Social Data Commons: Segregation Index (HOI) (v1.0.0)

Overview Residential segregation indicator computed as the Entropy Index (Theil's H) from ACS table B03002 (Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race) race/ethnicity data, measuring how sub-area racial/ethnic composition differs from the overall state composition. The index uses eight race/ethnicity categories: Hispanic/Latino, White, Black, American Indian, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, and Two or More Races. Builds on methodology used in the Virginia Department of Health's Health Opportunity Index (HOI). This dataset is produced by the Social Data Commons at the University of Virginia as part of the Segregation data pipeline. Provenance The segregation indicator uses the Entropy Index (Theil's H), a method for measuring multigroup residential segregation that quantifies how sub-area racial/ethnic composition differs from the overall composition (Theil, 1972; Reardon & Firebaugh, 2002). This pipeline builds on methodology developed by the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (VDH-OMHHE) for the Health Opportunity Index (HOI), which includes a segregation indicator as one of its 13 community health profiles. Coverage Temporal coverage: 2015–2024 (ACS 5-year estimates) Geographic levels: Block Group, County, Tract Coverage areas: National Capital Region (DC metro), Virginia (statewide) Methodology Residential segregation indicator computed as the Entropy Index (Theil's H) from ACS 5-year estimates, table B03002 (Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race). The index measures how the racial/ethnic composition of a sub-area compares to that of the state as a whole, using eight categories: Hispanic/Latino, White, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, and Two or More Races. Higher values indicate greater deviation from the statewide racial/ethnic composition. County and Health District values are aggregated from tract-level scores. Computed using 2020 Census geographic boundaries. Residential segregation indicator computed as the Entropy Index (Theil's H) from ACS 5-year estimates, table B03002 (Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race). The index measures how the racial/ethnic composition of a sub-area compares to that of the state as a whole, using eight categories: Hispanic/Latino, White, Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race, and Two or More Races. Higher values indicate greater deviation from the statewide racial/ethnic composition. County and Health District values are aggregated from tract-level scores. Computed using 2010 Census geographic boundaries. Source Tables ACS 5-Year Estimates, Table B03002 (Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race) Variables B03002_001: Total Pop B03002_012: Hisp Latin B03002_003: White B03002_004: Black B03002_005: American Indian B03002_006: Asian B03002_007: Nhopi B03002_008: Sor B03002_009: Two Measures (2) Note on naming conventions: Measures containing _geo20 are computed using 2020 Census geographic boundaries, while those containing _geo10 use 2010 Census geographic boundaries. segregation_indicator_geo20: Segregation indicator (2020 geographies) (mean) Entropy Index (Theil's H) measuring how sub-area racial/ethnic composition differs from the overall state composition. segregation_indicator_geo10: Segregation indicator (2010 geographies) (mean) Entropy Index (Theil's H) measuring how sub-area racial/ethnic composition differs from the overall state composition. Data Sources U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2025) File Format Data files are provided as xz-compressed CSV (.csv.xz) with the following columns: geoid, region_type, region_name, year, measure, value, moe (margin of error, where available).