Appendix A: Ohio Opportunity Index (OOI) Constituent Measures Descriptions
The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC)
June 12, 2026
1 Introduction
This document describes the individual constituent measures that comprise each domain of the Ohio Opportunity Index (OOI). The following section outlines the data presented in this appendix. At this stage of development, the measures are specified to represent area‑level deprivation; subsequent analyses transform these measures so that higher values consistently indicate higher opportunity.
1.1 Helpful information for interpreting this document
For each domain, the analytical section in this appendix includes four different tabs of information, which are explained in the following subsections.
1.2 Summary and sources of measures
This tab presents descriptive information for each measure listed. The table is structured such that each row corresponds to a single constituent measure, and the columns capture the following information:
- the short variable name for each measure
- a plain‑language description of the measure
- the data source and time frame at the time of retrieval
- indicator of whether the measure was reversed for consistent measurement of deprivation
1.3 Univariate description
The univariate analyses are presented in a table here. For each measure of deprivation, the table includes:
- the short variable name for each measure
- a quantitative summary of the distribution
- a count of the number of distinct values (very small values could be problematic)
- a histogram of the distribution
- a count (and percentage) of tracts with a missing value
1.4 Correlation heatmap
The heatmap shows pairwise correlations among measures, with each cell representing the correlation between the variables in its row and column. Color hues indicates the direction of the relationship: green denotes positive correlations, purple denotes negative correlations. Whereas color density indicate strength of associations; darker colors indicate stronger association, while white indicates correlations near zero.
The accompanying dendrogram displays results from hierarchical clustering, grouping variables with similar correlation patterns, particularly those that are positively correlated.
1.5 Choropleth maps
Every measure within each domain is plotted as a choropleth of Ohio to visualize the geographic distribution of the measure. The colors range from dark blue indicating lowest levels of deprivation for the variable in a tract—to a dark red indicating a highest levels of deprivation in a tract. The value associated with areas shaded in bright white is missing or unknown.
The choropleths are visually enhanced by Winsorizing variables before they are plotted. Winsorizing sets extreme values > 97.5th percentile to the value of the 97.5th percentile, or those < the 2.5th percentile to the value of the 2.5th percentile. This technique supports visualization by minimizing the degree to which large outliers define the scale of the variable so much that the plot appears to have one bright tract while the rest appear to have uniformly low values (dark).
2 Analysis of each domain
2.1 Motorized Transportation
2.1.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Transit Use | Proportion of the population that has access to public transportation (excluding taxi) (flipped) | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | Yes |
| Average Commute | Average time spent commuting to work | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| No Vehicle Access | Proportion of households in a census tract without access to a vehicle | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Traffic Proximity | The traffic proximity indicator is based on AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) count divided by distance in meters from the Census block centroid. The proximity score is based on the traffic within a search radius of 10 km (flipped) | EJScreen (2024) (currently stored at Dataverse by Harvard, website-https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/RLR5AX) | Yes |
2.1.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Transit Use [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -0.017 (0.04) min < med < max: -0.466 < 0 < 0 IQR (CV) : 0.015 (-2.336) |
1514 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Average Commute [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 23.895 (4.225) min < med < max: 5 < 23.553 < 45.553 IQR (CV) : 5.237 (0.177) |
3147 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| No Vehicle Access [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.084 (0.092) min < med < max: 0 < 0.055 < 0.702 IQR (CV) : 0.081 (1.102) |
2990 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Traffic Proximity [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -995982.4 (990146.9) min < med < max: -6024472 < -666020.6 < 0 IQR (CV) : 1345899 (-0.994) |
3141 distinct values |  |
10 (0.3%) |
2.1.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.1.4 Choropleth maps
2.1.4.1 Public Transit Use
2.1.4.2 Average Commute
2.1.4.3 No Vehicle Access
2.1.4.4 Traffic Proximity
2.2 Health
2.2.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Diabetes Admissions | Proportion of adults with diabetes admission (inpatient) | Medicaid Claims (2023-2024) | No |
| Preventable Emergency Department Visits | Proportion of Emergency Department visits for a preventable medical condition, Medicaid beneficiaries | Medicaid Claims (2023-2024) | No |
| Distance to medical providers | Average distance to nearest healthcare provider from block centroid, weighted by block population | Data Axle (2023 and 2024): OSU Subscription | No |
| Distance to healthy food | Average distance to nearest healthy food location from block centroid, weighted by block population | Data Axle (2023 and 2024): OSU Subscription | No |
| Inpatient CVD admission | Proportion of adults with cardiovascular disease admission (inpatient) | Medicaid Claims (2023-2024) | No |
| Mortality Rate | Average age adjusted mortality | Vital Statistics | No |
2.2.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Diabetes Admissions [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.072 (0.031) min < med < max: 0.027 < 0.065 < 0.708 IQR (CV) : 0.029 (0.43) |
1684 distinct values |  |
16 (0.5%) |
| Preventable Emergency Department Visits [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.453 (0.039) min < med < max: 0.316 < 0.452 < 0.613 IQR (CV) : 0.049 (0.086) |
3140 distinct values |  |
12 (0.4%) |
| Distance to medical providers [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 1.2 (1.685) min < med < max: 0 < 0.632 < 13.431 IQR (CV) : 0.869 (1.404) |
3159 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Distance to healthy food [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 1.666 (1.902) min < med < max: 0 < 1.051 < 16.679 IQR (CV) : 1.409 (1.142) |
3159 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Inpatient CVD admission [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.126 (0.03) min < med < max: 0.066 < 0.122 < 1.073 IQR (CV) : 0.029 (0.237) |
1204 distinct values |  |
19 (0.6%) |
| Mortality Rate [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 9.741 (4.565) min < med < max: 0 < 8.982 < 39.952 IQR (CV) : 5.29 (0.469) |
3138 distinct values |  |
7 (0.2%) |
2.2.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.2.4 Choropleth maps
2.2.4.1 Inpatient Diabetes Admissions
2.2.4.2 Preventable Emergency Department Visits
2.2.4.3 Distance to medical providers
2.2.4.4 Distance to healthy food
2.2.4.5 Inpatient CVD admission
2.2.4.6 Mortality Rate
2.3 Employment
2.3.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Job Access | Ratio of entry-level jobs to non-college educated workforce (flipped) | LEHD ( 2023 )- https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lodes/LODES8/LODESTechDoc8.0.pdf | Yes |
| Distance to workforce training | Average distance to nearest workforce training center from block centroid, weighted by block population | Data Axle (2023 and 2024): OSU Subscription | No |
| Unemployment rate | Unemployment rate | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Poverty Rate | Proportion of families living below the federal poverty line | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
2.3.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Job Access [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -0.156 (0.155) min < med < max: -4.686 < -0.129 < -0.022 IQR (CV) : 0.052 (-0.993) |
3104 distinct values |  |
13 (0.4%) |
| Distance to workforce training [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 6.601 (8.536) min < med < max: 0 < 3.534 < 59.106 IQR (CV) : 5.865 (1.293) |
3159 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Unemployment rate [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.056 (0.058) min < med < max: 0 < 0.039 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.049 (1.046) |
3027 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Poverty Rate [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.116 (0.125) min < med < max: 0 < 0.074 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.123 (1.077) |
2909 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
2.3.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.3.4 Choropleth maps
2.3.4.1 Entry Level Job Access
2.3.4.2 Distance to workforce training
2.3.4.3 Unemployment rate
2.3.4.4 Poverty Rate
2.4 Education
2.4.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate’s Degree | Proportion of population with an associate’s degree (flipped) | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | Yes |
| School Performance | Average of the performance index of all schools in the census tract, unless there are less than three schools in the census tract, in which case the average also includes the nearest schools up to three schools (flipped) | (Uses two sources) 1) Ohio.gov (2024-2025) Building Achievement Rating -https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/download 2) School location data from ODE. All available OEDS data at date of download (9/11/2025): https://oeds.ode.state.oh.us/dataextract | Yes |
| Graduation Rate | Average high school graduation rate of all schools in the census tract, unless there are less than three schools in the census tract, in which case the average also includes the nearest schools up to three schools (flipped) | (Uses two sources) 1) Ohio.gov (2024-2025) Building Graduation Rates - https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/download 2) School location data, mentioned in school performance | Yes |
| Residential internet connection infrastructure | The proportion of the tract population that could subscribe to internet service with at least 300mbit of bandwidth (flipped) | National Broadband Map (2025)- https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/data-download/nationwide-data?version=jun2025&pubDataVer=jun2025 (Data updated 9/30/2025) | Yes |
| Distance to library | Average distance to the nearest library from block centroid, weighted by block population | Ohio.gov (2022, mentioned ingest date), Ohio Public Libraries-https://data.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/data/view/ohio-public-libraries | No |
2.4.2 Univariate
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate’s Degree [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -0.384 (0.18) min < med < max: -0.936 < -0.345 < 0 IQR (CV) : 0.246 (-0.468) |
3149 distinct values |  |
13 (0.4%) |
| School Performance [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -80.085 (15.681) min < med < max: -115.433 < -82.833 < -38.367 IQR (CV) : 24.067 (-0.196) |
1371 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Graduation Rate [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -85.512 (13.543) min < med < max: -99.867 < -91.733 < -26.033 IQR (CV) : 18.367 (-0.158) |
719 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Residential internet connection infrastructure [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -0.971 (0.101) min < med < max: -1 < -1 < -0.005 IQR (CV) : 0.005 (-0.104) |
1284 distinct values |  |
10 (0.3%) |
| Distance to library [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 2.296 (2.13) min < med < max: 0 < 1.696 < 17.697 IQR (CV) : 2.124 (0.928) |
3159 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
2.4.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.4.4 Choropleth maps
2.4.4.1 Associate’s Degree
2.4.4.2 School Performance
2.4.4.3 Graduation Rate
2.4.4.4 Residential internet connection infrastructure
2.4.4.5 Distance to library
2.5 Housing
2.5.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration of LIHTC Units | Concentration of family low-income housing tax credit households per 1000 households (flipped) | HUD (2025, All available HUD data at date of download (10/14/2025)): https://www.huduser.gov/lihtc/ | No |
| Homes Built Before 1980 | Proportion of homes build pre-1980 | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Overcrowding | Ratio of people living with overcrowding (>1 occupant per room) | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Housing Mobility | Proportion of people that moved within the last year | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Rent distress | Proportion where gross rent is worth more than 50% of the household income | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Mortage distress | Proportion where the total ownership cost is worth more than 50% of the household income | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
| Proportion renting | Proportion of individuals living in renteroccupied housing units. | ACS 5 year estimate (2019-2024) | No |
2.5.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration of LIHTC Units [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 7.745 (35.876) min < med < max: 0 < 0 < 759.834 IQR (CV) : 0 (4.632) |
348 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Homes Built Before 1980 [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.663 (0.243) min < med < max: 0 < 0.699 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.372 (0.367) |
3114 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Overcrowding [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.015 (0.023) min < med < max: 0 < 0.007 < 0.288 IQR (CV) : 0.022 (1.5) |
1901 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Housing Mobility [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.116 (0.085) min < med < max: 0 < 0.095 < 0.88 IQR (CV) : 0.084 (0.733) |
3139 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
| Rent distress [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.222 (0.156) min < med < max: 0 < 0.201 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.193 (0.705) |
2657 distinct values |  |
30 (0.9%) |
| Mortage distress [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.534 (0.169) min < med < max: 0 < 0.547 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.219 (0.316) |
2922 distinct values |  |
42 (1.3%) |
| Proportion renting [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.321 (0.227) min < med < max: 0 < 0.265 < 1 IQR (CV) : 0.328 (0.707) |
3134 distinct values |  |
18 (0.6%) |
2.5.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.5.4 Choropleth maps
2.5.4.1 Concentration of LIHTC Units
2.5.4.2 Homes Built Before 1980
2.5.4.3 Overcrowding
2.5.4.4 Housing Mobility
2.5.4.5 Rent distress
2.5.4.6 Mortage distress
2.5.4.7 Proportion renting
2.6 Environment
2.6.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Park | Average of distance to nearest park from block centroid, weighted by block population. | Trust for Public Lands & ArcGIS USA Parks (2024) Download data from the Trust for Public Lands: https://www.tpl.org/park-data-downloads | No |
| PM 2.5 | Annual average PM2.5 levels | EJScreen (2024) (currently stored at Dataverse by Harvard) website- https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/RLR5AX. | No |
| Walkability | Weighted average of walkability index by block, weighted by block population (flipped). | EPA (2021)-Download data from the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-location-mapping#walkability | Yes |
| Cancer Risk | Weighted average of cancer risk per million people. | EPA Airtoxscreen (2020) : https://www.epa.gov/AirToxScreen/2020-airtoxscreen-assessment-results | No |
| Non-Cancer Health Risk | Average of the respiratory, neurological, liver, developmental, reproductive, kidney, ocular, endocrine, hematological, immunological, skeletal, spleen, thyroid, and whole body hazard quotients. | EPA Airtoxscreen (2019): https://www.epa.gov/AirToxScreen/2019-airtoxscreen-assessment-results | No |
2.6.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Park [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 1.069 (1.7) min < med < max: 0 < 0.47 < 15.125 IQR (CV) : 0.806 (1.59) |
3157 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| PM 2.5 [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 72.375 (72.823) min < med < max: 0 < 43.932 < 421.513 IQR (CV) : 83.976 (1.006) |
3122 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Walkability [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : -7.299 (4.726) min < med < max: -19.5 < -7.274 < 0 IQR (CV) : 6.894 (-0.648) |
2494 distinct values |  |
0 (0.0%) |
| Cancer Risk [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 28.2 (4.52) min < med < max: 20 < 30 < 81.953 IQR (CV) : 0.567 (0.16) |
551 distinct values |  |
11 (0.3%) |
| Non-Cancer Health Risk [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.027 (0.013) min < med < max: 0.012 < 0.025 < 0.317 IQR (CV) : 0.009 (0.486) |
3135 distinct values |  |
8 (0.3%) |
2.6.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.6.4 Choropleth maps
2.6.4.1 Distance to Park
2.6.4.2 PM 2.5
2.6.4.3 Walkability
2.6.4.4 Cancer Risk
2.6.4.5 Non-Cancer Health Risk
2.7 Crime and safety
2.7.1 Summary and sources of measures
| Variable Name | Description | Source | Reversed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homic assault | Rate of reports of assault, murder, and manslaughter per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
| Robbery | Rate of reports of pocket-picking, purse-snatching, and robbery per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
| Theft | Rate of reports of larceny, burglary, embezzlement, blackmail, identify theft, vehicle theft, shoplifting, and credit card fraud per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
| Intoxication and DUI | Rate of reports of driving under the influence and drunkeness per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
| Drug | Rate of reports of drug and narcotic violations per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
| Any Sex Offense | Rate of reports of human trafficking for sex acts, prostitution, rape, fondling, sodomy, incest, peeping tom, and pornographic material per person. | Ohio Department of Public Safety (2021 and 2022) | No |
2.7.2 Univariate description
Descriptions of the histograms shown in the Graph column are also provided in the Stats/Values column for accessibility
| Variable | Stats / Values | Freqs (% of Valid) | Graph | Missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homic assault [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.025 (0.042) min < med < max: 0 < 0.011 < 1.278 IQR (CV) : 0.023 (1.662) |
3086 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Robbery [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.002 (0.004) min < med < max: 0 < 0 < 0.056 IQR (CV) : 0.002 (2.067) |
2027 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Theft [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.046 (0.087) min < med < max: 0 < 0.026 < 3.694 IQR (CV) : 0.047 (1.878) |
3097 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Intoxication and DUI [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.005 (0.01) min < med < max: 0 < 0.002 < 0.361 IQR (CV) : 0.004 (2.225) |
2816 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Drug [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.009 (0.02) min < med < max: 0 < 0.004 < 0.528 IQR (CV) : 0.008 (2.102) |
2871 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
| Any Sex Offense [numeric] |
Mean (sd) : 0.002 (0.003) min < med < max: 0 < 0.002 < 0.056 IQR (CV) : 0.002 (1.321) |
2750 distinct values |  |
17 (0.5%) |
2.7.3 Correlation heatmap
This image displays the correlation coefficients between measures
2.7.4 Choropleth maps
2.7.4.1 Homic assault
2.7.4.2 Robbery
2.7.4.3 Theft
2.7.4.4 Intoxication and DUI
2.7.4.5 Drug
2.7.4.6 Any Sex Offense
