The Community Index began in 2012 as an effort of our team to document key indicators and predictors of community vibrancy and economic strength. Each year we update and run a model, and we publish lists of high-scoring areas, organized by population size. In 2018, we developed this app to allow others to see how our Community Index model ranks counties across the country. In 2020, we updated the Community Index model to include new and updated sources of data with a greater focus on equity. We are in the process of updating the Community Index with new data. The current version presents the pre-COVID-19 conditions. 

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The Index model incorporates 20 different indicators in the areas of Investment, Talent, Sustainability, Place, and Diversity. While we know there is no single recipe for economic success, we also know that these five areas are critical ingredients in vibrant and equitable communities everywhere. What do we mean by each of these?
 

• Investment: a productive regional economy with active businesses and diverse business ownership

• Talent: a skilled workforce, with access to education and high-wage jobs for all residents

• Sustainability: a resilient community and economy with a mix of industries, sustainable infrastructure, and a healthy population

• Place: an active and affordable community that provides a high quality of life for all residents

• Diversity: an equitable community where people of different races and ethnic backgrounds want to live and everyone benefits from economic prosperity
   

Indicators in these five areas are combined through a mathematical model to produce an overall score. Comparisons to counties within the same state, within the same region, and with similar population size are included on the dashboard for benchmarking.