NC DEQ's preliminary screening methodology for identifying Potentially Underserved Communities (on the block group level) across North Carolina. This definition was adopted by the Environmental Justice Program at DEQ in 2020.
On the U.S. Census Block Group level, the data for Poverty and Race and Ethnicity were overlaid on the map of North Carolina. If the NC DEQ definition of Underserved Communities was met (meaning the following criteria was present in the block group), the block group was selected. This criteria for the block group was compared to both the County and the State. It is selected as a potentially underserved block group if it meets the following criteria for Race/Ethnicity and Poverty: <div><u>Racial/Ethnic composition</u>: <div>Share of nonwhites and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) is over fifty percent <b>OR</b> <div>Share of nonwhites and Hispanic or Latino (of any race) is at least ten percent higher than County or State share. <div><b>AND </b><div><u>
Poverty rate</u>: </div><div> Share of population experiencing poverty is over twenty percent <b>AND</b> </div><div> Share of households in poverty is at least five percent higher than the County or State share.</div></div></div></div></div>
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