Our Approach

Fourth Economy calculated metrics and scores for each census tract, including an Opportunity Index based on six economic and social indicators for every census tract in the state and then mapped areas of opportunity and concentrated areas of poverty across the state. Across the NYSEJ, there are 29 census tracts with racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (RCAPs).These 29 census tracts represent 2.6 percent of the NYSEJ’s total 1,098 census tracts. They cover an estimated 273 (0.6 percent) of the NYSEJ’s 42,750 square miles. And, they are home to 29,083 households with 22,770 people living in poverty -- respectively, 1.7 percent of the NYSEJ’s 1,692,564 households and 1.6 percent of the NYSEJ’s 4,444,270 population. Fifty percent of the NYSEJ (549 tracts) are in the “Moderate” or “High” ranges. NYSEJ census tracts that scored poorly on the comprehensive Opportunity Index generally had below-average mobility and school proficiency scores. Most other sub-indices scores were close to the NYSEJ average. Communities of “Moderate” or “High” opportunity are located throughout the State, but are usually concentrated around urban areas or along interstate corridors. Similar to many of the indicators that comprise the comprehensive index, many of the high opportunity areas are immediately outside the urban cores. RCAPs and lower-opportunity areas are located in the city centers or in more rural, less-accessible areas.