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AARP Livability IndexGreat Neighborhoods for All Ages

Updated June 2018

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How livable is your community?

Public Policy Institute
Inquiry. Analysis. Solutions.

STREET ADDRESS,
CITY, SC
29401

What is Livability?

Livable communities have diverse features that satisfy the needs of people of all ages, incomes and abilities. Learn more about AARP's Livability Index at www.aarp.org/livabilityindex.

Top Third
 67 - 100+

  • XX
    

    Housing
    Affordability and access

  • XX
    

    Neighborhood
    Access to life, work, and play

  • XX
    

    Transportation
    Safe and convenient options

  • XX
    

    Environment
    Clean air and water

  • XX
    

    Health
    Prevention, access and quality

  • XX
    

    Engagement
    Civic and social involvement

  • XX
    

    Opportunity
    Inclusion and possibilities

This community does not score above average in any of the seven Livability categories.

Middle Third
34 - 66

This community does not score average in any of the seven Livability categories.

Bottom Third
0 - 33

This community does not score below average in any of the seven Livability categories.

Learn how you can make your community more livable and raise your score, visit www.aarp.org/livabilityindex.
For policy research and analysis on livable communities, visit www.aarp.org/livablepolicy.
For general resources on livable communities, including AARP's Network of Age-Friendly Communities, visit www.aarp.org/livable.
XXX


Housing
Affordability and access

They say home is where the heart is—and the same holds true for the Livability Index. Housing is a central component of livability. Deciding where to live influences many of the topics the Index covers. We spend more time in our homes than anywhere else, so housing costs, choices, and accessibility are critical. Great communities provide housing opportunities for people of all ages, incomes, and abilities, allowing everyone to live in a quality neighborhood regardless of their circumstances. 

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Housing accessibility
Zero-step entrances

Percentage of housing units with zero-step entry: measured at the metro area scale, higher values are better.

43.6%
XXX.X
Housing options
Availability of multi-family housing

Percentage of housing units that are not single-family, detached homes: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

17.8%
XXX.X
Housing affordability
Housing costs

Monthly housing costs: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. Monthly costs are capped at $4,000.

$989
XXX.X
Housing affordability
Housing cost burden

Percentage of income devoted to monthly housing costs: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

17.9%
XXX.X
Housing affordability
Availability of subsidized housing

Number of subsidized housing units per 10,000 people: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0
XXX.X
Policies
Housing accessibility
State and local inclusive design laws
No Policy
>
Housing affordability
State and local housing trust funds
No Policy
>
Housing options
State manufactured housing protections
No Policy
>
Housing affordability
State foreclosure prevention and protection
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Neighborhood
Access to life, work, and play

What makes a neighborhood truly livable? Two important qualities are access and convenience. Compact neighborhoods make it easier for residents to reach the things they need most, from jobs to grocery stores to libraries. Nearby parks and places to buy healthy food help people make smart choices, and diverse, walkable neighborhoods with shops, restaurants, and movie theatres make local life interesting. Additionally, neighborhoods served by good access to more distant destinations via transit or automobile help residents connect to jobs, health care, and services throughout the greater community.

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Proximity to destinations
Access to grocery stores and farmers’ markets

Number of grocery stores and farmers’ markets within a half-mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better.

0.0
XXX.X
Proximity to destinations
Access to parks

Number of parks within a half-mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0.0
XXX.X
Proximity to destinations
Access to libraries

Number of libraries located within a half-mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0.0
XXX.X
Proximity to destinations
Access to jobs by transit

Number of jobs accessible within a 45-minute transit commute: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0
XXX.X
Proximity to destinations
Access to jobs by auto

Number of jobs accessible within a 45-minute automobile commute: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

32,699
XXX.X
Mixed-use neighborhoods
Diversity of destinations

Mix of jobs within a mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0.70
XXX.X
Compact neighborhoods
Activity density

Combined number of jobs and people per square mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

3,020
XXX.X
Personal safety
Crime rate

Combined violent and property crimes per 10,000 people: measured at the county scale, lower values are better. 

261
XXX.X
Neighborhood quality
Vacancy rate

Percentage of vacant housing units: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

8.8%
XXX.X
Policies
Mixed-use neighborhoods
State and local TOD programs
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Transportation
Safe and convenient options

How easily and safely we’re able to get from one place to another has a major effect on our quality of life. Livable communities provide their residents with transportation options that connect people to social activities, economic opportunities, and medical care, and offer convenient, healthy, accessible, and low-cost alternatives to driving. 

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Convenient transportation options
Frequency of local transit service

Total number of buses and trains per hour in both directions for all stops within a quarter-mile: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better.

0
XXX.X
Accessible system design
ADA-accessible stations and vehicles

Percentage of transit stations and vehicles that are ADA-accessible: measured at the metro area scale, higher values are better. 

87.6%
XXX.X
Convenient transportation options
Walk trips

Estimated walk trips per household per day: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0.73
XXX.X
Convenient transportation options
Congestion

Estimated total hours that the average commuter spends in traffic each year: measured at the metro area scale, lower values are better. The largest 101 urbanized areas have comparable data across years, though indicated as incomparable.

25.4
XXX.X
Transportation costs
Household transportation costs

Estimated household transportation costs: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

$13,086
XXX.X
Safe streets
Speed limits

Average speed limit (MPH) on streets and highways: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

28.0
XXX.X
Safe streets
Crash rate

Annual average number of fatal crashes per 100,000 people: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

6.8
XXX.X
Policies
Safe streets
State and local Complete Streets policies
No Policy
>
Convenient transportation options
State human services transportation coordination
No Policy
>
Convenient transportation options
State volunteer driver policies
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Environment
Clean air and water

Good communities maintain a clean environment for their residents. Great communities enact policies to improve and protect the environment for generations to come. The Livability Index looks at air and water quality. It measures communities’ actions to create resilience plans to prepare for emergencies and natural disasters, and it awards points to states that have policies promoting energy efficiency and that protect consumers from having their utilities cut off during extreme weather events.

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Water quality
Drinking water quality

Percentage of the population getting water from public water systems with at least one health-based violation during the past year: measured at the county scale, lower values are better.

1.10%
XXX.X
Air quality
Regional air quality

Number of days per year when regional air quality is unhealthy for sensitive populations: measured at the county scale, lower values are better. 

5.7
XXX.X
Air quality
Near-roadway pollution

Percentage of the population living within 200 meters of a high-traffic road where more than 25,000 vehicles pass per day: measured at the neighborhood scale, lower values are better. 

0.00%
XXX.X
Air quality
Local industrial pollution

Toxicity of airborne chemicals released from nearby industrial facilities: measured at the neighborhood scale from 0 to 311,000, lower values are better. Values shown are for display purposes and may appear in source data at different scales from year to year though metric change is calculated on re-scaled data for comparability. 

0.00
XXX.X
Policies
Resilience
State utility disconnection policies
No Policy
>
Resilience
Local multi-hazard mitigation plans
No Policy
>
Energy efficiency
State energy efficiency scorecard
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Health
Prevention, access and quality

Community conditions influence health behaviors. Healthy communities have comprehensive smoke-free air laws, offer easy access to exercise opportunities, and have high-quality health care available. Because health is so deeply related to quality of life, many other categories of livability in this Index include metrics related to health. For example, access to healthy foods, jobs and education, number of walk trips, lower speed limits, social engagement measures, and air and water pollution are all related to health. Where you live matters.

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Healthy behaviors
Smoking prevalence

Estimated smoking rate: measured at the county scale, lower values are better.

20.5%
XXX.X
Healthy behaviors
Obesity prevalence

Estimated obesity rate: measured at the county scale, lower values are better. 

28.9%
XXX.X
Healthy behaviors
Access to exercise opportunities

Percentage of people who live within a half-mile of parks and within 1 mile of recreational facilities (3 miles for rural areas): measured at the county scale, higher values are better. 

90.7%
XXX.X
Access to health care
Health care professional shortage areas

Severity of clinician shortage: measured at the health professional shortage area scale from 0 to 25, lower values are better. Read more about Health.

 

0
XXX.X
Quality of health care
Preventable hospitalization rate

Number of hospital admissions for conditions that could be effectively treated through outpatient care per 1,000 patients: measured at the hospital service area scale, lower values are better. 

48.5
XXX.X
Quality of health care
Patient satisfaction

Percentage of patients who give area hospitals a rating of 9 or 10, with 10 indicating the highest level of satisfaction: measured at the hospital service area scale, higher values are better. 

71.3%
XXX.X
Policies
Healthy behaviors
State and Local Smoke-Free Laws
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Engagement
Civic and social involvement

A livable community fosters interaction among residents. From social engagement to civic action to Internet access, residents’ individual opportunities to connect and feel welcomed help lessen social isolation and strengthen the greater community. The Index explores and examines the different ways in which residents engage with and support their communities, and how they impact livability as a whole.

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Internet access
Broadband cost and speed

Percentage of residents who have access to three or more wireline Internet service providers, and two or more providers that offer maximum download speeds of 50 megabits per second: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better.

14.6%
XXX.X
Civic engagement
Opportunity for civic involvement

Number of civic, social, religious, political, and business organizations per 10,000 people: measured at the county scale, higher values are better. 

7.0
XXX.X
Civic engagement
Voting rate

Percentage of people ages 18 years or older who voted in the last presidential election: measured at the county scale, higher values are better. Voting rates are bounded at 30% and 85%.

55.6%
XXX.X
Social engagement
Social involvement index

Extent to which residents eat dinner with household members, see or hear from friends and family, talk with neighbors, and do favors for neighbors: measured at the metro area scale from 0 to 2, higher values are better. 

0.98
XXX.X
Social engagement
Cultural, arts, and entertainment institutions

Number of performing arts companies, museums, concert venues, sports stadiums, and movie theaters per 10,000 people: measured at the neighborhood scale, higher values are better. 

0.1
XXX.X
Policies
Internet Access
State barriers to community broadband
No Policy
>
Civic engagement
Early, absentee, or mail-in state voting laws
No Policy
>
Equal rights
Local human rights commissions
No Policy
>
Equal rights
Local LGBT anti-discrimination laws
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>
XXX


Opportunity
Inclusion and possibilities

America was built on opportunity—and our nation’s many thriving communities are no different. The degree to which a community embraces diversity and offers opportunities to residents of all ages and backgrounds is important to overall livability. Backed by a strong regional economy and fiscally healthy local governments, welcoming communities provide residents an equal chance to earn a living wage and improve their well-being, from jobs to education.

Attribute
Measure
Median US
Neighborhood
Value
Equal opportunity
Income inequality

Gini coefficient (the gap between rich and poor): measured at the county scale from 0 to 1, lower values are better.

0.46
XXX.X
Economic opportunity
Jobs per worker

Number of jobs per person in the workforce: measured at the metro area scale, higher values are better. Jobs are capped at 1.0 job per person.

0.77
XXX.X
Educational Opportunity
High school graduation rate

Adjusted 4-year high school cohort graduation rate: measured at the school district scale, higher values are better. 

87.0%
XXX.X
Multi-generational communities
Age diversity

Age-group diversity of local population compared to the national population: measured at the neighborhood scale from 0 to 1, higher values are better. 

0.86
XXX.X
Policies
Local fiscal health
Local government creditworthiness
No Policy
>
Economic opportunity
State minimum wage increase
No Policy
>
Equal opportunity
State expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act
No Policy
>
Comprehensive livability commitment
State and local plans to create age-friendly communities
No Policy
>

Compare Locations

Add up to three locations to see a full comparison of performance and results.

Determining Livability

Explore the complex process of data calculation and policy evaluation that goes into our determination of Livability.

Network of Age-Friendly Communities

Find communities that are doing exciting things to become more livable.

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