NatureScore
Overview
NatureScore® measures the amount and quality of natural elements of any location using a patented system. For each location of interest, NatureQuant analyzes and blends various data sets and processed information within the subject polygon or point of interest with a given radius. Data layers include satellite infrared measurements, GIS and land classifications, park data and features, tree canopies, air, noise and light pollution, human modifications (buildings/streets/impervious surfaces), and computer vision elements (aerial and street images).
| Data Information | Value |
|---|---|
| Refresh Cadence | Annually |
| Historical Coverage | snapshot |
| Geographic Coverage | United States |
Codebook
The codebook provides a standardized reference for all variables in this dataset, including each column’s name, format, definition, notes, and (when applicable) its valid values. Use this section to understand how fields are structured, how to interpret individual variables, and to ensure consistent analysis across different tools and workflows. The codebook is designed to support quick discovery, reduce ambiguity, and make it easier to work confidently with the dataset
CodebookCoverage
NatureScore collection began in 2019 and has been updated annually since then across the U.S. and Canada, with EU coverage introduced in 2024. Each annual release provides a complete snapshot of NatureScore metrics for that year.
Historical backfiles are not available, only the most recent annual snapshot is provided through Dewey.
Key Concepts
What is NatureScore
- NatureScore is a composite metric that quantifies the amount and quality of “health-supporting natural elements” at a given location.
- It generates a numerical score on a 0–100 scale, where:
- 0 represents a largely built, “nature-deficient” environment with minimal natural/health-supporting elements
- 100 represents an environment abundant in natural, health-beneficial elements.
Spatial Scope & Resolution
- NatureScore is typically calculated for standard geographies such as census tracts (in the U.S.).
- It can also be computed at finer spatial resolution: for custom polygons, individual addresses, or gridded spatial units (e.g., 10-meter resolution) depending on research needs.
- The dataset supports coverage in the US and Canada beginning in 2019 and the EU from 2024 on.
What Goes Into the Score: Natural & Environmental Elements
NatureScore aggregates multiple environmental, ecological, and built-environment features — all chosen for their demonstrated or hypothesized linkage with human health or well-being. These include:
- Live vegetation (e.g., tree canopy) and other green-space measures.
- Land use / land cover classifications (to distinguish built vs natural areas).
- Parks and publicly accessible green spaces / open spaces.
- Environmental quality indicators, including where available: air pollution, noise, artificial light — i.e., factors that may reduce nature’s health benefits when high.
- Imagery-based features (e.g., aerial or street-view imagery) analyzed with computer-vision techniques to detect natural vs built elements, vegetation presence, and possibly other contextual cues of environment quality.
Because of this multimodal integration — satellite data, GIS, land-cover, pollution, imagery, and more — NatureScore is more than a simple “greenness index.” It is a holistic measure of environmental attributes that matter for human health and well-being.
Interpretive Categories (“Nature Tiers”)
To facilitate interpretation and decision-making, the 0–100 NatureScore scale is often contextualized in categorical bands describing neighborhood natural-environment quality. According to the publicly available documentation:
| Tier | NatureScore Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nature Deficient | 0–19.9 | Very low presence of natural elements; limited opportunities for meaningful nature exposure. |
| Nature Light | 20–39.9 | Low to moderate natural-element density; some access to nature but may require effort. |
| Nature Adequate | 40–59.9 | Balanced mix of natural and built environments; moderate opportunities for nature exposure. |
| Nature Rich | 60–79.9 | High density of natural features; strong opportunities for regular nature exposure. |
| Nature Utopia | 80–100 | Abundant natural elements and optimal environmental conditions for nature-related health benefits. |
These categories make NatureScore more actionable, for example, for urban planners identifying “nature-deficient” neighborhoods to prioritize for greening.
Suggested Citation & Further Reading
For a peer-reviewed overview of the NatureScore framework, methodology, and its application to health research, see:
Simkin, J., Roemmich, R., & Eichstaedt, J. (2023). Quantifying Nature: Introducing NatureScore™ and NatureDose™ as Health Analysis and Promotion Tools. American Journal of Health Promotion. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08901171231210806b
This article provides foundational details on:
- How NatureScore is constructed
- Which environmental features are included
- Why exposure to nature is treated as a health-relevant behavior
- How NatureScore supports public-health and environmental research
Updated 1 day ago