Illinois Community Health Dashboard
How to Use This Dashboard?
Get started by navigating the dashboard by clicking on the different tabs in blue text above!
Within each tab you will see
maps
that you can:
- search by entering a location (e.g., address, ZIP Code, etc.)
- zoom in/out by using your mouse
- click on a location on the map to see data for the local area in the side panel, and
- use drop-down menus on the top of the map to select different information to display for local areas and across the state of Illinois
On the bottom half of each tab, there is either a drop-down menu to select different counties in Illinois to view graphs with information, or another map with a different drop-down menu to visualize and compare with the top map.
When you move your mouse over graphs, a small toolbar appears in the upper-right corner where you can download the graph as an image, zoom in/out, rescale, or reset the graph.
What is a Dashboard?
A dashboard is web-based application that presents customized data visualizations and geographic maps conveying place-based information. Dashboards allow for interactivity with its users and have the flexibility to present multiple pieces of information within and across multiple tabs in a single dashboard.
This dashboard contains the following tabs, each presenting specific information for users to explore:
- Population Groups (racial/ethnic groups, persons with disability, age groups, renters, unemployed)
- Health Conditions (asthma, cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, poor mental health)
- Healthcare Access (medical professional density, private and public insurance coverage)
- Climate Events (extreme heat, wildfire smoke)
- Environmental Exposures (potential lead exposure, air pollution)
Select different variables from the dropdown menus to explore the data.
Select different variables from the dropdown menus to explore the data.
Select different variables from the dropdown menus to explore the data.
Select different variables from the dropdown menus to explore the data.
Select different variables from the dropdown menus to explore the data.
Environmental Exposures
Population Group
What Information is Included in this Dashboard?
Administrative Areas
- This dashboard presents community health information about Illinois census tract areas and counties.
Population Groups
- For census tract areas and counties, the dashboard includes demographic population information of historically marginalized and socially categorized population groups.
- The population groups included are percent of the population that are: renters, unemployed, under 18, or over 65. Other groups included are percent of the population with a disability, and percent of the population that identified as different minoritized racial or ethnic groups: Black, Hispanic, and other non-Hispanic white ethnic/racial groups.
- These population groups have been disproportionately experiencing health challenges from built environments, exposure to environmental chemicals and pollutants, and extreme weather or climate events.
Health Conditions
- For census tract areas and counties, the dashboard includes prevalence of asthma, cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and poor mental health.
Healthcare Access
- For census tract areas and counties, the dashboard includes practicing medical professionals, expressed as the density of medical providers per 10,000 people.
- For census tract areas and counties, the dashboard includes information of different insurance coverage: percent of the population with private insurance, and percent of the population with public insurance.
Climate Events
- For census tract areas and counties, the dashboard includes the annualized frequency of the number of extreme heat days, which represent days above the 95th percentile of temperatures for the census tract area.
- The dashboard also includes for census tract areas and counties, the annualized frequency of the number of wildfire smoke days, which represent days with medium and heavy density of smoke cover.
Environmental Exposures
- For census tract areas, the dashboard includes: percentage of homes with potential lead exposure, based on share of homes built before 1980 when lead paint was more commonly used in homes.
- The dashboard also includes for census tract areas, the annual number of days with air pollution levels above the WHO daily limit.
Where Does the Data Come from?
Data presented in the dashboard come from publicly aggregated datasets and from multiple original public secondary data sources. Population group data was obtained from CDC’s Environmental Justice Index (EJI) dataset from 2024, which originated from the American Community Survey (ACS) administered by the U.S. Census Bureau and represent five-year estimates from 2018 – 2022.
Health condition data were obtained from the EJI, which originated from the CDC from 2024. Medical professional provider density was obtained from the FEMA Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) dataset, which originates from the American community survey and represent five-year estimates from 2019-2023. Public/private insurance coverage was obtained directly from the U.S. Census Bureau and represent five-year ACS estimates from 2018 – 2022.
Data on climate events were obtained from the EJI, which originated from multiple sources: the CDC for extreme heat days representing data from 2018 – 2022, and from NOAA for wildfire smoky days representing data from 2013 – 2022. Potential lead exposure data was obtained from the EJI and air pollution data was obtained directly from the CDC’s database and represents daily air pollution levels from 2020.
Notes:Data were not available for a few census tract locations and these locations appear in light grey on the maps in the dashboard.
These unavailable locations are the following tracts: 3817, 9800, 9801 (Cook); 8630.05, 8630.06 (Lake); 9800 (Will); and 9800 (Winnebago).
Abbreviations, CDC – Center for Disease Control, FEMA – Federal Emergency Management Agency, NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
What Is the Motivation Behind This Web App?
The motivation for developing an Illinois Community Health web app was inspired by engaging with different communities in Illinois and learning how environmental burdens have adversely impacted the health and well-being of their neighborhoods and residents. These communities face intersecting challenges related to health conditions, environmental disparities, and socioeconomic hardships.
Communities have expressed health concerns, including exposure to lead and pollution in disinvested communities, increasing climate burdens of extreme heat and wildfire smoke events, lack of health access, and populations managing physical and mental health conditions. The Illinois Community Health Dashboard helps to highlight relevant place-based data, which can be valuable for communities to understand their own neighborhood conditions, inform their own efforts and initiatives for new health programs, and communicate information to various stakeholders for local development and funding opportunities.
How Was This Web App Developed?
This web app was initially developed using the SDOH & Place Community Toolkit. We first designed and programmed a prototype for the app using human-centered design principles and R Shiny. We then presented the prototype to several community partners in Illinois for user testing during focus group discussions. We listened to their ideas and feedback for additional features and interactivity that enhance user experience.
After revising the prototype to incorporate community feedback, we piloted the web app for free, public access. This web app was developed and piloted by the Community Environmental Health Data Access and Research (CEHDAR) Working Group. We are a group of community-centered researchers that are driven to improve the dissemination and accessibility of environmental health data.
For questions or feedback, contact us at cehdar@proton.me
Web App Information
Current Release Version: 1.1 Acorn (March 2026)
Citation Information:
This Illinois Community Health dashboard can be cited by using the following information and DOI, which represents all stable versions released and the link resolving to the latest version:
Gounder, B. & Cho, S. (2026). CEHDAR and the Illinois Community Health Dashboard: Communicating Environmental and Public Health Data with Interactive Geospatial Maps for Community Access. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19441572
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© Copyright 2026 Community Environmental Health Data Access and Research Working Group.
Data Licensed
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial