Community characteristics can include information about an area's natural features, such as how much land is covered by forests or water, and its human-made features from types of housing and roads to locations of hospitals, schools, or other public service buildings. The Tracking Network has data about some of these community characteristics.

Understanding community characteristics, including resources and vulnerabilities, can help public health professionals

• Identify threats, hazards, and at-risk populations
• Evaluate potential impact of threats or hazards within the context of a community's population, climate, built environments, infrastructure, and resources
• Determine potential resource needs and public health actions which could lessen or prevent sickness, injury, or death in the event of a public health emergency.