Report Indicator

The 2020 census self-response rate reports the percentage of all households that responded by internet, paper questionnaire, or telephone. Data were sourced from the Census Operational Quality Metrics and are used in the 2025 County Health Rankings. Note that estimates may differ slightly from original sources due to back-calculations using ACS housing unit data, and Connecticut planning regions report only rates due to boundary differences.

A new indicator reporting information about the primary language spoken at home by the population aged 5 and older in limited-English households has been added to the report tool.

Note: Data for this indicator are based on tabulations of just 12 language groups, most of which combine many languages. A more detailed list of languages spoken in Massachusetts is available in the state report, however county and sub-county information are only available for the 12 language groups reported in the American Community Survey.

Additionally, the American Community Survey (ACS) collects information on spoken languages, not written languages. For example, “Chinese” could mean either Traditional or Simplified Chinese. The ACS also recodes responses so that anyone who reports using American Sign Language at home is counted as speaking English, even though they are unrelated languages. Accurate data on language use informs resources for better language access to important government information, public health resources, healthcare services and more.

The updated Food Environment Index data are now available. This indicator reflects the overall food environment in terms of access to healthy foods and affordability, combining measures of proximity to grocery stores and barriers such as income. Data come from the USDA Food Security Survey (2019 & 2022) as modeled by Feeding America and are used in the 2025 County Health Rankings. The index ranges from 0 (worst) to 10 (best), and a higher z-score indicates worse health.

A new indicator reporting information about the primary language spoken at home by the population aged 5 and older in limited-English households has been added to the report tool.

Note: Data for this indicator are based on tabulations of over 400 languages, some of which include combined language groups. For example, there is a single listing for “Swahili and other languages of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa” which includes around 1,000 languages.

Additionally, the American Community Survey (ACS) collects information on spoken languages, not written languages. For example, “Chinese” could mean either Traditional or Simplified Chinese. The ACS also recodes responses so that anyone who reports using American Sign Language at home is counted as speaking English, even though they are unrelated languages. Accurate data on language use informs resources for better language access to important government information, public health resources, healthcare services and more.

New data on maternal and infant health from year 2020-2022. Data obtained from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Affected indicators:

Health Factors – Behaviors

• Prenatal Care in the 1st Trimester
• Obesity – Pre-pregnancy
• Smoking During Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding Initiation
  Health Outcomes
  • Cesarean Delivery
  • Infant Mortality

New data on work injury and illness from year 2022. Data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Affected indicators:

Social & Economic Factors

• Total Reported Work Injury and Illness

Updated July data for Bureau of Labor Statistics (BL) has been released and processed. Affected indicators:
Unemployment
Labor Force

This indicator displays the percent of total acreage in a county that is forested.

This indicator reports the net change in total population due to migration for U.S. counties between 2012 and 2022, expressed as a percent change. Data is obtained from the Internal Revenue Service.

This indicator reports the annual population estimate derived from the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program (PEP). PEP annually utilizes current data on births, deaths, and migration to calculate population change since the most recent decennial census and produce a time series of estimates of population, demographic components of change, and housing units.