Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Opportunity Index?
How did you pick your indicators?
Why does the Opportunity Index measure opportunity by county and state?
Why is the Opportunity Index focused on geography?
Why didn’t the Opportunity Index include other factors or data points?
What is the Opportunity Index?
Highlighting successes and obstacles connected to upward mobility, the Index measures economic, educational, health and civic opportunity at state and county levels for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It uniquely combines data with other indicators to help policymakers and community leaders identify challenges and solutions. Explore the data and share Index Scores with your community.
How did you pick your indicators?
At the national and state levels, the Opportunity Index is made up of 20 indicators combined to yield a score from 1 to 100 in each of the four dimensions (Economy, Education, Health, Community). The county-level Opportunity Index is made up of 17 indicators, because data for three indicators in the Community dimension (volunteering, voter registration and incarceration) are not available at the county level. The dimensions and indicators of the Index reflect the evidence for what constitutes thriving communities: an economy that works for all; learning opportunities that build the skills and knowledge essential for success starting in early childhood; a preventive, wellness-oriented approach to health; and a commitment to embracing and promoting the contributions of all residents, while ensuring their health and safety.
Why does the Opportunity Index measure opportunity by county and state?
Much of the indicator data used to compile numerical state scores and county grades A-F is gathered at both the state and county levels. By offering detailed information at both the state and county levels, policymakers, elected officials, community members and foundations get a big-picture view as well as a more localized perspective on the conditions that expand or constrict opportunity where they live.
Opportunity varies from city to city and town to town, and in many cases, even neighborhood to neighborhood. Several of the Opportunity Index indicators we use are only available at the state and county levels.
Why is the Opportunity Index focused on geography?
The places where people live are pivotal to the opportunities open to them. Neighborhoods and regions matter for employment, education, housing quality, law enforcement and public safety, community organizations and political processes. Some communities have characteristics that open many doors of opportunity for their residents; others do not. The Opportunity Index measures four dimensions: economic, educational, health and community indicators, to produce an overall opportunity score for all 50 U.S. states plus Washington, DC. The Index is also used to grade over 2,000 counties.
Why didn’t the Opportunity Index include other factors or data points?
One challenge in creating a composite index is the temptation to include every data point possible. The disadvantages of this are two-fold: 1) larger indexes become difficult to use as an advocacy tool because they are too complex to explain and; 2) Often the same important goal is calculated through multiple measures. We want to ensure that the Opportunity Index is both broad and encompassing while also being useful as a tool to create community change.
We’d love to connect with you! Contact the Forum for Youth Investment at policy@forumfyi.org.
