What the Maps Tell Us: Initial Findings

The Atlas mapping tool can be used to assign a proximity score to every neighborhood in the region based on the average proximity of each block in the neighborhood to unhealthy food sources. A score of “5” indicates proximities within ¼ mile, while a score of “1” or below indicates proximities greater than 1 mile. The ten neighborhoods with the highest scores on the Proximity to Typical Sources of Unhealthy Food map are primarily located in close-in, densely populated neighborhoods. Most of these neighborhoods also have high proximities to grocery stores, and all but three have reasonably high proximity to farmers’ markets and produce stands. This suggests that in these neighborhoods, proximity to unhealthy food sources is primarily a function of population and retail density rather than an indication of a lack of access to healthy food:

The region does have some neighborhoods with high proximities to typical sources of unhealthy food and low proximities to supermarkets, grocery stores, farmers’ markets and produce stands. This pattern fits the profile for a food swamp, and may put the neighborhoods’ residents at greater risk for obesity and other diseases. The table below highlights a few examples. 

The Atlas mapping tool can be used to identify other neighborhoods across the region with a similar imbalance between the levels of unhealthy and healthy food sources.

The Proximity to Typical Sources of Unhealthy Food in Relationship to Areas with Above Regional Average Percent Populations in Poverty map indicates that many of the areas in the region with the greatest proximity to unhealthy food sources are located in census tracts that have above average percentages of populations in poverty. This is consistent with national research showing that food swamps tend to be disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods. 

The patterns in the Proximity to Typical Sources of Unhealthy Food in Relationship to Areas with Above Regional Average Percent Populations of Color map are a bit more complex. Many areas with high proximity to unhealthy food sources are located in census tracts with above average percentages of populations of color. But there are also many census tracts, particularly further out from the urban core, with above average percentages of populations of color and low proximity to sources of unhealthy food.

Additional statistical analysis can be used to identify specific neighborhoods across the region where the presence of food swamps strongly correlates with race and income. When these maps are analyzed in combination with other Atlas maps, such as those showing the distribution of obesity and diabetes rates, they can help to prioritize key areas where targeted investments in improving access to healthy food could have significant impacts on residents’ health.

Lack of healthy eating habits and lack of physical activity can both contribute to obesity and to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  While this map series focuses on access to unhealthy food sources, other map series focus on factors that influence physical activity, including maps on proximity to Parks and Natural Areas and Transportation, and a Healthy Eating Active Living map series that considers both factors.