Be certain to read the MassGIS methodology to fully understand how these areas are identified.

Map applications included arethe November 2022 release of the updated 2020 block groups designated as EJ2020 EJ attributes for all MA block groupsLanguages spoken within census tract ACS data from 2015 and DESE data from 2021 (2022?)Redlining in Massachusetts

The following tables from the US Census Bureau were used to compile the updated 2020 EJ datalayer, released in November, 2022:Minority population:2020 Census Redistricting Data: Table P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACEpct_minority_P2 = ((Total pop P2_001N - Not Hispanic or Latino:Population of one race:White alone P2_005N) / Total P2_001N) * 100Median Household Income (block groups, municipalities and state)American Community Survey 2020 5-year estimates: Table B19013: MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)Limited English Households:American Community Survey 2020 5-year estimates: Table C16002:HOUSEHOLD LANGUAGE BY HOUSEHOLD LIMITED ENGLISH SPEAKING STATUSlimEngHH = Total:Spanish:limited English speaking household C16002_004E + Total:Other Indo-European languages:limited English speaking household C16002_007E + Total:Asian and Pacific Island languages:Limited English speaking household C16002_010E + Total:Other languages:Limited English speaking household C16002_013E) limEngHHpct = (limEngHH / TotalHH C16002_001E) * 100Additional data adjustment:1. Block groups with a total population of fewer than 50 were removed.2. 228 2020 block groups have no MHHI in 2020 ACS table.130 of these did have a value in the 2019 ACS table so the 2019 BG MHHI and PCT BG MHHI (so the 2019 value for MA MHHI is used) were transferred to 130 BGs in the 2020 update. Those BGs are coded with ‘1’ in BG_MHHI_is_2019 This leaves 96 block groups with an unknown and not substituted 2020 BG MHHI 5 of these are in towns with a muni MHHI > 150% of the MA MHHI. These are not designated as EJ. 43 of the remaining are designated as EJ with the M and/or E criteria 16 of the remaining have a population in EJ group quarters > 50% 16 of the remaining have a total population < 50 This leaves 16 block groups that may be EJ for income but no data are available to determine this. These are coded as EJ = No and median_household_income = ‘U’.

The data available here are:EJ neighborhoods (block groups)all 2020 census block groups with numbers for the EJ criteria the two language datasets we use: ACS 2011-2015 estimates with detailed languages spoken (tract geography)and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education family survey of languages spoken (ZIP geography)percentiles from the EJ Screen data -- MA and USCEJST dataThe documentation available here:a slightly annotated list of the 3 criteria used to designate a census bock group as an EJ neighborhood (PDF)the MA EJ FAQ (PDF)EJ SCreen documetation (PDF)CEJST documentation- (PDF)the data dictionary for the CEJST shapefile (CSV)The applications available here:the standard MA EJ appan app showing block group and municipal values for EJ designationthe Languages Spoken map, to be used only as a first step in determining needs for translation and interpretation servicesthe EJScreen block groups with the number of indicators > 90 percentile and the CJEST "disadvantaged" tracts

The three criteria defined in Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2020 were evaluated with American Community Survey 2015-2019 5-year-estimatetables:Percent block group Median Household Income as percent of MA Median Household Income: Table B19013(B19013_001E / 85843) * 100MA median HHI 2019: $85,843 Table: DP03 (5-yr estimate)==> Any Block Group with a median HHI as percent of the MA median HHI in 2019 (B19013) less than or equal to 65.49 [56,220] was designated an EJ population.English Language Isolation: Table C16002(C16002_004E:Estimate!!Total:!!Spanish:!!Limited English speaking household +C16002_007E: Estimate!!Total:!!Other Indo-European languages:!!Limited English speaking household +C16002_010E: Estimate!!Total:!!Asian and Pacific Island languages:!!Limited English speaking household +C16002_013E: Estimate!!Total:!!Other languages:!!Limited English speaking household) /C16002_001E: Estimate!!Total: *100==> Any Block Group with 24.5% or more limited English-speaking households was designated an EJ population.Percent Minority Population: Table B03002: ((B03002_001E:Estimate!!Total: - B03002_003E:Estimate!!Total:!!Not Hispanic or Latino:!!White alone)/ B03002_001E:Estimate!!Total:) * 100==> All block groups with 39.5% or more minority population were designated an EJ population. ==> All block groups with a minority population between 24.5% and 39.5% AND with a MHHI less than 150.5% of the state MHHI were designated an EJ population. Additional data adjustments:Block groups with a total population of less than 25 were removed.

The Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool uses datasets as indicators of burdens. The burdens are organized into categories. A community is highlighted as disadvantaged on the CEJST map if it is in a census tract that is (1) at or above the threshold for one or more environmental, climate, or other burdens, and (2) at or above the threshold for an associated socioeconomic burden.In addition, a census tract that is completely surrounded by disadvantaged communities and is at or above the 50% percentile for low income is also considered disadvantaged. In addition, a census tract that is completely surrounded by disadvantaged communities and is at or above the 50% percentile for low income is also considered disadvantaged. Please see the CEJST Methodology wen page for more information.

Environmental Justice neighborhoods are the focus of the state's Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs' (EEA) Environmental Justice (EJ) Policy, which establishes EJ as an integral consideration in all EEA programs, to the extent applicable and allowable by law. For more information please visit EEA's Environmental Justice Web page, which includes a detailed fact sheet as well as text of the full policy.More details...Polygons in the 2020 Environmental Justice (EJ) Populations layer are 2020 Census block groups across the state that meet one or more of the criteria listed below. (i) the annual median household income is not more than 65 percent of the statewide annual median household income; (ii) minorities comprise 40 percent or more of the population; (iii) 25 percent or more of households lack English language proficiency; or (iv) minorities comprise 25 percent or more of the population and the annual median household income of the municipality in which the neighborhood is located does not exceed 150 percent of the statewide annual median household income.Map service also available.

Environmental Justice 2010 Populations

The American Community Survey, Table B16001 provided detailed individual-level language estimates at the tract level of 42 non-English language categories, tabulated by the English-speaking ability. Two sets of languages data are included here, with population counts and percentages for both:the tract population speaking languages other than English, regardless of English=speaking ability, identified by the language name, and the languages spoken other than English by the tract population who does not speak English 'very well', identified by the language name followed by "_Enw".The default pop-up for this service presents the second of these data: languages spoken other than English by the tract population who does not speak English 'very well'.In part because of privacy concerns with the very small counts in some categories in Table B16001, the Census changed the American Community Survey estimates of the languages spoken by individuals. In 2016, the number of categories previously presented in Table B16001 was reduced to reflect the most commonly spoken languages, and several languages spoken in Massachusetts were grouped into generalized (i.e., "Other...") categories.Table B16001 has been renamed Table C16001 with these generalized categories. Therefore, although the information presented in this datalayer is not current, and these data cannot be updated.

Regional Environmental Justice (REJ+) Flags by Census Tract, including individual flags for Limited English Proficiency, Nonwhite and Hispanic Population, Median Household Income, Zero Vehicle Households, People 65 Years and Older, and People with Disabilities. Default symbology shows REJ Designation (number of total REJ+ flags). Data based on 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates and 2022 Census Tract Boundaries. Updated June 2025.

These reports, plans, and drawings review the achievements of Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) and its partners to plan and design a network of interconnected ground-source heat pump systems, or geothermal network, in an area encompassing multiple environmental justice (EJ) neighborhoods in the City of Framingham, MA. The materials provided in this dataset include, a) stakeholder and design best practices, b) study on optimal method to interconnect geothermal loops, c) guidelines for monitoring and metering, d) operations and maintenance plans, e) permitting guidelines and f) 10-day driller tutorial curriculum. These materials can guide the efficient and ethical design of future geothermal networks nationwide. The capacity of the system is estimated at 217 tons and is designed to provide 100% of heating and cooling needs for the buildings connected to the loop. In this project, 80 boreholes are used as the main thermal resources, the distribution system (or loop) consists of 0.61 miles of an 8-inch single-pipe at ambient temperature, with the capacity to connect 44 buildings, including 13 apartment buildings from the Framingham Housing Authority, one transitional home, one school building and 29 single family homes. While Framingham already has a geothermal network loop that is currently in the commissioning stage, our proposed project is unique because it is the first utility-led expansion loop (2nd loop) project that will connect to an adjacent existing geothermal loop (1st loop) in a pre-existing neighborhood. Both the 1st and 2nd loops are being installed, owned and operated by Eversource Energy, the utility Deployment Partner.

2020 Census block groups are clusters of blocks within the same census tract that have the same first digit of their 4-digit census block number; that first digit is the block group number. Block group numbers have a valid range of zero (0) through nine (9). Block groups beginning with a zero generally are in coastal and Great Lakes water and territorial seas. A block group usually covers a contiguous area. Each census tract contains one or more block groups and block groups have unique numbers within a census tract. Within the standard census geographic hierarchy, block groups never cross county or census tract boundaries, but may cross the boundaries of county subdivisions, places, urban areas, voting districts, congressional districts, and AIANNH areas. Block groups delineated for the 2020 Census generally contain 600 to 3,000 people.

Physical locations were verified from the websites of the Massachusetts Department of Correction (MADOC), Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association (MSA), Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and individual facilities, and verbal communication with many of the facilities. Ancillary support facilities - treatment centers, process divisions, resource centers, etc. - are not included because there were no inmates living at these facilities.This layer was modified from its previous version, which was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) GIS Program based on database information provided by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) (the state agency responsible for maintaining the Commonwealth's criminal justice information system), part of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS). The EOPSS is also the parent agency of the MADOC, which operates the Commonwealth's state prison system.More details...Feature service also available.

Languages spoken in the homes of elementary and secondary studentsin public schools. Only languages totaling 1% or more of the student population in each ZIP code is included.

Rubber surfacing is often used in playgrounds due to its potential injury prevention benefits and as a way to recycle waste tires. Available research on chemicals in recycled rubber has focused on synthetic turf applications, but is limited for playground rubber surfacing. Potential lead contamination from vulcanizing agents used in rubber surfacing are a possible concern; however this has not been researched. We examined levels of lead in poured-in-place rubber and compared them to levels in soil, sand, and wood mulch materials from 28 randomly selected playgrounds in Boston, MA, USA using X-ray fluorescence. To evaluate the association between material type and lead concentrations, we conducted a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures and built a linear regression model controlling for distance to major roadway, neighborhood-level status as an environmental justice area, peeling paint on the playground, and rubber condition. Average lead levels were 65.7 μg/g for soil, 22.0 μg/g for rubber, 8.5 μg/g for sand, and 9.0 μg/g for mulch. Our finding of lower concentrations of lead in sand and mulch compared to rubber and soil should be used to inform playground design to optimize children’s health, alongside other chemical and safety considerations.