Physical Environment and Safety Figures

NOTE: Percentages are based on the number of children living in counties where measured air pollution concentrations were higher than the level of a Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard, set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at least once during the year. The EPA periodically reviews air quality standards and may change them based on updated scientific findings. The indicator is calculated with reference to the current levels of the air quality standards for all years shown. Measuring concentrations above the level of a standard is not equivalent to violating the standard. The level of a standard may be exceeded on multiple days before the exceedance is considered a violation of the standard. Data were revised since previous publication in America's Children. Values have been recalculated based on updated data in the Air Quality System. For more information on the air quality standards that are used in calculating these percentages, please see https://www.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants/naaqs-table.

SOURCE: Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Air Quality System.

NOTE: Cotinine levels are reported for nonsmoking children only. "Any detectable cotinine" indicates blood cotinine levels at or above 0.05 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), the level of cotinine that could be detected in blood in 1988–1994. The average (geometric mean) blood cotinine level in children living in homes in which someone smoked was 1.0 ng/mL in 1988–1994.⁶¹ The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. For more information, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

NOTE: Revisions to the following standards were made between 2002 and 2006: disinfection byproducts (2002 for larger systems and 2004 for smaller systems), surface water treatment (2002), radionuclides (2003), and arsenic (included in the chemical and radionuclide category, in 2006). Revisions to the Total Coliform Rule took effect in 2016. No other revisions to the standards have taken effect during the period of trend data (beginning with 1993). Indicator values reflect the standards in place for each year depicted. Data were revised since previous publication in America's Children. Values for years prior to 2020 have been recalculated based on updated data in the Safe Drinking Water Information System.

SOURCE: Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Safe Drinking Water Information System.

NOTE: The reference level of 5 µ/dL is the 97.5th percentile of blood lead levels for children ages 1–5 in 2005–2008. The CDC lowered this reference level to 3.5 µ/dL in 2021 to identify children with elevated blood lead levels. The new reference level has not yet been incorporated into this figure. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. The 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic data are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. For more information, see: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

NOTE: Data are available biennially since 1999. All data are weighted using the decennial Census that preceded the date of their collection. The comparability of data over time is limited by questionnaire changes in 2007 and a redesign and new longitudinal sample drawn in 2015.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey. Tabulated by Department of Housing and Urban Development.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey. Tabulated by Department of Housing and Urban Development.

NOTE: Serious violent crimes include aggravated assault, rape, robbery (stealing by force or threat of violence), and homicide. In 2021, homicides represented 1.4% of serious violent crime, and the total number of homicides of juveniles has been relatively stable over the last decade. Beginning in 2021, the number of homicides was estimated using the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System. From 1993-2020, the number of homicides were estimated using the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. See Criminal Victimization, 2007, https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv07.pdf, for more information. In 2016, the National Crime Victimization Survey sample was redesigned, so 2016 estimates among youths are not comparable with estimates for other years. The 2020 NCVS weights include an additional adjustment to address the impact of modified field operations due to COVID-19. The 2020 estimate for female youth did not meet reporting standards due to insufficient unweighted sample cases and is excluded from the graphic. For more information on the weighting adjustments applied in 2020, see the Source and Accuracy Statement for the 2020 National Crime Victimization Survey in the NCVS 2020 Codebook (https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/studies/38090/summary) and Criminal Victimization, 2020 (NCJ 301775, BJS, October 2021).

SOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, National Incident-Based Reporting System.

‡ Reporting standards not met; estimate is considered unreliable.

NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. "Struck" denotes being struck by or against an object or person, "natural or environmental" denotes injuries caused by natural or environmental factors such as insect or animal bites, and "cut or pierced" denotes injuries caused by cutting or piercing from instruments or objects.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.

NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. "Struck" denotes injuries caused by being struck by or against an object or person, "overexertion" denotes injuries caused by excessive physical exercise or strenuous movements in recreational or other activities, and "cut or pierced" denotes injuries caused by cutting or piercing from instruments or objects.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.