DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14812525
title: CDC Social Vulnerability Index across time and space

description: Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) Multi-Geographic Level Dataset 2012-2021

Description

This dataset provides a comprehensive compilation of Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) calculations across multiple geographic levels in the United States from 2012 to 2021. The data was generated using the findSVI R package, which extends the CDC/ATSDR SVI methodology to additional geographic levels and more recent American Community Survey (ACS) data. This archive serves as a crucial preservation of social vulnerability metrics, ensuring continued access to this important public health planning tool.

Data Coverage

Temporal Coverage



Years: 2012-2021

Annual data available for all geographic levels


Geographic Coverage



Geographic levels included:



CBSA (Core Based Statistical Areas)

Combined Statistical Areas

Congressional Districts

Counties

County Subdivisions

Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Areas

Places

Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs)

States

State Legislative Districts (Upper and Lower Chambers)

Census Tracts




Variables

Core Variables



GEOID: Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code uniquely identifying geographic areas

RPL_theme1: Socioeconomic Status theme percentile ranking

RPL_theme2: Household Composition theme percentile ranking

RPL_theme3: Minority Status & Language theme percentile ranking

RPL_theme4: Housing Type & Transportation theme percentile ranking

RPL_themes: Overall Social Vulnerability Index percentile ranking

year: Year of the SVI data (2012-2021)

state: State identifier (two-letter code or 'US' for national level)

geo: Geographic level identifier


Methodology

The dataset was created using the findSVI R package, which:



Retrieves 16 demographic variables from the American Community Survey

Calculates percentile rankings for each variable

Aggregates rankings into four themes: socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status/language, and housing/transportation

Generates overall SVI scores through percentile calculations


Technical Details



File Format: Parquet and CSV (identical data but recomended to use the parquet file as geographic identifiers are type casted as chracter and prevent cutoff of lead `0's` common to census geographic identifiers)

Data Structure: Long format with consistent variable names across geographic levels

Missing Data: Noted for geographic units lacking component variables

Special Cases:



DC and Nebraska have specific handling for legislative districts

Some geographies don't require state arguments in calculations




Usage Notes



Data can be filtered by geographic level and year for specific analysis needs

Percentile rankings are calculated relative to specified geographic reference areas

Some geographic units may have missing values due to incomplete ACS data

Users should consider the appropriate geographic level for their specific research needs


Citation

When using this dataset, please cite:



The findSVI R package: Xu, H., Li, R., & Bilal, U. (2024). findSVI: an R package to calculate the Social Vulnerability Index at multiple geographical levels. Journal of Open Source Software, 9(99), 6525.

The original CDC/ATSDR SVI methodology: Flanagan, B. E., Gregory, E. W., Hallisey, E. J., Heitgerd, J. L., & Lewis, B. (2011). A social vulnerability index for disaster management. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 8(1).


 

Access

The dataset is available for public use and can be accessed through either through findSVI or these archived files at this zenodo page.