Newsletter: April 2025

FEATURED POST

The “Forgotten Middle”: Using PolicyMap to Support Middle Neighborhoods

Middle neighborhoods are often overlooked by policymakers despite being vital to urban stability. These “forgotten middle” areas sit on the edge of decline, but targeted investment can preserve their strength and promote equity. Discover how PolicyMap’s tools can help identify and support these neighborhoods before it’s too late.

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OpenAthens and PolicyMap
ON THE BLOG
Opportunity Zone

How Healthcare Organizations Can Leverage Opportunity Zones for SDOH Funding

Proposed expansions to Opportunity Zones could bring new funding opportunities to healthcare organizations tackling Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) like access to care, food security, and housing stability. Traditionally geared toward housing and commercial development, Opportunity Zones now offer a powerful way to align community investment with health-focused initiatives. Learn how to identify Opportunity Zones and tap into this funding potential.

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ACS

Explore the Latest ACS Data from 2019-2023 on PolicyMap

We’re excited to introduce the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data update, providing a richer, more detailed snapshot of U.S. communities. PolicyMap now features 2019–2023 ACS data, accessible through our interactive maps, charts, reports, and downloads. In addition to our annual ACS data update, PolicyMap also added 1,078 new indicators from the latest 2019–2023 ACS release in April 2025. At PolicyMap, we believe in the power of data democracy—the idea that public data should be accessible to everyone, not just experts or institutions.

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CUSTOMER STORY
CFE Fund

Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund

The Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund’s mission is to leverage municipal engagement to improve the financial stability of low- and moderate-income households by embedding financial empowerment strategies into local government infrastructure. Learn how through its CityStart initiative, and help from PolicyMap’s data tools, the CFE Fund equips local governments to better understand financial challenges and craft targeted solutions that promote stability and equity for underserved communities.

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Updated Data

The latest ACS update is here, with 1,078 new indicators now available! Highlights include:

Housing Costs by Race & Ethnicity: Nine new race- and ethnicity-specific tables show housing costs as a percentage of household income (>30% and >50%) for owners (with/without mortgage) and renters.

Homeowners Insurance Costs by Mortgage Status: New table provides yearly homeowners insurance costs for both owners with and without a mortgage.

Ancestry Data for AIAN Populations: A new ancestry table for American Indian and Alaska Native alone populations, now based on selected tribes and villages (no longer grouped, per tribal consultation feedback).

Expanded Age and Sex Breakdowns: More detailed age data, including breakdowns by sex and a new proxy indicator for females of reproductive age (15–49).

Disability Data: Disability indicators now further disaggregated by age, sex, and veteran status.

Seniors Data: New indicators on poverty status, SNAP participation, and employment status for older adults.

Medicaid and Medicare Data: Expansions on Medicaid enrollment by age groups (under 19, 19–64, and 65+) and by sex, along with Medicare enrollment by sex.

Education Data: New indicators include age and sex disaggregation for educational attainment and school enrollment.

Home Heating Fuel Types: Break out for coal, wood, and solar as separate categories for home heating fuel.

Owner- and Renter-Occupied Housing by Tenure: Expanded indicators include both owner-occupied and renter-occupied units by tenure type.

Homeowner Monthly Costs by Mortgage Status:Details owner‑occupied units’ monthly housing costs by mortgage status.

We are committed to our promise of curated, cleaned, standardized, and always updated data. We’re posting real-time updates on our website, LinkedIn and BlueSky.

In case you missed it

Love PolicyMap? Let us know!

Explore scholarly works from students and researchers using PolicyMap.

Impact of social determinants of health on diabetes and obesity in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area, published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

Using a large language model to create lay summaries of clinical study descriptions, published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

Understanding the association between alcohol use and neighborhood-level factors among sexual minority groups, published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

The ‘Other’ Cities: Migration and Gentrification in Jersey City, Newark and Paterson, New Jersey, published in Rutgers CLiME

Love PolicyMap? Let us know!

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Open PolicyMap Training Sessions

Offered twice a week. Register here.

Level 1: Learning the basics of PolicyMap

Level 2: Learn the Data Loader, Multi-Layer Maps, and other Advanced Features

Open to non-subscribers. Course times rotate weekly. Don’t see a time that works for you?
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Upcoming Events

Join Us!

Inclusiv Conference 2025
April 28 – May 1, 2025
Cleveland, OHThe Inclusiv Conference 2025 will bring together movement leaders, policymakers, and researchers focused on financial inclusion, racial equity, and climate justice. Visit PolicyMap at booth #17 to learn more about how we help Community Development Credit Unions with their Inclusiv Clean Communities Investment Accelerator grant applications. Learn more. Learn more.

Medical Library Association 2025 Conference
April 29 – May 2, 2025
Pittsburgh, PA
PolicyMap is excited to attend the 2025 Medical Library Association Conference! Stop by booth #812 to learn how geospatial data can help address health disparities and improve care for vulnerable populations. Register here!

CLPHA’s 2025 Housing Is Summit
May 1 – 2, 2025
Washington, D.C.
PolicyMap will be exhibiting at the 2025 Housing Is Summit! We are excited to network with the professionals shaping the future of housing and community development through innovative project delivery. Stop by the PolicyMap booth to learn more about our geographic data offerings. To join us, register here