Variables Comparison Chart

The chart below outlines the various variables/inputs used in each index. Variables are listed in the same row to denote that they are similar; this does not imply that the variables are identical.


More information on these variables can be found on the various index detail pages.


*The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) contains both CDC SVI and BRIC as variables. Therefore, the table below lists both CDC SVI and BRIC variables in the NRI column.

Demographic

Variables/Inputs

% Persons 65 years of age and older

% Persons under 5 years or 65 years and over

% Population age 65 and older

Pre-retirement age: % Population between 15 to 65 years of age

% Persons 65 years of age and older

--

Pre-retirement age: % Population between 15 to 65 years of age

% Persons 17 years of age or younger

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--

--

% Persons 17 years of age or younger

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Median age

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--

--

% Minority

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--

--

% Minority

--

% Asian population

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--

--

--

% African American population

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--

--

--

% Hispanic population

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--

--

--

% Native American population

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--

--

--

Nursing Home Residents per capita

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--

--

% Persons in group quarters

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--

--

% Persons in group quarters

% Persons civilian with a disability

--

% Population with a disability

Non-special needs: % Population without sensory, physical, or mental disability

% Persons civilian with a disability

--

Non-special needs: % Population without sensory, physical, or mental disability

--

--

--

Place attachment-not recent immigrants: % Population not foreign-born persons who came to US within previous 5 years

Place attachment-not recent immigrants: % Population not foreign-born persons who came to US within previous 5 years

--

--

--

Place attachment-native born

residents: % Population born in state of current residence

Place attachment-native born

residents: % Population born in state of current residence

% Households with limited English proficiency

% Population speaking English as a second language with limited English proficiency

% Households with limited English proficiency

English language competency: % Population proficient English speakers

% Households with limited English proficiency

--

English language competency: % Population proficient English speakers

% Persons with no high school diploma

% Population with less than a 12th grade education

Educational attainment: % Population without a High School diploma

Educational attainment equality: % Population over 25 with college education or more

% Persons with no high school diploma

--

Educational attainment equality: % Population over 25 with college education or more

Economic

Variables/Inputs

Per capita income

Per capita income

--

--

Per capita income

--

--

Median household Income

--

--

--

--

Income inequality: Gini Index

Race/ethnicity income equality: Gini coefficient (Inverted)

Race/ethnicity income equality: Gini coefficient (Inverted)

% Persons living below 150% poverty

% Persons living in poverty

% Persons living in poverty

--

% Persons living below 150% poverty

--

% of Households spending more than 40% of their income on housing expenses (tract level only)

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--

--

--

--

--

Gender income equality: Absolute difference between male and female median income divided by annual income (Inverted)

Gender income equality: Absolute difference between male and female median income divided by annual income (Inverted)

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% Families earning more than $200,000 per year

--

--

% Families earning more than $200,000 per year

--

--

--

Energy Burden: Average Energy Burden (% income), (Inverted)

Energy Burden: Average Energy Burden (% income), (Inverted)

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% Households receiving Social Security benefits

--

--

--

Household Composition

Variables/Inputs

% Male or female householder, no spouse present, with children under 18

--

% Single-parent households as a function of all families

--

% Male or female householder, no spouse present, with children under 18

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% Children living in 2-parent families

--

--

--

Crowding (at household level, more people than rooms)

Average number of people per housing unit

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--

Crowding (at household level, more people than rooms)

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% Female

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--

--

--

% Female-headed households

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--

--

--

% Renter-occupied housing units

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--

--

--

--

Home ownership: % Owner- occupied housing units

Home ownership: % Owner- occupied housing units

Home Ownership: % Owner- occupied housing units

% Multi-unit structures

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--

--

% Multi-unit structures

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Median gross rent

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--

--

--

Median housing value

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--

--

% Mobile homes

% Mobile Homes

Mobile Homes: % Mobile homes as a function of total housing

Sturdier housing types: % Housing units not mobile homes

% Mobile homes

--

Sturdier housing types: % Housing units not mobile homes

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% Unoccupied housing units

--

--

--

--

--

--

Temporary housing availability: % Vacant housing units that are for rent

Temporary housing availability: % Vacant housing units that are for rent

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--

--

Housing stock construction quality: % Housing units built prior to 1970 or after 2000

Housing stock construction quality: % Housing units built prior to 1970 or after 2000

--

--

Households without a smart phone

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--

Employment

Variables/Inputs

% Civilian labor force unemployed

% Civilian labor force unemployed

% Civilian labor force unemployed

--

% Civilian labor force unemployed

--

--

--

Employment rate: % Labor force employed

Employment rate:% Labor force employed

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% Employment in extractive industries (fishing, farming, mining, etc.)

--

Non-dependence on primary/tourism sectors: % Employees not in farming, fishing, forestry, extractive industry, or tourism

Non-dependence on primary/tourism sectors: % Employees not in farming, fishing, forestry, extractive industry, or tourism

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% Female participation in the labor force

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--

--

--

--

% Unemployed women in the labor force

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--

--

% Employment in service occupations

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--

--

--

--

--

Federal employment: % Labor force employed by federal government

Federal employment: % Labor force employed by federal government

Transportation

Variables/Inputs

No vehicle available

% Housing units with no car available

Mobility: % Households without a vehicle

--

No vehicle available

--

--

--

Transportation Access: % Households with at least one vehicle

Transportation Access: % Households with at least one vehicle

--

--

--

Evacuation routes: Intersection density

Evacuation routes: Intersection density

--

--

--

Industrial re-supply potential: Rail miles per square mile

Industrial re-supply potential: Rail miles per square mile

Community

Variables/Inputs

--

--

Presence of Civic and Social Organizations

Civic Organizations: # Civic organizations per capita

Civic Organizations: # Civic organizations per capita

--

--

Population without Religious Affiliation

Religious Organizations: # Religious organizations per capita

Religious Organizations: # Religious organizations per capita

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--

--

Disaster Volunteerism: # AmeriCorps volunteers per capita

Disaster Volunteerism: # AmeriCorps volunteers per capita

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--

% of Inactive Voters (defined differently by state)

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--

--

--

--

Temporary shelter availability: # Hotels/motels per capita

Temporary shelter availability: # Hotels/motels per capita

--

--

% Population change

Population change over previous 5-year period (Inverted)

Population change over previous 5-year period (Inverted)

--

--

--

Large retail-regional/national geographic distribution: Large retail stores per capita

Large retail-regional/national geographic distribution: Large retail stores per capita

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--

--

Business size 1: Ratio of large to small businesses

Business size 1: Ratio of large to small businesses

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--

--

Business size 2: Ratio of employees to establishments

Business size 2: Ratio of employees to establishments

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--

--

School restoration potential: # Public schools per capita

School restoration potential: # Public schools per capita

Health

Variables/Inputs

--

% Population without health insurance

% Population without health insurance

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--

--

--

--

Health insurance: % Population under age 65 with health insurance

Health insurance: % Population under age 65 with health insurance

--

--

--

Mental health support: Psychosocial support facilities per capita

Mental health support: Psychosocial support facilities per capita

--

--

Medical professional capacity: Number of health-diagnosing and treating practitioners per 1,000 population

Physician access: Physicians per capita

Physician access: Physicians per capita

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--

--

Medical care capacity: # Hospital beds per capita

Medical care capacity: # Hospital beds per capita

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% Hospitals per capita

Hospital capacity: Number of hospitals per 10,000 people

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--

--

--

--

Food provisioning capacity: Food security rate (Inverted)

Food provisioning capacity: Food security rate (Inverted)

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--

--

Local food suppliers: Farms marketing products through Community Supported Agriculture per capita

Local food suppliers: Farms marketing products through Community Supported Agriculture per capita

Government/

Infrastructure

Variables/Inputs

--

--

--

Mitigation spending: 10-year average per capita spending for mitigation projects

Mitigation spending: 10-year average per capita spending for mitigation projects

--

--

--

Communication capacity: % Households with telephone service available

Communication capacity: % Households with telephone service available

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--

--

High-speed internet infrastructure: % Population with access to broadband internet service

High-speed internet infrastructure: % Population with access to broadband internet service

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--

--

Flood insurance coverage: % Housing units covered by National Flood Insurance Program

Flood insurance coverage: % Housing units covered by National Flood Insurance Program

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--

--

Performance regimes-state capital: Distance from county seat to state capital (Inverted)

Performance regimes-state capital: Distance from county seat to state capital (Inverted)

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--

--

Performance regimes-nearest metro area: Distance from county seat to nearest county seat within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (Inverted)

Performance regimes-nearest metro area: Distance from county seat to nearest county seat within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (Inverted)

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--

--

Political and jurisdictional fragmentation: # Governments and special districts per 10,000 persons (Inverted)

Political and jurisdictional fragmentation: # Governments and special districts per 10,000 persons (Inverted)

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--

--

Political engagement: % Voting age population participating in recent election

Political engagement: % Voting age population participating in recent election

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--

--

Disaster aid experience: # Presidential Disaster Declarations divided by # of loss-causing hazard events for 10-year period

Disaster aid experience: # Presidential Disaster Declarations divided by # of loss-causing hazard events for 10-year period

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--

--

Local disaster training: % Population in communities covered by Citizen Corps programs

Local disaster training: % Population in communities covered by Citizen Corps programs

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--

--

Nuclear plant accident planning: % Population within 10 miles of nuclear power plant

Nuclear plant accident planning: % Population within 10 miles of nuclear power plant

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--

--

Crop insurance coverage: # Crop insurance policies per square mile

Crop insurance coverage: # Crop insurance policies per square mile

Environmental/

Energy

Variables/Inputs

--

--

--

Natural flood buffers: % Land in wetlands

Natural flood buffers: % Land in wetlands

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--

--

Efficient energy use: Megawatt hours per energy consumer (Inverted)

Efficient energy use: Megawatt hours per energy consumer (Inverted)

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--

--

Pervious surfaces: Average percent perviousness

Pervious surfaces: Average percent perviousness

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--

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Efficient water use: Water Supply Stress Index (Inverted)

Efficient water use: Water Supply Stress Index (Inverted)