often more socially isolated than younger populations, which can prevent them from advocating for themselves and their environmental health. Additionally, older populations may be more likely to experience higher cumulative stress and have lower immune function, due to a lifetime of exposure to environmental burdens.
How is the population aged 65 or older calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population aged 65 or older for each census tract, using data from 2018-2022.
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Age 17 and younger
What is the population aged 17 and younger?
The population aged 17 and younger, includes all persons 17 and younger in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Why is the population aged 17 and younger included in the EJI?
Younger people are more likely to experience negative health outcomes from environmental hazards, due to differences in how they absorb, metabolize, and eliminate chemicals and other pollutants from their bodies. Children 17 and younger are also unable to vote and are therefore unable to advocate for themselves and make changes to improve their environmental health.
How is the population aged 17 or younger calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the population aged 17 and younger, using data from 2018-2022.
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Civilian with a disability
What are civilians with a disability?
A civilian with a disability is generally defined as an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities can include functions such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and performing manual tasks.
Why are civilians with disabilities included in the EJI?
People with disabilities often have a harder time preventing, preparing for, and recovering from environmental hazards and burdens (e.g., wildfire, flooding, power outages) than the general population. Additionally, research has shown that certain disabilities can also make people more vulnerable to environmental pollution, particularly to air pollution (e.g., ozone and fine particulate matter).
How are civilians with disabilities calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of the non-institutionalized civilian population with a disability, using data from 2018-2022.
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English language proficiency
What is English language proficiency?
The EJI defines English Language Proficiency as people who report being able to speak English "less than well" according to the United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Why is English language proficiency included in the EJI?
Not being able to speak or understand English well can prevent individuals from advocating for themselves and their environmental health. It can also prevent them from understanding documents, news, and emergency announcements related to environmental hazards, putting them more at risk of experiencing the cumulative impacts of environmental burdens.
How is English language proficiency calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of persons (age 5 and older) who speak English "less than well" for each census tract to represent English language proficiency, using data from 2018-2022.
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Housing Type
Group quarters
What are group quarters?
Group quarters refer to living situations where a group of individuals reside together in a shared facility or institution. Group quarters include college residence halls, residential treatment centers, group homes, military barracks, correctional facilities, and worker dormitories.
Why are group quarters included in the EJI?
People living in group quarters often lack the ability to advocate for themselves or their environmental health. People living in institutionalized group quarters (e.g., correctional facilities, nursing homes, mental hospitals) are often excluded from environmental decision making and are often neglected during environmental disasters.
How are group quarters calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of people living in group quarters for each census tract, using data from 2018-2022.
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Mobile homes
What are mobile homes?
Mobile homes, also known as manufactured homes or trailers, are pre-made structures that are designed to be movable and able to be set up in different locations. Mobile homes are typically constructed in factories before being transported to their intended location.
Why are mobile homes included in the EJI?
Mobile homes are often more vulnerable to environmental hazards, including air pollution and extreme heat. Additionally, mobile home parks are often located in communities with less access to resources and may also be closer to environmental hazards or other sources of pollution.
How are mobile homes calculated for the EJI?
The EJI uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to calculate the percentage of total mobile homes per census tract, using data from 2018-2022.
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