Neighborhood Patterns of Cardiometabolic Health in Atlanta

I thought focusing on health in and around Atlanta is an important topic for us all- and those New Year's resolutions! 

These maps use the CDC’s PLACES dataset, which provides census tract level estimates of selected adult health outcomes derived from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) using small area estimation techniques. Census tracts within the City of Atlanta were used as the unit of analysis to capture neighborhood scale variation that is not visible in county level data. PLACES estimates are model-based and reflect multi-year prevalence patterns associated with the dataset’s release period rather than a single observation year.

Four related cardiometabolic health outcomes were mapped: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. All maps display crude prevalence estimates, representing the modeled percentage of adults (18+) in each tract with a given condition. Crude prevalence was used intentionally to reflect the lived burden of chronic disease within neighborhoods rather than standardizing populations for epidemiological comparison.

To support direct comparison, all four maps share the same geographic extent, census tract boundaries, classification method, and color scheme. Health outcomes were classified using quantiles, and a single muted sequential color ramp was applied consistently, with darker shades indicating higher estimated prevalence. Basemap layers were removed to reduce visual clutter and create space for interpretive text. Viewed together, the maps highlight the spatial co-occurrence of multiple chronic health conditions across Atlanta neighborhoods. The intent is to illustrate neighborhood scale patterns and associations rather than imply causal relationships. Because PLACES estimates incorporate demographic and socioeconomic information, observed alignments with income, race, or other contextual variables should be interpreted as spatial patterns within broader structural conditions.