Datasets / Place character
Place character
Criterra’s own scores, built from the public datasets below, that sum up what a place is like: prosperity and health, climate, daily convenience, job pull, age, outdoor amenities, housing affordability and air quality. Each is a percentile: 70 means higher than 70% of counties, or of tracts on the tract map. The weights are our judgment, not an official index.
- 9
- measures
- 3,230
- counties with data
- 84,967
- census tracts with data
Open Prosperity & Health Index on the map →
Measures
| Measure | Unit | Geography |
|---|---|---|
| Prosperity & Health IndexA blend of about 20 measures: household income, poverty, education, unemployment, home values and ownership, median age, job mix, obesity, depression, physical inactivity, and climate. Built with principal component analysis; higher means wealthier, more educated and healthier. | percentile | Counties, tracts |
| Climate ComfortMild weather year-round. Loses points for average highs above 82°F, average lows below 30°F, large seasonal swings, and more than 50 inches of rain a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). | percentile | Counties |
| Daily ConvenienceMostly population density, with some weight on the share of jobs in retail and food service. Higher means more urban, with stores nearby. | percentile | Counties |
| Job MagnetJobs per working resident, plus the share of high-wage, professional, information and management jobs. Higher means a place that draws workers in. | percentile | Counties |
| Young CommunityThe share of residents under 35, minus the share 65 and older, with college-age residents counted twice. | percentile | Counties, tracts |
| Outdoor & NatureUSDA's Natural Amenities Scale (1999): warm winters, mild summers, low humidity, varied terrain and lots of water area. | percentile | Counties |
| Housing AffordabilityMedian rent and median home value compared with median household income, weighted equally. Higher means cheaper relative to local earnings. | percentile | Counties, tracts |
| Environmental QualityAnnual fine-particle (PM2.5) and ozone levels at EPA air monitors, weighted 60/40. Only the roughly 500 counties with monitors have a score. | percentile | Counties |
| Population Density | ppl/sqmi | Counties, tracts |
Source
- American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2019–2023U.S. Census Bureau · Public domain
- LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023U.S. Census Bureau · Public domain
- PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 releaseCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · Public domain
- nClimDiv county climate normals, 1991–2020NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Public domain
- Natural Amenities Scale, 1999USDA Economic Research Service · Public domain
- Air Quality System annual summary data, 2023U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · Public domain