You may have noticed that the Dashboard looks a little different. Since our launch in January 2023, we have been hard at work on key upgrades to the site. We have added a new comparison tool and streamlined our data communication through sensemaking statements. We hope these changes will make it easier and more intuitive to find what you need on the site.

Compare Districts

You can now use the Congressional District Health Dashboard’s Compare Districts feature to compare all 37 metrics across every district and/or state in the nation. By allowing you to compare your district to peer geographies across the country the Dashboard can help you quantify challenges, highlight successes, and set realistic goals to address well-being.

Upon entering this page from the navigation menu on the top of the screen you can select a metric of interest before selecting districts or states for comparison.

To demonstrate this new feature we have compared Rent Burden in Oregon state, Oregon’s 1^stand 5^th congressional districts. You can add as many additional comparators as you’d like or change the comparison year via the bar on the left. When you first enter the page, you will be met with scalebar comparisons at the top, where the blue triangles represent the district’s or state’s average, with the larger scalebar showing the U.S. average as a point of comparison.

Scrolling down below the scalebars, the site also provides these same averages graphically. Cards for your districts and/or states of choice will populate with maps that showcase the region of interest, as well as scalebars and sensemaking statements for easy cross-geography comparisons.

While these visuals cannot tell you why one district may perform better or worse than another, the information can provide important context for policies and programs aimed at addressing these issues. If you want to dive even deeper into these comparisons, you can download the data.

Metrics by Demographic Sensemaking Statements

The Dashboard provides demographic details for 16 measures, including breakdowns by race/ethnicity, age, and sex. In this update we have added sensemaking statements to the Metrics by Demographic page to further explain how to interpret demographic breakdowns for each metric. Taking Michigan 11^th as an example, one can see how these statements can help clarify interpretation of demographic estimates.

User feedback is vital to shaping the future of the Dashboard. We are excited for you to start exploring our new and improved website. Let us know what you think by filling out this brief survey, connecting with us on Twitter and LinkedIn, or emailing us at [email protected]!