For Policy & Planning
Evidence for Action
Identify communities that succeed against the odds. Target resources where they're needed most. Evaluate geographic health equity at scale.
Policy-Relevant Insights
Education vs. Incarceration Gap
College communities average +2.95 resilience; prison communities average -0.98. This 4 standard deviation gap raises questions about resource allocation and the health impacts of different institutional investments.
Explore Data →Intra-County Inequality
Within single counties, resilience scores vary by 9+ points. County-wide policies may miss hyperlocal variation. Neighborhood-level targeting may be more effective.
Explore Data →Protective Factors in High-Burden Areas
West Virginia has America's highest health burden but near-average resilience. Understanding what works in challenging conditions can inform interventions elsewhere.
Explore Data →Health Equity Gap (Modifiable)
Majority-minority communities average 0.43 SD lower resilience—but state variation from +1.87 SD (DC) to -0.89 SD (Mississippi) proves structural factors determine outcomes.
Read Paper →Hispanic Paradox Is an Artifact
Aggregate Hispanic data masks 2.6 SD gap within Texas. South American communities thrive (+0.147) while Mexican-American border communities struggle (-1.08 SD). Policy implications differ.
Read Paper →Policy Applications
Appropriate Uses
- Identifying communities for qualitative follow-up research
- Asset-based community development planning
- Geographic targeting of health interventions
- Evaluating community health equity across regions
- Understanding variation within counties/states
Use with Caution
- Justifying disinvestment from "resilient" communities
- Making predictions about individual health
- Punitive comparisons between communities
- Replacing qualitative community input
- Definitive claims about causation
Suggested Priority Areas
Based on our analysis, these intervention categories show the highest potential impact:
Education-Based Resilience
College towns demonstrate that educational infrastructure creates health spillovers. Community college expansion, workforce training, and early childhood education may produce long-term community health benefits.
Reentry Support Networks
Prison communities show dramatic resilience deficits. Investing in reentry support, community integration, and alternatives to incarceration could address the widest gaps in our data.
Hyperlocal Targeting
The 9+ point gaps within counties suggest that neighborhood-level interventions may be more effective than county-wide programs. Precision targeting of resources could improve outcomes.
Learning from High-Burden Successes
Communities like those in West Virginia that maintain resilience despite high burden may offer lessons. Qualitative research to understand protective factors could inform interventions.
Access the Data
All data is freely available for policy research. No registration or approval required. Download the full dataset or use our API for programmatic access.