Equity Considerations Dataset

The Equity Considerations dataset describes characteristics of people and place for each of the Twin Cities region's 784 census tracts. It offers a well-rounded dataset to start exploring and advancing equity, especially when paired with qualitative research to draw out community wisdom that cannot be conveyed by tabular datasets. Use the Equity Considerations dataset to:

  • Compare characteristics of census tracts identified as areas of economic segregation
  • Design programs and services
  • Plan community engagement
  • Understand current investments and amenities in historical context

Topics in the dataset

The Equity Considerations dataset contains nearly 300 fields compiled from 25 sources. Together, these measures highlight the diversity and multifaceted nature of the region's neighborhoods. However, because this dataset presents the characteristics of geographic areas, not the characteristics of individual people or households, it may not be well-suited for certain research and policy questions (see the User Guide for more information). The dataset includes topics such as:

  • Data in 2020 census tract boundaries
  • Detailed race, ethnicity, and cultural groups
  • Land use and development
  • Historic discrimination
  • Environment and climate 
  • Federal and state designated geographic areas
USER GUIDE

The Equity Considerations Dataset: User Guide and Methods (18-page PDF) describes how to use the excel and spatial files, details data sources and their limitations, and highlights use cases for the dataset.

Download data files

The complete Equity Considerations dataset includes nearly 300 fields, making it comprehensive but difficult to navigate and use with Geographic Information Systems software. To accommodate different user needs and interests, we've packaged the dataset into several smaller files. The User Guide provides additional information about these files.

The variable names in the dataset are shortened to allow for use in most statistical and GIS software. The Equity Considerations Descriptions and Sources file provides full descriptions and data sources for each variable in the dataset.


The Equity Considerations Overview file contains the most-requested fields; it is also published as a spatial file on the MN Geospatial Commons.


The Equity Considerations Dataset - Part 1 file contains geographic fields, basic demographics, and data about migration and disability status.


The Equity Considerations Dataset - Part 2 file contains detailed race, ethnicity, and cultural groups characteristics.


The Equity Considerations Dataset - Part 3 file contains income, poverty, and job measures, historical discrimination (redlining and racial covenants), and detailed housing characteristics.


The Equity Considerations Dataset - Part 4 file contains transportation and commuting measures, jobs, development activity, amenities, land use, and environmental and climate conditions (like tree canopy coverage and hazards).


The Equity Considerations Complete Dataset file contains all 300 variables for the region's census tracts.

Equity Considerations Dataset

Matt Schroeder
Principle Researcher
Data Development and Analysis Team
Community Development Research
[email protected]