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 Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Primary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) level at least once during the year. The EPA periodically reviews these standards and may change them based on updated scientific findings. The indicator is calculated with reference to the current NAAQS levels 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 were used in calculating these percentages, see https://www.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants/naaqs-table.

SOURCE: U.S. 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 1988–1994.² 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: NH = non-Hispanic origin. Cotinine levels are reported for nonsmoking children only. "Any detectable blood cotinine" indicates blood cotinine levels at or above 0.05 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), the detectable level of cotinine in the blood in 1988–1994. Beginning in 2007, NHANES allows the reporting of both total Hispanics and Mexican Americans; however, estimates reported here are for Mexican Americans to be consistent with earlier years. Persons of Mexican American origin may be of any race.

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

NOTE: The reference level of 3.5 µg/dL was the 97.5th percentile of blood lead levels for children ages 1–5 in 2015–2016 and 2017–2018 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently use this reference level to identify children with elevated blood lead levels. The 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: NH = non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Mexican American origin may be of any race. Included in the total but not shown separately are persons who were American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and of Two or more races. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately but combined for reporting. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. See the NOTE under PHY4.A for information about the reference level and data treatment.

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

NOTE: Data are available biennially since 2001. 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 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Housing Survey. Tabulated by Department of Housing and Urban Development.

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. 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 2023, homicides represented 1.09% of serious violent crimes, 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) National Incident-Based Reporting System. From 1993–2020, the number of homicides was estimated using the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. Due to methodological changes in the 2006 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), use caution when comparing 2006 criminal victimization estimates with other years. See Criminal Victimization, 2007, https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv07.pdf, for more information. In 2016, the NCVS sample was redesigned, so 2016 estimates among youth 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 the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 NCVS in the NCVS 2020 Codebook (https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/studies/38090/summary) and Criminal Victimization, 2020 (https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/cv20.pdf).

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" means being struck by or against an object or person, "natural or environmental factors" means injuries caused by natural or environmental factors such as insect or animal bites, "overexertion" means injuries caused by excessive physical exercise or strenuous movements in recreational or other activities, and "cut or pierced" means 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—Mortality.

† Not applicable (not a cause of death for children ages 1–4).

NOTE: Most suicides in the 5–14 age group are among those ages 10–14.

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

NOTE: Visits are the initial visit to the emergency department for the injury. "Struck" means injuries caused by being struck by or against an object or person; "overexertion" means injuries caused by excessive physical exercise or strenuous movements in recreational or other activities; and "cut or pierced" means 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—Mortality.

NOTE: The manner of intent involves whether the injury was purposefully inflicted (if it can be determined) or unintentional. If the injury is deemed intentional, it is further classified as self-inflicted (suicide) or inflicted on another person (homicide).

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