Data and Methods

The Bay Area Recovery Tracker draws from a mix of data sources. We rely on timely, nationally representative datasets and prioritize regularly updated data sources to provide a real-time snapshot of how communities are faring.

The dashboard draws on:

  • The Census Household Pulse Survey from August 18, 2020, to August 8, 2022
  • The monthly Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) Current Population Survey (CPS) data, which provides social and economic trends in the United States as well as pandemic-related findings
  • Open source data from Bay Area counties on Covid-19 cases and vaccination rates
  • The State of California’s Employment Development Department data on county-level unemployment rates Zillow housing data on typical home values and observed market rate rent for given regions
  • The Self-Sufficiency Standard created by the Insight Center’s Family Needs Calculator, which measures the base income necessary to afford basic expenses in California
  • The 2019 and 2020 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) IPUMS data, which we use when more frequently updated data is not available through the other sources listed above

To ensure adequate sample sizes that allow us to disaggregate data by race/ethnicity, we sometimes combine monthly observations at the quarterly level or aggregated demographic groups to create broader categorizations. For several indicators on the dashboard, we combine race/ethnicity groups into an overarching people of color category in an effort to avoid reporting highly unreliable estimates. We highlight the various geographies available throughout the dashboard and provide data at the most localized level when possible.

Bay Area Recovery Tracker Data Notes and Sources

Remote Work

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, IPUMS CPS, University of Minnesota, ipums.org

The data was collected from May 2020 to March 2022. The dataset’s universe includes civilians ages 16 or older who are currently employed. The term Latinx includes people of Hispanic origin of any race, and all other groups exclude people of Hispanic origin. Low-income individuals are defined as those making under $75,000.

This indicator is based on the question of whether the respondent teleworked or worked from home for pay at any time during the previous four weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We set our benchmark goal for this indicator to be equivalent to the rate during the third quarter of 2021: 35 percent. This rate was selected to capture the period after July 15, 2021, when Governor Newson lifted pandemic stay-at-home orders. This period post-reopening was presumably when sectors that were able to work from home allowed for teleworking, and sectors that were unable to work from home worked in person. Thirty-five percent is set as a benchmark based on this historical trend and given that not all occupations have the ability to work remotely.

Occupational Segregation

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, ipums.org; 2019 American Community Survey 5-year sample

The dataset’s universe includes civilian noninstitutional workers ages 16 or older; the universe for the total working age population includes all people ages 18 to 64. The term Latinx includes people of Hispanic origin of any race, and all other groups exclude people of Hispanic origin. Data is not available for some racial/ethnic groups due to insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates. The collected data represents a 2015 to 2019 average.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is for the racial/ethnic composition of occupation groups to reflect the racial/ethnic composition of the total working-age population in that county. For example, Latinx workers make up 26 percent of the working population in Contra Costa County, but they only make up 14 percent of workers in management positions.

Loss of Employment Income

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data from the five most recent data releases, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are defined as those below $50,000 in annual household income. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was from the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. This indicator is based on the question, “Have you, or has anyone in your household experienced a loss of employment income in the last four weeks?”

The benchmark goal for this indicator is set to be aspirational so that no household should experience a loss of employment income.

Ability to Meet Basic Needs

The dataset’s universe includes civilian noninstitutional full-time wage and salary workers between the ages of 25 and 64. The term Latinx includes people of Hispanic origin of any race, and all other groups exclude people of Hispanic origin.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is to be aspirational so that all households can meet their basic needs. Earning enough to meet basic needs is defined by the Insight Center’s Family Needs Calculator for a household of two adults, one school-age child, and one preschool-age child in the county in which they reside.

Difficulty Covering Usual Expenses

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data collected from the three most recent data releases, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are those living in households with incomes below $50,000 per year. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was for the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is to be aspirational that no household in the Bay has difficulty covering usual expenses.

Unemployment Rate

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas Analysis of the State of California Employment Development Department Labor Force Data by Counties, labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/data/industry-employment-and-unemployment-rates-for-counties.html

The benchmark goal for this indicator is to be aspirational so that there is no unemployment.

Households Behind on Rent

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data collected from the eight most recent data releases, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are those living in households with incomes below $50,000 per year. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was for the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is that no household should have rent debt.

Homebuying Affordability

The Zillow Home Value Index measure is a smoothed, seasonally adjusted measure of the typical home value and market changes across the region and housing type representing the typical home value for homes in each zip code in the 35th to 65th percentile range. Median family income is based on the Bay Area Equity Atlas’ analysis of the Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File and the 2020 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (adjusted for inflation). The home-buying affordability ratio is a ratio of the Zillow home value index to the median family income at the zip code level.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is for housing affordability to either be at or below zero.

Rental Affordability

The Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) is a smoothed measure of the typically observed market rate rent across a given region. The index computes the mean of listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in the region and is then weighted to reflect the rental housing stock. Median family income is based on Bay Area Equity Atlas’ analysis of the Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File and the 2020 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (adjusted for inflation). The typical yearly rental cost is calculated as the observed monthly market rate rent multiplied by 12, with the assumption that renters are signing a year-long lease. Rental affordability is calculated as the percentage of a median family income spent on yearly rental costs at the zip code level.

The benchmark goal for this indicator is to be less than a zero percent change in affordability (i.e., an increase in affordability) from January 2020 to April 2022.

Food Insecurity

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data collected from the 14 most recent data releases, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are those living in households with incomes below $50,000 per year. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was for the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. This indicator is based on the question: “In the last 7 days, which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household?”

The benchmark goal for this indicator is that no household should experience food insecurity.

Childcare Affecting Ability to Work

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data collected from the 21 most recent data releases, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are those living in households with incomes below $50,000 per year. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was for the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. This indicator is based on the survey question: “Which if any of the following occurred in the last four weeks as a result of childcare being closed, unavailable, unaffordable, or because you are concerned about your child’s safety in care?”

The benchmark goal for this indicator is that no household should have childcare that affects their ability to work.

Public School Enrollment

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of California Department of Education data on annual public school enrollment in kindergarten through grade 12, dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest

The public school enrollment benchmark is equivalent to the California public school kindergarten through grade 12 enrollment projections for the 2021 to 2022 school year, published in June 2021: dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/public-k-12-graded-enrollment.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Census Household Pulse Survey Public Use File; 2019 5-year data from the American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series

We use exponential smoothing to produce all estimates, incorporating Pulse data collected from the three most recent data releases for anxiety and four most recent data releases for depression, with the most recent week weighted most heavily. The variability in weeks included in the smoothing methodology is to account for an adequate sample size of 100 observations. This indicator is reliant on experimental data with smaller and more volatile samples than is typical of census-produced data, so the data should be used with caution. Low-income individuals are defined as those below $50,000 in annual household income. For regional analyses using the Pulse survey data, the only data available was from the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. These indicators are based on the questions: “Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by…Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge?” and “Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by…Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?”

The benchmark goal of the symptoms of anxiety and depression in comparison to the 2019 National Health Interview Survey. In 2019, eight percent of adults over 18 experienced symptoms of anxiety and seven percent of adults experienced symptoms of a depressive disorder nationally. Estimates can be found here: cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/mental-health-monthly-508.pdf.

Access to Quality Broadband

Source: Bay Area Equity Atlas analysis of Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota, ipums.org; 2020 American Community Survey 5-year sample

The term Latinx includes people of Hispanic origin of any race, and all other groups exclude people of Hispanic origin. Low-income individuals are defined as those making under $75,000 for Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma counties. In Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties, low-income individuals make under $100,000. This indicator is based on whether the survey respondent or any members of their household subscribed to the Internet using broadband (high-speed) internet service, such as cable, fiber optic, or digital subscriber line (DSL) service.

The benchmark goal of access to quality broadband is to be aspirational so that all households have access to quality broadband.

Total Covid Cases

Data for each county can be found on each locality's open data source site found at:

Covid Vaccination Rate