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Data stories

Each story starts with a question from a county partner and answers it with several measures read together. No single measure settles any of these questions; the pattern across them does.

Is broadband a question of infrastructure or affordability?

Arlington and Fairfax Counties · 2019–2021

  • Download speed
  • Household broadband adoption
  • Price of fast internet as a share of income
  • Race and ethnicity

Speeds are above the broadband standard everywhere. The pockets of low adoption line up with the highest price-to-income ratios, so the gap is economic, not technical. Presented to both county boards.

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Is access to urgent care equitable?

Arlington and Fairfax Counties · 2022

  • Facility count
  • Drive time to the ten nearest
  • Three-step floating catchment score
  • Median household income and demographics

Counting facilities says Fairfax is well served. A population-aware catchment score shows southern Arlington, Annandale, Bailey's Crossroads, and Fort Hunt with both low income and low access.

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Do minority-owned businesses employ more minority workers?

Fairfax County · 2011–2020

  • Businesses by ownership and industry
  • Employment by minority-owned businesses
  • Minority employment by block group

Minority-owned businesses grew faster than businesses overall but stayed under a fifth of every industry. Block group by block group, their presence shows no correlation with minority employment.

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How many households in Fairfax are food insecure, and where?

Fairfax County · 2022

  • Local cost of living by household type
  • Households by income and size, fitted per tract
  • USDA low-cost food plan
  • SNAP access

About one household in five is food insecure and one in four is at risk, with tracts ranging from none to more than half. The county-wide figure matches an independent survey; the tract-level map is new.

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The exhibits in these stories were produced for the original Social Impact Data Commons dashboard. The same measures are available on the current National Capital Region dashboard.