The Workforce Vulnerability Profile

Upload the ZIP codes where your people live and see how their communities score on the CDC Vulnerability Index.

The quarter of U.S. communities that CDC ranks most socially vulnerable is home to half of Americans.

CDC ranks every U.S. ZIP code area on 16 Census measures, from poverty and health insurance coverage to housing and access to a vehicle. The 25% of areas ranked most vulnerable are home to 158 million people, or 48% of the U.S. population. The 25% ranked least vulnerable are home to fewer than 5%. A typical workforce will look highly vulnerable on raw SVI scores, so this tool compares your population with where Americans actually live rather than against the ranking alone.

Why it matters:

Where employees live shapes how they use their benefits. A high deductible lands differently in a community where many households spend more than 30% of income on housing. A narrow network matters more where many households don’t have a car. Language access matters more where many residents have limited English. Claims data shows what has already happened. Community data helps explain why, and points to the plan design and communication decisions that can change it. Thirty-six percent of Americans live in areas in the top quarter for socioeconomic vulnerability alone.

Data sources and scope:
This analysis uses the CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area level, with national rankings, built from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2018–2022 five-year estimates. PO-box and single-business ZIP codes are matched to the area they sit inside using the HRSA UDS Mapper ZIP Code to ZCTA Crosswalk (2025). Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories are not included in the national SVI file. SVI describes communities, not individuals, and results should be used to shape plan design and outreach across a population, never to make decisions about a person.

How to use the tool:
Download the CSV template or use any file with a column of 5-digit home ZIP codes. Add a headcount column, or list one row per person and leave headcount blank. Do not include names, IDs, or other personal details. Choose your file, and the report shows your population’s overall and theme-level vulnerability compared with the U.S., the share of your people in high-vulnerability communities, plan design considerations for the themes where you are above the benchmark, and a ZIP code detail table. To see an example first, select Use sample workforce. Use “Print or save as PDF” for a copy of the full report, or “Download results (CSV)” for the ZIP-level detail in a spreadsheet.

Your file is analyzed in your browser and is never uploaded, stored, or sent anywhere.