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The wellbeing of our community rests on Cambridge being a place where everyone is included— where residents can live healthy lives in vibrant neighborhoods, connect with neighbors, and have a say in the future of their city. The community-based actions range from funding arts, to workforce training, to building healthy public spaces. They aim to further diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and reflect our Core Values.
Envision indicators are updated as new data becomes available, which varies by indicator, but no more often than annually.
For several decades, Cambridge has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. However, growth in the proportion of people of color in Cambridge has slowed in recent years, and the proportional size of the Black community shows indications of decreasing. This indicator measures diversity in the City's population using a statistic commonly used in ecology for measuring biodiversity, the Gini-Simpson Index. As used here, the Gini-Simpson Index is the probability that any two Cambridge residents selected at random will be members of two comparison groups.
In the chart, the three lines show the Gini-Simpson Index value for three sets of comparison groups:
For several decades, Cambridge has become increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. However, growth in the proportion of people of color in Cambridge has slowed in recent years, and the proportional size of the Black community shows indications of decreasing. This indicator measures diversity in the City's population using a statistic commonly used in ecology for measuring biodiversity, the Gini-Simpson Index. As used here, the Gini-Simpson Index is the probability that any two Cambridge residents selected at random will be members of two comparison groups.
In the chart, the three lines show the Gini-Simpson Index value for three sets of comparison groups:
ACS 1-Year Table DP05, except for Decennial Census years, in which case data comes from table P9.
Gini-Simpson Index
| Indicator | Baseline | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Blacks & all others | 0.2 Probability | 0.2 Probability |
| Four groups | 0.54 Probability | 0.5 Probability |
| White Non-Hispanic & all others | 0.49 Probability | 0.47 Probability |
Cambridge should not just be diverse, but everyone here should feel welcome. This indicator will track the population’s qualitative understanding of inclusion in the city. In the coming years, surveys should be structured to uncover differences in responses by the respondent’s race, if those differences exist.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge "good" or "excellent" as a welcoming place to all races, ethnicities, cultures, and identities (Survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers. Prior to 2023, wording was "welcoming place to all races and cultures").
Cambridge should not just be diverse, but everyone here should feel welcome. This indicator will track the population’s qualitative understanding of inclusion in the city. In the coming years, surveys should be structured to uncover differences in responses by the respondent’s race, if those differences exist.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge "good" or "excellent" as a welcoming place to all races, ethnicities, cultures, and identities (Survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers. Prior to 2023, wording was "welcoming place to all races and cultures").
City Manager's Biennial Survey
The survey is administered citywide every even numbered year. Responses are collected through online open response and a randomized sample contacted by phone including cell phone. Only the results of the truly random phone sample are tracked for Envision.
Percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge "good" or "excellent" as a welcoming place to all races and cultures
84%
90%
Moderate physical activity is important for both the physical and mental health of Cambridge’s community. The Cambridge Dept. of Public Health conducts regular Teen Health Surveys that ask Cambridge teens about their levels of physical activity. Prior to 2022, the surveys were conducted in alternate years for middle school and high school students. As of 2022 there is a single combined survey conducted every other year.
The two lines in the chart show the percent of middle school and high school students that said they engage in 60 minutes of physical activity at least one day in the last week.
Moderate physical activity is important for both the physical and mental health of Cambridge’s community. The Cambridge Dept. of Public Health conducts regular Teen Health Surveys that ask Cambridge teens about their levels of physical activity. Prior to 2022, the surveys were conducted in alternate years for middle school and high school students. As of 2022 there is a single combined survey conducted every other year.
The two lines in the chart show the percent of middle school and high school students that said they engage in 60 minutes of physical activity at least one day in the last week.
Cambridge Department of Public Health Teen Health Survey
Survey is administered in alternate years
| Indicator | Baseline | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Middle school students | 78% | 85% |
| High school students | 78% | 85% |
Moderate physical activity is important for both the physical and mental health of Cambridge’s community. PLACES and 500 Cities are projects of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the CDC Foundation that provide data on health at the local level. One statistic they report is on physical activity for adults.
The chart shows the percent of adults in Cambridge that engage in physical activity.
Moderate physical activity is important for both the physical and mental health of Cambridge’s community. PLACES and 500 Cities are projects of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the CDC Foundation that provide data on health at the local level. One statistic they report is on physical activity for adults.
The chart shows the percent of adults in Cambridge that engage in physical activity.
500 Cities/PLACES Database
Use data reported in 500 Cities/PLACES database
Percent of adults that engage in physical activity
83%
85%
All people in Cambridge should feel their recreational needs and desires are met by the City’s public spaces and recreational programming. This indicator tracks the community’s opinions of Cambridge’s open spaces and recreation assets.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge's recreational opportunities as "good" or "excellent" (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
All people in Cambridge should feel their recreational needs and desires are met by the City’s public spaces and recreational programming. This indicator tracks the community’s opinions of Cambridge’s open spaces and recreation assets.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge's recreational opportunities as "good" or "excellent" (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
City Manager's Biennial Survey
The survey is administered citywide every even numbered year. Responses are collected through online open response and a randomized sample contacted by phone including cell phone. Only the results of the truly random phone sample are tracked for Envision.
Percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge's open space and recreational opportunities as good or excellent
60%
75%
What constitutes “community” is difficult for people to define and differs from person to person, but a feeling of being part of a community is important for individual and social wellbeing. This indicator tracks our collective perception of community in the city.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that say Cambridge's has "good" or "excellent" sense of community life (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
What constitutes “community” is difficult for people to define and differs from person to person, but a feeling of being part of a community is important for individual and social wellbeing. This indicator tracks our collective perception of community in the city.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that say Cambridge's has "good" or "excellent" sense of community life (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
City Manager's Biennial Survey
The survey is administered citywide every even numbered year. Responses are collected through online open response and a randomized sample contacted by phone including cell phone. Only the results of the truly random phone sample are tracked for Envision.
Percent of survey respondents that say Cambridge has a "good" or "excellent" sense of community life
67%
80%
Everyone deserves to be safe, but it is also important for people to feel safe. This indicator tracks the sense of security felt by Cambridge residents.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that say Cambridge is a safe place to live (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
Everyone deserves to be safe, but it is also important for people to feel safe. This indicator tracks the sense of security felt by Cambridge residents.
The chart shows the percent of survey respondents that say Cambridge is a safe place to live (survey responses collected by calls to randomly selected Cambridge phone numbers).
City Manager's Biennial Survey
The survey is administered citywide every even numbered year. Responses are collected through online open response and a randomized sample contacted by phone including cell phone. Only the results of the truly random phone sample are tracked for Envision.
Percent of survey respondents that rate Cambridge as a safe place to live
78%
90%
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