The Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code data is available for download on this page. The datasets on this page are from a past version of the COI that is not updated. We recommend that all new users and new projects use COI 3.0-2023.
The Child Opportunity Index (COI) 2.0 ZIP code data are ZIP code-level estimates of neighborhood opportunity derived from 2015 COI 2.0 census tract data. We created ZIP code-level COI 2.0 estimates for data users who—for different reasons—cannot work with census tract COI data. It is important to note that for all COI 2.0 ZIP code data files, neighborhood conditions were measured in and around 2015. The years in the data file titles do not denote the years in which neighborhood conditions were measured but refer to the ZIP code definitions for a given year. Please refer to the COI 2.0 ZIP code data technical documentation for more detailed information.
There are about 73,000 census tracts (2010 definition) in the U.S., which intersect with about 39,000 ZIP codes. Unlike census tracts, ZIP codes do not have precisely defined geographic boundaries. They are collections of addresses defined by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for efficient mail delivery. Our method for aggregating census tract to ZIP code data uses weights published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ZIP code COI 2.0 estimates are calculated as the weighted average of census tract data, where census tracts that are home to a greater proportion of residential addresses with a given ZIP code receive greater weight.
The weights used to calculate ZIP code-level COI 2.0 data change continually because the USPS regularly updates ZIP codes, for example, to incorporate newly constructed buildings/addresses. We therefore publish multiple ZIP code data files for the ZIP code definitions in a given year. For example, the file “COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2020 ZIP codes” contains 2015 COI 2.0 data aggregated to ZIP codes as they were defined in 2020. We recommend users to use this file if their goal is to link it to another dataset with ZIP code data collected in 2020. If ZIP code data was collected over multiple years, we have created ZIP code estimates that average ZIP code definitions for multiple years. Please contact us to request access to these data.
Clicking on one of the links triggers a download of a zip folder including the data and data dictionary in CSV format.
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COI 2.0, ZIP code data
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2015 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2015 USPS ZIP codes)
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2016 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2016 USPS ZIP codes)
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2017 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2017 USPS ZIP codes)
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2018 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2018 USPS ZIP codes)
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2019 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2019 USPS ZIP codes)
2015 COI 2.0 ZIP code data for 2020 ZIP codes (2015 Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP code index and population data aggregated to 2020 USPS ZIP codes)
Suggested citation: diversitydatakids.org. 2021. “Child Opportunity Index 2.0 ZIP Code Data." https://www.diversitydatakids.org/research-library/child-opportunity-index-20-census-tract-data.
Additional Info
Version: COI 2.0
Last updated: January 2022
Year(s): See above.
Source: The 29 indicators included in the COI 2.0 are compiled from many sources. Please refer to the technical document for details. Child population counts are taken from the American Community Survey.
Use Cases: To learn how the COI has been used by organizations and researchers, please see our impact stories.
