When we talk about “resilience,” we often talk about how individuals respond after a crisis. Someone standing strong despite the challenges faced. But resilience often starts long before a crisis, and our ability to adapt, recover, and thrive is heavily shaped by the communities we live in. 

If we want Kentuckians to be resilient, we need to ensure the communities they live in are also resilient. 

To help communities assess their levels of resilience, the U.S. Census Bureau releases a Community Resilience Estimates (CRE). These estimates measure how vulnerable a community is to a natural disaster and extreme weather. Rather than focusing on a community’s economy or infrastructure alone, the index looks at the people who make up communities and the characteristics that make it harder for individuals and families to absorb, endure, and recover from disaster. 

To create this estimate, the Census uses data on various factors to estimate how many people are socially vulnerable to a major disaster. Factors include: 

  • Poverty and employment status
  • Disability 
  • Health insurance coverage
  • Age 
  • Essential infrastructure access, such as transportation and the internet
  • Housing conditions 
  • Household composition 

In 2024, over one in five Kentuckians (22.2%) were socially vulnerable to a natural disaster or extreme weather, which is higher than the national average. There were socially vulnerable families in every county and region of the state, ranging from almost half of families in Martin County (46.1%) to almost one-third in Fulton County (31.0%) to 13.4% in Oldham County. 

The Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Estimates can help Kentucky communities identify vulnerabilities, plan around issues that make the community more vulnerable to disaster, and invest in programs that build the resilience of communities. 

For example, a community with older houses may need more targeted support during extreme weather events. Households without internet access may not be able to get critical disaster relief updates if those updates are mostly relayed via social media. Families without stable income or employment are often the least able to recover from sudden disruptions. 

When communities know what contributes to their vulnerability, they can make investments in infrastructure that lessens those vulnerabilities, such as jobs, broadband, and housing. 

Resilience is not evenly distributed, and many Kentucky communities face stacked challenges, where multiple risk factors exist within the same households. The Community Resilience Estimates remind us that resilience is not just about bouncing back, but instead about proactively ensuring every community has the foundation it needs to weather hard times.