Measure of America

Measure of America, an initiative of the Social Science Research Council, provides accessible, high-quality tools for understanding the distribution of health, well-being, and opportunity in the United States. Much of the organization’s work utilizes the American Human Development Index, a supplement to GDP that is modeled after the United Nations Human Development Index, which tells the story of American wellbeing through indicators related to health, education, and income. Measure of America’s online resource portal includes reports, thematic briefs, and interactive maps and data visualization tools, including:

• Mapping the Measure of America: This data interactive allows users to view numerous human development, health, education, and income indices and indicators by state, country, and population group, and to view snapshots of each congressional district in the country. The tool also enables the creation of custom charts and “stacks,” which visually display how different slices of the population compare to one another based on chosen criteria. The “City Explorer” offers a deeper dive into data for the ten most populous metropolitan areas in the country.
• Common Good Forecaster: This data interactive was developed by Measure for America in collaboration with the United Way, and allows users to examine the influence of educational attainment on major health and wellness indicators like life expectancy, obesity, murder rate, earnings, unemployment, poverty, and more. Users can view the existing status in individual counties, then forecast the impact of changes to education levels on that community’s wellbeing. A companion report offers background information and synthesizes key findings and data from the collaboration.
• Data2Go.NYC: This mapping and data tool compiles federal, state, and city data on more than 300 indicators for New York City’s 59 community districts; users can zoom into a detailed map of the five boroughs for snapshots of each community or select specific indicators related to human development; demographics; education; environment; food systems; health; housing and infrastructure; political engagement; public funding; safety; and work, wealth, and poverty. The tool also allows users to layer onto the map various cultural and community institutions, such as schools, parks, hospitals and clinics, museums and libraries, and even grocery and liquor stores.
• Youth Disconnection in America: This data interactive is a visualization of the information contained in Measure of America’s report, Ensuring an Equitable Recovery: Addressing Covid's Impact on Education; it allows users to explore data related to young people, ages 16-24, who are “disconnected” —not in school and not in the workforce—and how disconnection affects them and the communities in which they live. Through a series of maps and graphs, users can view local, state, and national trends and better understand regional, racial, and ethnic disparities in youth disconnection.