Contextual Data Resource (CDR)

The Contextual Data Resource (CDR) is a collection of datasets designed to facilitate research on the role of place in shaping health and well-being. CDR includes measures of health care resources, demographic and socioeconomic data, air quality, crime and the food environment. Measures are available at various levels of geography (e.g., census tract, county, metro area, state). More detailed information can be found on the CDR webpage. The individual datasets are listed below.

Area Health Resources Files (AHRF)

The Area Health Resources Files (AHRF) dataset includes information on the number of health care providers by profession and various types of health care facilities derived from medical associations and professional groups. The health professions data provide information on the supply and demographics of health professions such as primary care physicians, total MDs, doctors, dentists, and nurses. The health facilities data include information on types of health facilities and resources such as services providers, personnel, and beds. Data are longitudinal design, and available by county and year. Years covered include 2000-2019 and vary by dataset. Version 2 of these data were combined into one file; updated in Jan 2026.

Air Pollution: ATMOS

The CDR atmospheric composition data (ATMOS) includes annual air pollution estimates for the United States, including particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), sulfate (SO42-), nitrate (NO3–), ammonium (NH4+), organic matter (OM), black carbon (BC), mineral dust (DUST), and sea salt (SS). These estimates are derived from satellite-, model-, and ground-based data calculated by the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG). Estimates are available from approximately 2000 to 2023 at the census-tract level for the contiguous United States.

Decennial Census and ACS

The Decennial Census and American Community Survey (ACS) contain demographic and socioeconomic data on the US population and housing. The Census and ACS are collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. The HRS-CDR provides Census data for 1990, 2000, and 2010, and ACS data for 2008-12 and 2012-16 at the State, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), County, and Census Tract levels of analysis. Updated February 2024.

EPA Environmental Quality Index

The US Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Quality Index (EQI) Files provide a snapshot of overall environmental quality using principal component analysis on a set of selected data in five domains: air, water, land, built, and sociodemographic environments. Data are available at the county level and includes an overall EQI value and EQI values for each of the five domains. EQI values are provided as 5-year estimates, and data are available for 2000-2005, and 2006-2010.

EPA FAQSD O3 Fused Air Quality

 The NO2 land-use regression model estimate data includes national-scale estimates of NO2 in the United States. It provides predictions for annual average NO2 concentrations (ppb) using the land-use regression models. In order to predict NO2 estimates at the national level, the following input data were used: Fixed-site regulatory monitors, Satellite-derived NO2 estimates and GIS-derived land-use data. Updated February 2024.

EPA FAQSD PM 2.5 Fused Air Quality

The Fused Air Quality Surface Using Downscaling (FAQSD) Files is derived from data on Ozone (O3) and Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5). The data provides predictions for national-scale annual average concentration of O3 (μg/m3) and PM2.5 (μg/m3) in the United States using monitoring data and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) output. Updated February 2024.

Noise: National Park Service (NPS) Geospatial Sound Monitoring Files

The CDR National Park Service (NPS) Geospatial Sound Monitoring Files include three measurements of all existing sound levels, natural sound levels without human sounds, and impact sound levels calculated as the difference between existing and natural sound levels. CDR provides 3-year estimates (2013-2015) of these measurements at the census tract-level for the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. Added in 2026.

Nitrogen Dioxide LUR Model Estimates

The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) land-use regression model estimate data includes national-scale estimates of NO2 in the United States. It provides predictions for annual average NO2 concentrations (ppb) using the land-use regression models. In order to predict NO2 estimates at the national level, the following input data were used: fixed-site regulatory monitors, satellite-derived NO2 estimates, and GIS-derived land-use data. Data are available at census tract level and organized by time and cover the years 2000-2010.

Street Connectivity

The Street Connectivity dataset contains measures of street connectivity (how well streets connect with one another) within United States census tracts. This includes measures of the number of street segments (links) and intersections (nodes) per tract, street length within tracts, and indices representing overall connectivity within the tract. The dataset is for 2010.

Uniform Crime Reporting

The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) data includes annual counts of offenses including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson. The crime counts are available at the county level and organized by year, from 1994 to 2014 and 2016. The UCR data is collected from local law enforcement agencies through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting Program and then aggregated, imputed, and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD).

USDA Food Environment

The USDA Food Environment and Access dataset provides information on geographic variation in access and proximity to grocery stores, restaurant availability and expenditures, food insecurity and assistance, food prices and taxes, and other food-related measures, as well as fine-grained data on food access for various demographic groups. The USDA dataset is derived from two data files: the Food Environment Atlas, which covers states and counties and spans the years from 2000 through 2016, and the Food Access Research Atlas, with measures from 2010 for census tracts.

Weather: gridMET

The CDR weather data provides monthly measures of heat index categories, wind chill index categories, precipitation, and average temperatures. These measures are available from 1979 to 2023. The measures are calculated from gridMET, which provides daily high-resolution meteorological data. CDR interpolated gridMET data to the Census tract level and aggregated the data to produce monthly measures.