Abstract: Albemarle County’s stated mission is to enhance the well-being and quality of life for all community members through the provision of the highest level of public service consistent with the prudent use of public funds. The Albemarle County Equity Profile analyzes various conditions across demographic groups and geographic areas that contribute to well-being. The report first finds that the County is becoming increasingly racially/ethnically diverse, a return to pre-20th century residential patterns. It then uses the American Human Development Index (AHDI), which evaluates health, access to knowledge, and living standards in local contexts to assess specific measures of well-being. Geographic and racial/ethnic discrepancies in scores between neighborhoods indicate important differences in access to County resources that promote well-being. The County has a responsibility to consider how it can promote well-being not just in some parts of the County, or for some residents, but for all residents in the County. The Profile provides an opportunity for County staff and community members to broaden understanding of how well-being is experienced in Albemarle and serves as a first iteration of what it expects to become a regular process of assessing community conditions. 

Related Website: https://virginiaequitycenter.github.io/albequity_profile/

Citation: Russell, Siri, Barbara Brown Wilson, Michele Claibourn, Alissa Ujie Diamond, Sam Powers, Michael Salgueiro. Albemarle County Equity Profile: Centering Equity in Evaluating Well-Being & Quality of LIfe for Albemarle County Residents. The Equity Center, A UVA Democracy Initiative for the Redress of Inequity through Community-Engaged Scholarship and the Albemarle County Office of Equity and Inclusion, 2021. https://virginiaequitycenter.org/research/content/8306.