Populations at Risk
Populations at Risk (PAR) is a free, quick, and easy-to-use web-based tool to generate reports on demographics within areas of interest. The reports can help decision makers learn which populations are more likely to experience adverse social, health, and economic outcomes due to their race, age, gender, poverty status, and other socioeconomic measures.
The nationwide reporting tool always shows the latest available data. It provides users with access to socioeconomic data for states, counties, cities, Census tracts, and many other levels of geography. Users can download spreadsheets of data and charts or PDF files.
The tool can help climate change practitioners:
- Develop city-wide vulnerability assessments;
- Improve emergency operations and hazard mitigation plans;
- Identify specific places where temperature-reducing projects, such as building green spaces or planting trees, could benefit the neighborhood;
- Identify neighborhoods where improvements to outreach programs and related services could help;
- Prioritize and justify neighborhood-level project proposals for small grants; and
- Initiate cross city departmental conversations between police, fire, water, and public works.
The tool was created and is maintained by Headwaters Economics, an independent, nonprofit research group that works to improve community development and land management decisions.