06/22/2026
The latest Vital Signs 24 report shows Baltimore is at a turning point based on over 110 community data indicators. In 2024, homicides have continued to decline, creative businesses are rebounding for the first time since the pandemic, and chronic absenteeism in schools is dropping in almost every neighborhood.
The city is measuring progress through the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance's (BNIA-JFI) Vital Signs 24 report, which tracks more than 110 local indicators across eight topics. This provides detailed, neighborhood-level data that goes beyond citywide statistics. The approach relies on formal partnerships, community input, and data-sharing agreements to make sure the data reflects what residents care about.
For our foundation, this data model is important because it can guide grantmaking, measure neighborhood-level impact, and help spot issues early. Dr. Amanda Phillips de Lucas, director of UBalt's BNIA-JFI, says these indicators offer "a trusted reference to understand trends and guide future planning"—the type of evidence our board uses for decisions.
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