The Social IMPACT Research Center recently updated and refreshed the Chicago Community Data Portal with more user-friendly interfaces and new indicators on job quality. The updated portal paints a richer picture of the communities in which we live. We also added a new section, connecting users to external data sources.
The dashboards empower community stakeholders to answer their own questions about their communities’ well-being and quality of life, going beyond poverty rate numbers and providing extra context with indicators that are highly predictive of well-being.
The dashboards can be used to better communicate the holistic approach needed to help our communities. For example, let’s zoom in on three community areas: Englewood, Washington Park, and West Englewood. These communities are experiencing high poverty rates (Englewood: 41%, Washington Park: 39%, and West Englewood: 33%). At the same time, unemployment rates are high: 26%, 20%, 27%, respectively. Looking more granularly, unemployment rates are especially high for 20 to 24-year-olds (Englewood: 36%, Washington Park: 47%, and West Englewood: 48%).
These same areas have lower participation in Chicago’s top three industries: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, and Accommodation and Food Services.
Backed with this data, community stakeholders can make informed decisions on what these communities need to improve their quality of life. The data suggest that investing in connecting young people to high-demand industries could be an effective solution in these three areas. With more data, stakeholders can better assess the needs of our communities, especially as we plan and move towards recovery from the pandemic and economic crisis.
The three dashboards provide indicators on economic opportunity, community health, and education. Use the interactive maps and visualizations to:
- Track how key outcomes change over time
- Inform decisions about how to target resources and programs
- Compare your community’s well-being to your neighbors and the city overall
- Understand racial and gender disparities within and across communities
- Advocate for the resources your community needs
You can access the dashboards here.
