Cubit

EJ Estimator

EJ Estimate

Minority Race
EJ Estimator Indicates Are Present

Low Income
EJ Estimator Indicates Are Possible

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You can get quick estimates for your environmental justice analysis projects using the EJ Estimate tool. An EJ Estimate is especially helpful when scoping or looking at multiple alternatives for projects. For a projects that needs a more detailed environmental justice analysis than is provided by the EJ Estimator, check out Cubit’s Socio-Ec Report.

What data and guidance does the EJ Estimator use?

The EJ Estimator uses Council of Environmental Quality guidance, Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines and US Census 2000 data. The EJ Estimator uses threshold analysis—which has fallen out of favor with some government agencies and organizations. The EJ Estimator is not supposed to be a comprehensive environmental justice analysis tool. The goal of the EJ Estimator is to provide a quick look or an estimate. Read on to learn more about how the EJ Estimator calculates potential environmental justice populations.

EJ Estimator - Low Income Data

Step 1: We gather data for your project area

In this example, we’re going to estimate the likelihood of low income EJ populations in Block Group 1, Census Tract 1000, Harris County, Texas. What are blocks and block groups?

The first step is gathering data from the US Census 2000 Summary File 3 Table P52 Household Income in 1999 and Table P53 Median Household Income in 1999. Household data (as opposed to family data) is used, because the DHHS Poverty Guidelines are based on 'persons in families or households.'

(P52) Block Group 1, Census Tract 1000, Harris County, Texas
Total Households:	313
Less than $10,000	174
$10,000 to $14,999	46
$15,000 to $19,999	34
$20,000 to $24,999	14
$25,000 to $29,999	0
$30,000 to $34,999	5
$35,000 to $39,999	0
$40,000 to $44,999	0
$45,000 to $49,999	0
$50,000 to $59,999	0
$60,000 to $74,999	0
$75,000 to $99,999	0
$100,000 to $124,999	0
$125,000 to $149,999	0
$150,000 to $199,999	9
$200,000 or more	31

(P53) Block Group 1, Census Tract 1000, Harris County, Texas
Median household income in 1999	7,697

For each Census block that you select, the Low Income EJ Estimator determines its parent block group, because the US Census 2000 does not provide income data at the block level.

We use data from Step 1 and the DHHS poverty guidelines to make estimates about low income populations. The DHHS Poverty Guideline for 1999 (the same year as the Census data) for a household of four is $16,700 while the 2009 guideline is $22,050.

Step 1: We estimate the existence of EJ Groups by Low Income

The following tests are applied to the Low Income Percent to produce the estimate.

Are Present = The Low Income Percent is > 50% for at least 1 block group.
Are Possible = The Low Income Percent is > 0% for at least 1 block group.
Are Not Present = The Low Income Percent is zero for all block groups.

So how do I get my EJ Estimates?

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