The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday released new data through its Community Health Profiles tool, showing severe health inequities in Boyle Heights compared to city and county averages.
The data show that the average life expectancy at birth in Boyle Heights is three years shorter than the city average. Boyle Heights residents are more food insecure and have less recreational space than other neighborhoods in City Council District 14, such as El Sereno and Eagle Rock. The area also has a higher infant mortality rate than the city and county.
The tool provides public health data for 179 communities within L.A. county.
It shows an increased average percentage of Boyle Heights residents living in overcrowded homes, a higher number of liquor stores, and a higher drug overdose mortality rate, when compared to more affluent neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
The public can use this data to explore average obesity rates and demographics of specific communities and cities. Through this tool, residents can also learn how much park space is available nearby as well as how safe people feel in their communities.
The Community Health Profiles is designed to empower residents, policymakers, and health advocates with the information they need to better understand and address the health needs of their communities.
“It is important to be able to tell the story of individual communities because a single data point for the whole county often doesn’t reflect our diversity of the actual lived experiences of our residents,” said Anish Mahajan, the county department of public health’s chief deputy director.
Mahajan, who spoke at a data unveiling event at the Karen R. Bass People’s Hall Community Coalition on Wednesday, underscored the need for “locally focused efforts to improve health” by taking into account the “specific conditions and experiences of each community.”
The online data tool was designed to encapsulate every city and unincorporated area in the county and presents granular data for most L.A. neighborhoods. Information on Boyle Heights spans several public health indicators, such as life expectancy, drug and alcohol use, and COVID-19 mortality rates.
Though comprehensive, the data doesn’t disclose an up-to-date homeless individual count and does not present a homicide or firearm mortality rate for Boyle Heights.
In a statement, Barbara Ferrer, director of the county department of public health, said the data is “designed to guide our work towards a more equitable Los Angeles County.”
“By providing clear, localized data, these profiles inform efforts and system changes needed to address inequities,” Ferrer said.
