USDACommunityConnectScoresFromFCC_NBM_APIs.py - This code creates a CSV output file with basic 2010 demographic information for each Census Place community in a state. It also uses this demographic information to calculate the value of two USDA Community

USDACommunityConnectScoresFromFCC_NBM_APIs.py

import json
import urllib2
import datetime
from time import strftime

def getEconomicScore(inMedianHouseholdIncome):
    
    #Set this variable from:
    #http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/household/2010/H08_2010.xls
    #This data would make a nice web service!
    stateMedianHouseholdIncome = 56787 

    percentageOfStateAvg = inMedianHouseholdIncome/float(stateMedianHouseholdIncome) * 100
    score = int((79.9999999 - percentageOfStateAvg)/5) * 5
    if score < 5:
        score = 0
    if score > 30:
        score = 30
    return score

def getRuralityScore(inCommunityPopulation):
    score = 0
    if inCommunityPopulation < 500:
        score = 40
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 1000:
        score = 35
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 2000:
        score = 30
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 3000:
        score = 25
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 4000:
        score = 20
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 5000:
        score = 15
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 10000:
        score = 10
    elif inCommunityPopulation < 20000:
        score = 5    
    return score

###
# SET THESE PARAMETERS
stateFIPSStr = '49' #FIPS code for state of Utah
outFileFolder = 'c:/projects/broadband/'
outFileName = outFileFolder + 'usdacommunityconnectscore_fromfccwebservices_' + strftime("%Y%m%d%H%M%S") + '.csv'
# ALSO SET stateMedianHouseholdIncome in getEconomicScore()
###

nbmGeographyLookupByGeographyTypeState_URL = r'http://www.broadbandmap.gov/broadbandmap/geography/state/'+ stateFIPSStr + '/censusplace?format=json&maxresults=2000&all'
nbmDemographicsByGeographyTypeID_URL = r'http://www.broadbandmap.gov/broadbandmap/demographic/jun2011/censusplace/ids/GEOGID?format=json'

     
responseGeography = urllib2.urlopen(nbmGeographyLookupByGeographyTypeState_URL)
jsonGeography = json.load(responseGeography)
jsonGeographyResults = jsonGeography["Results"]

count = 0
writeHeaderRow = True
outputStr = ""

for place in jsonGeographyResults:

    count = count + 1
    print str(count) + " " + place["geographyId"] + " " + place["geographyName"]
 
    getDemographicURL = nbmDemographicsByGeographyTypeID_URL.replace("GEOGID", str(place["geographyId"]))
    responseDemographic = urllib2.urlopen(getDemographicURL)
    jsonDemographic = json.load(responseDemographic)
    jsonDemographicResults = jsonDemographic["Results"]
    currentRow = ""
  
    for demographicResult in jsonDemographicResults:

        keys = []

        for key in demographicResult:

            if key not in keys:
                    keys.append(key)
                    
        if writeHeaderRow == True:
            for key in keys:
                currentRow += '"' + key + '",'

            #write out USDA rurality and economic need column headers
            currentRow += '"usda_ruralityscore",'
            currentRow += '"usda_economicscore"'
            currentRow += '\n'            
            writeHeaderRow = False

        usdaEconomicNeed = 0
        usdaRurality = 0
        for key in demographicResult:
            currentRow += str(demographicResult[key])
            currentRow += ','
            if key == "population":
                usdaRuralityScore = getRuralityScore(demographicResult[key])
            if key == "medianIncome":
                usdaEconomicScore = getEconomicScore(demographicResult[key])
                
        #write out USDA rurality and economic need column data values
        currentRow += str(usdaRuralityScore) + ","
        currentRow += str(usdaEconomicScore)
        currentRow += '\n' 
        
    outputStr += currentRow

#print outputStr    
outFile = open(outFileName, "w")
outFile.write(outputStr)
outFile.close()

The USDA Rural Development Community Connect grant application materials specify applicants to use the 2010 census community places list (or other populated communities listed in the Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide) together with the year 2000 median household income statistics (perplexing...to say the least). Please note that the code above pulls in 2010 median household income.

For more information on the grant program, see: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_commconnect.html