JAN. 30, 2024 – The U.S. Census Bureau today released the 2022 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) and new ranking tables of U.S. areas most socially vulnerable to winter weather and flooding.

Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster. Using 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year microdata modeled with Population Estimates Program data, the CRE measures the social vulnerability of a community that inhibits community resilience. These estimates are based on 10 topics from the ACS that are components of social vulnerability. These topics include poverty status, disability status, age, broadband internet access, health insurance coverage, and more.

This release includes three ranked tables highlighting the nation’s most socially vulnerable counties (top 25) and census tracts (top 100):

• CRE risks for all U.S. areas.
  
• Winter weather risk areas (i.e., snow, sleet and freezing rain).
• Flooding risk areas (i.e., coastal flooding and riverine flooding).

Using natural hazards data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index, the winter weather and flooding tables provide specialized estimates for the most socially vulnerable areas with at least a moderate risk of experiencing the given hazard. The Census Bureau plans to release hurricane, wildfire and other season-related ranking tables this summer.

In addition, the CRE interactive tool has been updated with the new 2022 CRE data.

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.

No news release associated with this product. Tip sheet only.

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