CDPHE Childhood Lead Risk by Census Tract

This census tract geography dataset was created in 2017 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The lead exposure risk index is based on average neighborhood housing age and poverty rate, which are the two most common risk factors for lead poisoning. The index is calculated by combining three different types of U.S. Census demographic data: 1) estimates of the number of housing units built in different time periods, 2) estimates of the overall poverty rate, and 3) estimates of the population of children under age 6. All input data is taken from the U.S. Census American Community Survey’s (ACS) 2011-2015 five-year population estimates for census tracts in Colorado (B17001, B25034, & C17002 data files). The methodology is an adaptation of a method developed by the Washington State Department of Health. More details about this methodology can be found here.