High-Speed Internet, Maximum Download Speeds

This layer displays the maximum advertised download speed available from fixed internet (DSL, cable, fiber, etc.) and terrestrial/fixed wireless internet providers. Data are from the August, 2019 release of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Fixed Broadband Deployment Dataset and reflect conditions as of June 2018. Data are reported by census block (centroid).

Access to Fiber Internet

This layer displays the percentage of population with access to fiber internet. Data are from the August, 2019 release of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Fixed Broadband Deployment Dataset and reflect conditions as of June 2018. Data are available by county, census tract, and census block group. Values are population-weighted; calculations do not include cellular internet providers.

Toxic Release Inventory by County

This layer displays the amount of toxic releases based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), a national program which tracks the management of over 650 toxic chemicals that pose a threat to human health and the environment. Facilities must report how each chemical is managed through recycling, energy recovery, treatment, and releases to the environment. A “release” of a chemical means that it is emitted to the air or water, or placed in some type of land disposal. The information submitted by facilities to the EPA and states is compiled annually as the Toxics Release Inventory or TRI, and is stored in a publicly accessible database ( Envirofacts. For more information, please visit the EPA Toxics Release Inventory web page.

Statistics of Income from the IRS

Layers display ZIP code and county-level information about tax returns filed in 2016, including the number and percentage of returns claiming Earned Income Tax Credits. Data is acquired through the IRS IRS County Data.

Tree Canopy Areas

This layer shows the percentage of land area covered by tree canopy based on data from the 2016 The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) Percent Tree Canopy Collection. The NLCD tree canopy imagery is a product of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and is produced through a cooperative project conducted by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium (www.mrlc.gov). Tree canopy values range from 0 to 100 percent.

In order to generate percent tree canopy values for census geographies, the NLCD 2016 Percent Tree Canopy Analytical Dataset was processed using ESRI Zonal Statistics tools. Zones were based on US Census Block Group boundaries from the ESRI Map Data pack for ArcGIS 10.6. These figures were aggregated and mapped at the census block group, census tract and county levels. Census tract and county figures are also available as population weighted percentages based on 2010 Decennial Census figures.

Average Number of High-Speed Internet Providers

This layer displays variation in the number of high-speed internet providers across the United States. Data are from the August, 2019 release of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Fixed Broadband Deployment Dataset and reflect conditions as of June 2018. Data are available by county, census tract, and census block group. Values are population-weighted; calculations do not include cellular internet providers.

Access to High-Speed Internet

This layer displays the percentage of population with access to broadband internet. Data are from the August, 2019 release of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Fixed Broadband Deployment Dataset and reflect conditions as of June 2018. Data are available by county, census tract, and census block group. Values are population-weighted; calculations do not include cellular internet providers.

FEMA Flood Hazard Zones

The Flood Hazard Zones are extracted from the National Flood Hazard Layer, which is a database that contains FEMA’s flood hazard map data. The database contains flood hazard information and supporting data used to develop the information. The primary flood hazard classification is indicated in the Flood Hazard Zones layer.

Flood zones are geographic areas that FEMA has defined according to varying levels of flood risk and type of flooding. For complete information about different flood zone designations, please visit the Definitions of FEMA Flood Zones web page.

Flood Hazard Zone Descriptions:
  Floodway: The stream channel and that portion of the adjacent floodplain which must remain open to permit passage of the base flood.
  1% Annual Chance Flood Zone: The 100-year or base floodplain.
  0.2% Annual Chance Flood Zone: Area of moderate flood hazard, usually the area between the limits of the 100-year and 500-year floodplains, but also shallow flooding areas (< 1 foot) or flood zones for small drainage areas (< 1 square mile).
  Area with Reduced Risk Due to Levee: Areas protected by levees from the 100-year flood.
  1% Annual Chance Future Considerations: The 100-year floodplain based on anticipated future land-use conditions.
  Area of Undetermined Hazard: Area of undetermined but possible flood hazard, typically occurring in counties with partial flood studies.

This information was acquired by state-level release February, 2020. Data release dates by state range from December 07, 2016 (Vermont) to February 12, 2020 (Utah).