Levels of Opportunity | King County, WA

"Opportunity mapping is a way to conceptualize and visualize the varying levels of access to the opportunities which exist throughout states and regions. Having high access to opportunity means having the ability to obtain a quality education, being able to have a safe and affordable place to live, having access to employment networks, living in a community that has access to fresh, healthy foods, and more. This pattern of racial segregation and isolation is apparent in King County. Opportunity mapping illustrates the fact that poverty statistics alone cannot capture the dynamics of living in high opportunity or low-opportunity areas. Several different critical opportunity structures define neighborhoods, including school conditions, employment conditions, and housing conditions. In this report, the maps of opportunity in King County provide a more robust evaluation of the conditions in the region’s neighborhoods and how some residents are isolated spatially from opportunity" (Kirwan Institute).

Explanation of 5 Variables

There were five maps created via calculating z-scores of opportunities, and of five variables that determine opportunity in this metropolitan area. For each indicator, data was gathered and analyzed at the census tract level. GIS analytic methods were employed via ArcMap to re-aggregate non-Census data to the census tract level. Indicators were analyzed in each sector area and the opportunity map (Figure 1.1) represents the composite of all sector maps (Kirwan Institute). “The various opportunity indicators were analyzed relative to the other census tracts within the region by standardizing through the use of “z scores.” A z score is a statistical measure that quantifies the distance (measured in standard deviations) a data point is from the mean of a data set. The use of z scores allows data for a census tract to be measured based on their relative distance from the data average for the entire region. The final “opportunity index” for each census tract is based on the average z score for all indicators by category. The corresponding level of opportunity (very low, low, moderate, high, very high) is determined by sorting all census tracts into quintiles based on their opportunity index scores. Thus, the census tracts identified as “very high” opportunity represent the top 20% of scores among census tracts. Conversely, census tracts identified as “very low” opportunity represent the lowest scoring 20% of census tracts” (Kirwan Institute). The 5 maps include reading scores (Figure 1.2), math scores(Figure 1.3), student poverty (Figure 1.4), teacher qualifications (Figure 1.5) and graduation rates (Figure 1.6). Where there are areas of low and very low opportunity, there is also low/very low math and reading scores, student poverty, and graduation rates. The teacher qualifications in these areas are moderate to high. These areas are mainly in the inner-city areas such as Seattle, Bellevue, Kent, Auburn, Des Moines and SeaTac. These variations were measured via using a z-score equation, which calculates the number of standard deviations away from the mean, to calculate where opportunity is lowest. These several areas of King County have various z-scores that then determined the level of opportunity based on color. (Refer to figures 1.1-1.6 to view the choropleth maps created for these five variations. The most interesting discrepancy between the measures is that areas where there were high testing scores in math and reading, was associated with teacher qualifications that were very low, and vice versa.

Composite Map

Across King County, areas that are poor in opportunity exist from South of Federal Way, to South Seattle and also exist in East Bellevue. There are several clustered neighborhoods that are poor in opportunity from this spread of distance. In Seattle, neighborhoods such as Beacon Hill, Madrona have low opportunity, while others such as Rainer Valley, Holly Park, and highland park have very low opportunity. Des Moines, SeaTac, Kent, Renton, Burien and Auburn also has high clustered areas of very low opportunity. These areas are very close in proximity as they make up the western region of King County. Aside from these areas, there is one area outside of this cluster of low and very low opportunity, and it exist in Duvall, which is one of the most northern areas of King County.

Upon observing the composite map (Figure 1.1), the areas with Very Low opportunity arise in several neighborhoods in Seattle, Bellevue, Des Moines, SeaTac, Kent and Federal Way. If you zoom around the interactive map associated with Figure 1.1, you can see more clearly was specific neighborhoods are affected with very low, to very high opportunity. In the total area of very low opportunity, they are more commonly near areas of low opportunity. The most northern part of King County, through northern Seattle show great variation leading from very low opportunity, to moderate, high and very high opportunity. The eastern region of King County also has a consistent base of moderate to very high opportunity. The five census tracts that are the very lowest are located between Burien and Renton. These census tracts are 268.02, 270, 271, 272, 273. The five census tracts that are the very highest reside within Issaquah, Sammamish, and Preston, they are census tract: 322.11, 322.10, 321.02, 323.20, and 220.06. Other interesting landscape features present are parks, and toxic waste facilities. These sites increase or reduce opportunity by restricting access. Parks for examples are meant to increase opportunity, however parks must be accessible to do so. Toxic waste facilities such as landfills and other sites and lower opportunity by decreasing the integrity of living in a healthy environment.

Conclusion

Based on the report of the above analysis, King County displays a strong relationship between education and access to opportunity. This is evident from the maps, especially the composite map with an index for opportunity, displaying the levers of low to high. The isolation from opportunity results in the denial of critical opportunities structures for success in our region. “The geography of opportunity has the possibility to be changed” (Kirwan Institute). Based on previous studies done by the Kirwan Institute, adopting a “opportunity-oriented” model to address ad push back against systematic models that limit access to opportunity in this region, and others.
Although these issues will take time and persistence to become resolved, they must be addressed strategically to achieve success. If access to opportunity is granted to all residents in King County, the county and the state benefits. Investing in people ad places result in a higher quality of life for all. “In our democracy, every person should have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education regardless of their station in life or financial means” (John F. Kennedy).