A thorough understanding of the relationships between sociodemographic factors and environmental quality remains limited. Although previous research has examined individual sociodemographic and environmental quality indicators, comprehensive assessments of how these factors interact are still lacking. In this study, we used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and environmental quality indicators from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate spatial correlations between sociodemographic characteristics and measures of air quality, water quality and quantity, and recreational benefits across six states in the southeastern United States. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, we found only a weak negative correlation between social vulnerability and overall environmental quality, suggesting that more socially vulnerable communities may reside in areas with relatively higher aggregate environmental quality. This pattern may be explained by rural–urban differences across the southeastern landscape. However, analyses of the individual components of the SVI and environmental quality revealed more complex and nuanced relationships. These findings highlight the importance of examining both social vulnerability and environmental quality in greater detail to ensure that environmental management strategies reduce, rather than exacerbate, existing social inequities.
