neighborhood opportunity index
Connecting the dots to create change in Forsyth County
The WS RISE Neighborhood Opportunity Index (NOI) is an interactive dashboard designed to identify gaps and needs across neighborhoods in Forsyth County, N.C. The NOI can be used to identify under-resourced areas, guide resource allocation, inform policy decisions, support advocacy efforts, and much more. It highlights the needs of communities of color, who are too often denied resources due to systemic inequities.
The NOI was created by WS RISE and the Polis Institute with funding from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.
WHY WE CREATED IT
At WS RISE, we know that opportunity is not equitably accessible to all neighborhoods. The NOI gives stakeholders the ability to connect resources to people in neighborhoods that stand to gain the most, focusing on Black and Brown communities. The data provides insights into the root causes of systemic problems.
WHO IT’S FOR
The NOI is an essential resource for government agencies, policymakers, funders, social good organizations, and community advocates looking to create change throughout the region.
HOW IT WORKS
The NOI takes an abstract concept, “opportunity,” and creates a single number to compare levels of opportunity for a given geographic region. There is no single measure of opportunity, so combining variables that are known to influence opportunity provides a better indication of actual opportunity than any single variable.
The NOI combines twelve variables that are collected through the U.S. Census and other reputable data sources. Variables are sorted by block group, the smallest geographic area for which data is available. The variables are ranked and averaged and assigned a score of 1 through 10 based on their final rank, with a score of 1 representing the highest opportunity and 10 representing the lowest.
HOW TO USE IT
Scroll through the NOI interactive map to find economic and social data, organized by block group. Zoom in and out to and select the area you are interested in exploring. Once you’re in the index, you can click on the User Guide tab for full instructions and additional information.
