This section is provided to help you make the most of Westchester Index, launched by the Westchester Community Foundation.
This project includes data for Westchester County, municipalities and school districts inside the county, three surrounding counties (Putnam, Rockland, and Nassau), the state of New York and the nation.
Westchester Index is rich with information, with indicators provided in both text and graphic format. Detailed information, trends and maps are also available. Some users will want quick reference information, while others will want more detail. Spending a few minutes reviewing this section may aid your work and help make using the Westchester Index website a more satisfying experience.
Information on this site can be accessed from the topic links that extend across the entire page just above the main image. To view a list of all of the indicators tracked, click the All Indicators tab on the right-hand side of the topic list. Helpful links are listed to the below the search bar and at the bottom of the website, including:
| Page Name | Content |
|---|---|
| Dashboards | A visual summary of key indicator data across topic areas. |
| Mapping Data |
Maps on select indicators listed by topic. |
| About Us |
Information on the goals of the Westchester County Index and the organizations that participated in developing it and the geographic areas it encompasses. |
| Using the Site | A guide to the site features and functions – current section. |
| News & Insights | Articles/blogs and events regarding the community. |
The site is organized by topics, subtopics and indicators. Six categories or topics were selected for Westchester Index. These topics are shown above the main image and arranged alphabetically across the page. By clicking on any of these topics, you will be provided with the Key Trends, Indicators, and Related Indicators.
On each Overview topic page you will find a brief description of the topic. Below that are Featured Topic Indicators providing quick access to information that is featured on important issues impacting our county, and a summary of key trends, followed by a list of indicators in that topic.
Here are several additional tips for navigating the Westchester Index website:
| GOAL | INSTRUCTIONS |
|---|---|
| To return to the home page... | From any page on the site, you can return to the home page by clicking on the Westchester Index logo in the upper left corner of the page. |
| To get to a topic page... | From any page on the site, you can navigate to a topic page by clicking on the name of the topic. |
| To customize charts... | After clicking on the charts in the detailed indicator pages, you can customize your own chart with the data available by clicking on or off the items in the legend. To view the underlying data, hover over the chart. You may also print or save these charts using the buttons in the upper right corner of the chart. |
| To download data... | After clicking on the detailed indicator pages, scroll to the bottom of a table to see the Download Data Table button. This will open an Excel spreadsheet. |
| Term | Definition and How it is Used in the Westchester Index Website |
|---|---|
| Indicator | An indicator is a measure that helps to describe an economic, environmental, social or cultural condition over time. An indicator is usually expressed as a rate or percent, such as the poverty rate, the unemployment rate or the high school graduation rate. Westchester Index provides information and analysis on 65 indicators throughout this website. For each of the six indicator categories, the individual indicators are accessed from the main page, or topic page. A list of every indicator is available by clicking on “All Indicators” on the right side of the Health topic. |
| Inflation Adjusted | This refers to an actual value that is adjusted to account for inflation. The changes in a series of actual values over time reflect several factors, including inflation. If the series is inflation adjusted, however, the changes reflect only the other factors. For example, average salary in our state (Economic Security) is adjusted to the most recent year in the series. |
| Median | The median refers to the mid-point of a set of values. For example, median household income in our state (Economic Security) is $71,117. The median represents the mid-point (half the values are above the median and half below). |
| Percent | The portion of the whole represented by any given value. The whole is 100 percent, and the percent of any given value is its relationship to 100 percent. Mathematically, the percent is derived by dividing the given value by the value of the whole, and then by multiplying the result by 100 to express the result as a percent. |
| Poverty Level | The United States government uses two principal methods to measure poverty: the poverty thresholds established by the Census Bureau and the poverty guidelines used by the Department of Health and Human Services. The Census Bureau approach is used to determine how many people live in poverty, and the Health and Human Services data is used for various benefit programs, such as eligibility for food stamps. In some applications, eligibility for federal assistance programs is based on multiples of the poverty guidelines (such as 125% or 165% of the poverty level). The difference in these measures is not significant. |
| Rate | The relationship between two values. For example, when driving, the rate of speed is measured by the distance traveled (miles) in a certain amount of time (hours). Hence, the rate of speed is expressed as miles per hour. Rates can be expressed in a variety of ways. Westchester Index strives to use rates that are understandable. An example is the serious crime rate per 10,000 residents (Community). |
