5 days ago
Areas in city of Frederick are most socially vulnerable in county, Census data shows
Areas in and near the city of Frederick — particularly around Francis Scott Key Mall and Westview Business Park and next to Fort Detrick's Area B — are considered the most socially vulnerable in Frederick County.
Social vulnerability is the demographic and socioeconomic factors of an area that harm communities that experience hazards or disasters, according to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Disasters can be natural or caused by humans, like extreme weather events or chemical spills, and disease outbreaks, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demographic and socioeconomic factors that impact how socially vulnerable a community is include poverty, lack of access to transportation and crowded housing.
ATSDR and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created the Social Vulnerability Index to measure U.S. Census tracts across the country.
SVI scores can range from 0 to 1, with 1 being the most socially vulnerable.
SVI scores can help communities figure out where resources should be focused for people in need.
The index uses 16 Census variables to identify communities that may need support before, during and after disasters. The variables are grouped into four categories, then combined into an overall social vulnerability score.
The categories are socioeconomic status; household characteristics; racial and ethnic minority status; and housing type and transportation.
In addition to having an overall SVI score, communities have scores for each category.
The most recent SVI scores available on the SVI Interactive Map are from 2022.
Social vulnerability in Frederick County in 2022 by U.S. Census tracts
The entirety of Frederick County had a low SVI score of 0.1234 when compared nationwide, but certain tracts within the county have high scores compared to tracts across the U.S.
The most socially vulnerable area in Frederick County in 2022 was a Census tract on the southeastern edge and just outside the city of Frederick, with a score of 0.8687.
The tract includes a large portion of the Ballenger Creek community and encompasses I-270 from where the highway intersects with I-70 to where it crosses the Monocacy River. It also includes the entirety of Crestwood Boulevard.
Locations in this tract include Francis Scott Key Mall, Westview Business Park and Industrial Center East, as well as neighborhoods around them.
The second most socially vulnerable area in the county was a Census tract in central Frederick, running from Rosemont Avenue to Opossumtown Pike outside Fort Detrick's main campus. Its score is 0.8087.
The Villa Estates, Antietam Village and College Estates communities fall within this tract. Some locations in this parcel include Heather Ridge School, an alternative school for middle and high schoolers, and Frederick Shopping Center.
The third most socially vulnerable area was a smaller Census tract right next to the Golden Mile in west Frederick, with a score of 0.7543.
This tract spans from a part of West Patrick Street to Shookstown Road, next to a residential community being built directly across from Fort Detrick's Area B. It also includes the entire Stonegate community.
Area B is a 399-acre section of the base that is detached from the main campus, between Kemp Lane and Shookstown Road. The section was used as a test site for the Army's biological warfare program in the mid-20th century.
After the program was ended in 1969, scientists disposed of hazardous waste in unlined trenches and pits in Area B, resulting in groundwater contamination.
Army scientists have spent decades studying the contamination and the extent to which it has spread.
These three Census tracts also had high SVI scores in 2020.
Socioeconomic status vulnerability in Frederick County in 2022 by U.S. Census tracts
Household characteristics vulnerability in Frederick County in 2022 by U.S. Census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status vulnerability in Frederick County in 2022 by U.S. Census tracts
Housing type and transportation vulnerability in Frederick County in 2022 by U.S. Census tracts
Unsurprising findings
Frederick County's social vulnerability was included in the 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, a document released every three years that illustrates the county's current picture of health and population.
This assessment is part of the Local Health Improvement Process, a collaboration between the county health department, Frederick Health and the Coalition for a Healthier Frederick County.
After the assessment comes out, a Local Health Improvement Plan is created outlining how to address these priorities and the county's health status through policies, programs and other initiatives.
Rissah Watkins, director of the county health department's Office of Planning, Assessment and Communication, writes the assessment.
When interviewed on Wednesday, Watkins said Frederick County is a mix of populated urban areas and rural areas.
She said she generally expects to see areas with more people living there to 'light up more' on a social vulnerability map.
She pointed out that that many Census tracts in the county with medium-high or high SVI scores are clustered around the city of Frederick, which makes sense given that it's a highly populated area.
For example, when looking at specifically housing type and transportation vulnerability, the darkest areas are in Frederick and the southern part of the county, where people who commute to Washington, D.C., may want to live.
Watkins said it isn't surprising those areas have higher SVI scores in this category because there are fewer housing options given the number of people there.
In Frederick, dozens of community resources are concentrated in the area.
However, Watkins said, other parts of the county are also socially vulnerable, even though there's fewer people living there, so the resources have to be spread out.
