Land surface form (flat to mountainous)
The shape of the land, as a code from 1 (flat plains) to 21 (high mountains), taken from the 1970 National Atlas. Codes in between cover plains with hills, tablelands (high flat land cut by valleys) and open hills. A higher code means more varied land.
Reported for3,062areas, in 48 states — none in AK, CT, HI, PR
Link to density0.08not mostly about how urban a place is
Nearby places alike0.78Moran’s I: strongly, neighbouring places tend to be similar
Typeratecode (1-21)
How it has moved
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Every state, every year
Nothing to draw here: this measure has no state figures. Its publisher reports it for counties. This site does not add county numbers up into state figures, since a home-made figure could clash with one an agency publishes itself. The chart above covers the whole country, year by year.
Where it comes from
USDA ERS Natural Amenities Scale · USDA ERS natural amenities scale, land surface form topography code
A code from 1 (flat plains) to 21 (high mountains). Published for counties only, and not rebuilt for larger areas here.
Combining areas: it cannot be combined, so it is shown only where its publisher works it out.
What it goes with
The strongest links that have a page of their own. Unadjusted is the link before adjusting for anything, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step). Adjusted compares places with the same population density, income and education levels, so those differences can’t explain the link. This list leaves out the 1 pairs built from the same numbers or the same model as this measure, since they are bound to match.
| Measure | Unadjusted | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Expected yearly inland flood lossWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Expected yearly inland flood loss tends to be higher: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Expected yearly inland flood loss by US county | +0.46 | +0.46 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Taking blood pressure medicationWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Taking blood pressure medication tends to be lower: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Taking blood pressure medication by US county | -0.43 | -0.43 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Summer daily highWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Summer daily high tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Summer daily high by US county | -0.39 | -0.39 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Medicare spending per enrolleeWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Medicare spending per enrollee tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Medicare spending per enrollee by US county | -0.37 | -0.35 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and DepressionWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Depression tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Depression by US county | +0.28 | +0.35 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Median home valueWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Median home value tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Median home value by US county | +0.23 | +0.34 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share Black, not HispanicWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Share Black, not Hispanic tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Share Black, not Hispanic by US county | -0.35 | -0.34 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Frequent mental distressWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Frequent mental distress tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Frequent mental distress by US county | +0.11 | +0.32 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Expected yearly tornado lossWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Expected yearly tornado loss tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Expected yearly tornado loss by US county | -0.30 | -0.30 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Average temperatureWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Average temperature tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Average temperature by US county | -0.33 | -0.30 |
Population makeup
How this measure varies with the racial and ethnic makeup of counties. Every group is shown, whatever its rank. These are links across counties: they describe places, not people. They say nothing about any person’s risk or behaviour based on their race. Counties with a larger share of one group also differ in much else, such as income, segregation, region and history. The adjusted figure only accounts for density, income and education.
| Share of residents | Unadjusted | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share White, not HispanicWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Share White, not Hispanic tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Share White, not Hispanic by US county | +0.26 | +0.25 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share Black, not HispanicWhere Land surface form (flat to mountainous) is higher, Share Black, not Hispanic tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Share Black, not Hispanic by US county | -0.35 | -0.34 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share Hispanic or Latino, any raceCould easily be chance once only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share Hispanic or Latino, any race by US county | -0.05 | -0.06 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share Asian, not HispanicCould easily be chance once only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share Asian, not Hispanic by US county | +0.00 | +0.03 |
| Land surface form (flat to mountainous) and Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not HispanicCould easily be chance once only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic by US county | +0.05 | +0.02 |
Highest and lowest
Of 3,062 counties reporting it. These are the two ends of a national ranking. For most measures, that ranking mostly sorts places by income and how urban they are. That is why the place pages compare each place with similar places instead.
Highest
- Teller County, CO — 21
- Summit County, CO — 21
- San Miguel County, CO — 21
- San Juan County, CO — 21
- Saguache County, CO — 21
Lowest
- Kent County, DE — 1
- Sussex County, DE — 1
- Alachua County, FL — 1
- Baker County, FL — 1
- Bay County, FL — 1
The middle area reports 5. The middle half of counties falls between 4 and 14 (the 25th to 75th percentile).
US Counties With the Highest Land Surface Form (flat to mountainous) · US Counties With the Lowest Land Surface Form (flat to mountainous)
All measures · Explore its pairs · How the US county data works