Euquant

Why is it useful?

Allows a multi-dimensional comparison of neighborhood attributes.

How does it work?

The CAI is a multidimensional index whose value ranges from 0 to 1. The index can be used to score the attributes of communities where values closer to 1 indicate communities with better overall characteristics. The technique starts with 165 variables that are reduced to 13 through the use of statistical techniques. The 13 variables are grouped into 5 dimensions: Economic Opportunity, Poverty Status, Educational Attainment, Housing and Population Mix, and Family Stability.

What does it look like?

The map at the right shows one way we use the CAI for the Atlanta metro area. Census tracts with a red color have the lowest score (or value of socio-economic characteristics) and tracts with a dark blue color have the highest score.