THE CHILD WELL-BEING INDEX®

Local data. Stronger communities. Brighter futures.
Behind every data point is a child, a family, or a neighborhood with untapped potential. The Child Well-Being Index® helps Greater Atlanta understand where support is needed most and where progress is possible, empowering communities to take action together.

EVOLUTION OF THE INDEX

Since 2017, the Index has helped drive investments and partnerships that create more opportunities for children and families to reach their full potential.
2017
The first Child Well-Being Index®
Introduced a first-of-its-kind, shared way to understand how children are doing across Greater Atlanta and where support was needed most. 
2019
Looking beyond the numbers
Our second Index release helped communities better understand how access to opportunity can influence outcomes for children and families.
2023
Connecting well-being & economic mobility
Updated Index data revealed that in 79 local neighborhoods, child well-being was not only low but declining, underscoring the critical link between well-being and long-term economic mobility.
2026
Child Well-Being Index® 4.0
The next evolution of the Index. Bringing together data, community perspective, and action to help even more of our neighbors thrive across Greater Atlanta.

WHAT IT IS

The Child Well-Being Index® is United Way of Greater Atlanta’s shared measure of child well-being across the region.

Using 16 indicators across education, health, family stability, and economic well-being, the Index provides a neighborhood-level view of the factors shaping a child’s ability to build a better future.

More than data, it helps communities identify where opportunities are expanding, where barriers remain, and where focused action can create lasting change.

WHY IT MATTERS

Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstance.

The Child Well-Being Index® gives communities, leaders, and funders a shared understanding of where support is needed most and how to best take action, together.

  • Identify needs and opportunities: Reveal disparities and the factors shaping child well-being across neighborhoods.
  • Guide action and investment: Help partners align resources, strategies, and solutions where they can have the greatest impact.
  • Mobilize collective action: Build a shared case for action and bring communities together to expand opportunity for children and families.

DIVE INTO THE INDEX

Explore interactive maps, dive into community data, and uncover local insights to better understand where support is needed most and where opportunity is growing.

ADVISORY SERVICES

Work with United Way of Greater Atlanta to receive customized analysis, community profiles, and presentations that help inform your planning, investments, partnerships, and strategies.
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STAY INFORMED

Be the first to learn about new data releases, reports, platform updates, and opportunities to engage with the Child Well-Being Index®
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WHAT THE INDEX MEASURES

A child’s future is shaped by more than one factor. The Child Well-Being Index®, updated triennially to incorporate data from multiple sources, brings together 16 socioeconomic indicators of child, family, and community well-being to provide a fuller picture of what our neighbors need most.

By looking at the whole picture, the Index helps communities better understand the building blocks of opportunity and what it takes to create a stronger Greater Atlanta for everyone.

Child Measures

  • % Low Weight Births
  • % Students Exceeding 3rd Grade Reading Standards
  • % Students Exceeding 8th Grade Math Standards
  • Student Mobility Score
  • High School Graduation Rate
  • % 16 to 19-Year-Old enrolled in school or in the workforce
  • % of children without health insurance

Family Measures

  • % Families Not Financially Stable
  • Families with Housing Cost Burden
  • % Births to Mothers without a High School Diploma

Community Measures

  • % Enrolled in Post-Secondary Education
  • % Adults without a High School Diploma
  • % Adults without Health Insurance
  • Unemployment Rate
  • % Access to Broadband Internet
  • Food Accessibility Score

Index methodology

Explore the methodology, data sources, and measure definitions behind the Child Well-Being Index®. Learn how Index scores are calculated using 16 socioeconomic indicators and how communities are placed on a five-point scale of need. The document below outlines the methodology, indicator definitions, and technical details needed to understand, interpret, and confidently apply Index results in your work.
READ DOCUMENTATION

Index data partnership

As the primary data partner for the Index, Neighborhood Nexus gathers and processes data from multiple sources, develops the interactive data tools, and maintains the platform's backend infrastructures.

WHEN OUR REGION RALLIES AROUND A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF NEED, WE CAN CREATE A FUTURE WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

EXPLORE THE 2026 CHILD WELL-BEING DATA

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Our focus

Insights from the Child Well-Being Index® guide our investments in four key areas that can create opportunities, strengthen communities, and help more children reach their full potential across Greater Atlanta.

Economic Stability

Helping families build a strong foundation through stable housing, financial well-being, and access to essential resources.

Brighter Futures

Working alongside communities to expand opportunity, remove barriers, and create the conditions for every child and family to thrive.

College And Career Ready

Helping young people discover their potential and gain the skills, support, and career pathways needed for long-term success.

Strong Learners

Building early literacy skills and access to quality education so more children can succeed in school and beyond.

MAKE THE INDEX WORK FOR YOU

Ready to go deeper? Connect with our experts to explore Child Well-Being Index® insights, understand local trends, and apply the data to your planning, investments, partnerships, and community strategies.
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INVEST IN CHILD WELL-BEING

The data shows where opportunity gaps exist. Together, we can help close them. Help fuel this work by supporting community-driven solutions creating brighter futures and greater economic mobility for children and families across Greater Atlanta.
READ DOCUMENTATIONREAD DOCUMENTATION

FAQs

The Child Well-Being Index® is updated every three years. Because it draws from multiple public data sources, some indicators may reflect different reporting years. We use the most recent data available for each measure to provide the clearest picture of child well-being across Greater Atlanta.

The Child Well-Being Index® was created specifically for Greater Atlanta and reflects local priorities identified through community input. While some measures may overlap with other indexes, the methodology and scoring are unique. The Index is best used to compare communities across the region and track progress over time.

Definitions, data sources, indicator descriptions, and scoring details are available in the methodology section of this page. This resource explains how the Index is built and how to interpret the results.

Yes, you can download selected data from the platform for research, planning, and analysis. Available datasets may vary by geography and indicator, so be sure to review the data use information included with each download.

The 2026 update includes improvements based on feedback from community members, researchers, practitioners, and local leaders. Updates include enhancements to data quality, indicator calculations, scoring methods, and platform features to make the Index more accurate, relevant, and actionable.

We’d love to hear from you. If you have questions, encounter a technical issue, or want to share feedback, please contact the Child Well-Being Index® team through the Contact Us section of the website. Your input helps us improve the platform and better serve the community.

CWB Index Access Form

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