Vital Signs 13 Provides Data Tracking Quality of Life in Baltimore's Neighborhoods
April 2, 2015
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Vital Signs 13, a comprehensive statistical portrait of Baltimore and its neighborhoods, marks 13 years of continuous monitoring for "quality of life" indicators. The 13th edition of the report, published by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance-Jacob France Institute (BNIA-JFI), tracks more than 150 indicators to take the pulse of neighborhood health and vitality. The report, along with new indicators and several data visualization aids, is available now on BNIA-JFI's updated website.
Seema D. Iyer, associate director of the Jacob France Institute in the University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business, said the release of Vital Signs 13 has immediate and long-term value for those who are working to improve the city.
"Vital Signs is much more than a compendium of data," Iyer said. "It helps us start conversations with a diverse cross-section of people and organizations to transform the data into useful information."
Vital Signs 13 comprises a well-defined set of both long-standing and newly emerging issues that are important for understanding Baltimore’s unique neighborhoods. Highlights include:
Two New Indicators:
- Workforce and Economic Development: In 2013, the percentage of Baltimore’s adult population under community supervision, such as parole or probation, was 5.3 percent; this indicator is highly correlated with the unemployment rate by neighborhood.
- Sustainability: In 2013, there were 6,194 trees planted in Baltimore, which is helping the city reach its goal of a 40 percent tree canopy.
Housing Market Recovering, but Households Are Still Under Stress:
- Between 2012 and 2013, the median sales price of homes sold increased by 8.9 percent, from $135,000 to $147,000.
- The median number of days that a house was listed on the market decreased from 43 in 2012 to 33 in 2013.
- Between 2012 and 2013, the percentage of homes sold under foreclosure or as a real estate owned sale declined sharply from 13.9 percent in 2012 to 3.4 percent in 2013.
- Between 2012 and 2013, the percentage of residential properties with rehabilitation permits in excess of $5,000 increased slightly in Baltimore City from 2.6 percent in 2012 to 3.1 percent in 2013.
- However, the percentage of properties in Baltimore receiving a mortgage foreclosure filing increased from 1.4 percent in 2012 to 2.5 percent in 2013, with an increase in 54 of the 55 Community Statistical Areas (see below for definition).
- The percentage of properties receiving housing violations (other than vacant and abandoned) in Baltimore City increased from 4.7 percent in 2012 to 5.9 percent in 2013.
A Difficult Year for Violent Crime:
- The Part I crime rate in Baltimore City increased slightly from 61.8 offenses per 1,000 persons in 2012 to 63.3 offenses per 1,000 persons in 2013.
- In 2013, there were 236 homicides in Baltimore City, compared to 217 in 2012.
Positive Measures for Baltimore’s Youth:
- Baltimore City's teen birth rate has continued to decrease over the past several years, and declined further—from 41.5 in 2012 to 36.1 in 2013.
- The gap between elementary and middle school chronic absenteeism has narrowed, with significant reductions in chronic absenteeism for middle schoolers over the past decade. High school chronic absenteeism, which had remained at roughly 40 percent for many years, dropped to 35.6 percent in 2013.
In total, Vital Signs 13 is a compilation of "big data." There are more than 150 indicators for each of Baltimore's 55 community statistical areas, which translate to more than 8,000 data points in the latest edition of the study. The report is also rooted in "open data": All of the indicators from previous Vital Signs are freely accessible online, including downloads for use in a variety of innovative ways. BNIA-JFI is currently working with city government to upload Vital Signs data on the OpenBaltimore data portal.
BNIA-JFI also hosts an annual workshop, Baltimore Data Day, in which community leaders, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and civic-minded “hackers” come together to analyze the latest trends in community-based data, technology and tools, and learn how other groups are using data to support and advance constructive change. This year’s workshop will be held July 10 at the University of Baltimore’s William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center, home of the Merrick School of Business, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave.
Vital Signs analyzes data provided at the Community Statistical Area level. CSAs are clusters of neighborhoods organized around census tract boundaries, which are consistent statistical boundaries. Neighborhood borders don't always fall neatly into CSAs, but CSAs represent conditions occurring within the particular neighborhoods that comprise a CSA.
BNIA-JFI began in 1998 as a partnership between the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. In 2006, BNIA joined with the University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute in an expansion of its capabilities. BNIA-JFI has strengthened the Vital Signs report and provided additional services and resources for those who seek data, information, and analysis about the city.
The complete Vital Signs reports, along with a separate executive summary, data, maps and other research by BNIA-JFI, are available at www.bniajfi.org.
Learn more about the Merrick School of Business.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.