Special Population Analysis
How institutional environments shape community health resilience: college towns, military bases, and correctional facilities.
The 4 Standard Deviation Gap
College communities average +2.95 resilience while correctional communities average -0.98. That's a 3.93 point gap — nearly 4 standard deviations separating education from incarceration.
Population Type Summary
College Communities
Average Resilience
Military Bases
Average Resilience
Correctional Facilities
Average Resilience
College Communities
Census tracts where 50%+ of the population lives in college dormitories. These communities show exceptional resilience, likely due to access to university healthcare, younger demographics, walkable infrastructure, and stable institutional employment.
| Location | Population | College % | Resilience | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story, Iowa 19169000500 | 3,741 | 81% | +4.108 | -1.592 |
| Tippecanoe, Indiana 18157010500 | 1,649 | 57.3% | +3.962 | -1.281 |
| Maricopa, Arizona 04013107201 | 8,139 | 86.1% | +0.791 | -0.267 |
Military Bases
Census tracts where 25%+ of the population lives in military quarters. These communities benefit from VA healthcare access, stable employment, strong social cohesion, and institutional support systems.
| Location | Population | Military % | Resilience | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Hawaii 15003009000 | 2,412 | 34.7% | +3.343 | -1.754 |
| Montgomery, Alabama 01101005301 | 1,154 | 30.5% | +3.061 | -1.290 |
| Prince George, Virginia 51149850200 | 9,994 | 53.4% | +2.666 | -0.980 |
| Los Angeles, California 06037599100 | 553 | 28.9% | +1.299 | -1.023 |
| Newport News city, Virginia 51700031100 | 3,783 | 28% | -0.407 | +0.563 |
Correctional Facilities
Census tracts where 25%+ of the population is in correctional facilities. These communities face significant health burdens, with limited healthcare access, high chronic disease rates, and compounding socioeconomic challenges for surrounding areas.
| Location | Population | Correctional % | Resilience | Burden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, California 06067002000 | 3,882 | 27.6% | +0.841 | -0.532 |
| Durham, North Carolina 37063002100 | 9,056 | 27.2% | +0.433 | -0.097 |
| Pickens, Alabama 01107050300 | 4,886 | 33% | +0.221 | +1.088 |
| McDowell, West Virginia 54047954503 | 4,755 | 39.6% | +0.086 | +1.402 |
| Atoka, Oklahoma 40005587600 | 1,773 | 27.9% | +0.049 | +1.208 |
| Trousdale, Tennessee 47169090100 | 8,700 | 28.5% | +0.008 | +0.359 |
| Clark, Nevada 32003004302 | 7,031 | 42.6% | -0.258 | +0.358 |
| Hartford, Connecticut 09003480900 | 2,989 | 27.5% | -0.746 | -0.163 |
| Carroll, Illinois 17015960600 | 2,548 | 42.5% | -0.894 | +0.407 |
| Hudspeth, Texas 48229950300 | 3,202 | 31.1% | -0.950 | +1.311 |
| Clark, Nevada 32003005818 | 6,118 | 84.9% | -1.230 | +0.585 |
| Plaquemines, Louisiana 22075050100 | 1,890 | 26.5% | -1.341 | +1.900 |
| Wayne, North Carolina 37191002000 | 1,329 | 29.5% | -2.871 | +1.975 |
| Essex, New Jersey 34013004802 | 4,113 | 25.9% | -3.703 | +1.941 |
| El Paso, Texas 48141001700 | 1,165 | 50% | -4.340 | +2.516 |
Research Implications
The Education Effect
College towns demonstrate that concentrated educational infrastructure, healthcare access, and younger demographics create measurable health advantages. This effect may extend to surrounding communities through economic spillovers.
Military Model
Military bases show that co-located healthcare (VA hospitals), stable employment, and strong social infrastructure can produce high resilience even in otherwise challenging geographic areas.
Carceral Burden
Prison communities represent concentrated health vulnerability. The nearly 4 standard deviation gap with college communities raises questions about resource allocation and public health priorities.