Objective. County-level socioeconomic and demographic data were used to
construct an index of social vulnerability to environmental hazards, called the
Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for the United States based on 1990
data. Methods. Using a factor analytic approach, 42 variables were reduced to 11
independent factors that accounted for about 76 percent of the variance. These
factors were placed in an additive model to compute a summary score—the Social
Vulnerability Index. Results. There are some distinct spatial patterns in the SoVI,
with the most vulnerable counties clustered in metropolitan counties in the east,
south Texas, and the Mississippi Delta region. Conclusion. Those factors that
contribute to the overall score often are different for each county, underscoring the
interactive nature of social vulnerability—some components increase vulnerability;
others moderate the effects.