Heat Vulnerability Index by Census block group at the county-level. Each block group’s scores are relative to the county it is within, not the region.

The methodology employed to create this layer entailed using the following data from the U.S. Census 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates:

For percentage of population:

• Population by census block group

• Number of Older Adults (65+) Living Alone

• Hispanic/Latino population

• Non-white population

• Youth under 5 population

For percentage of households:

• Limited English proficiency households

Median Household Income

Once percentages were gathered, standard deviations were calculated relative to the county average that each block group is within. The same methodology was used for the Indicators of Potential Disadvantage (IPDs), giving scores of 0-4 depending on the number of standard deviations. Once social vulnerability totals were calculated, another standard deviation analysis relative to the county average was performed, and an additional 0-4 score was assigned. This was combined with the temperature score to get the Heat Vulnerability Index score.

For additional information, see DVRPC's Municipal Management of Extreme Heat webpage.