All four factors were weighted equally with a weight of 25 percent. The tables were normalized after calculating for percentage values and then assigned their log score according to the index. The normalized values were re-scaled based upon their Z-score. The overall Townsend Index was calculated through summation.

X1+X2+X3+X4 = Townsend Score        

The Townsend index was developed outside of British Columbia. This may mask some of the SES pockets within the GVRD which were previously identifiable. As well, the Townsend index was developed more than twenty years ago and it is questionable if all factors can pronounce material deprivation in the 21st century. The relationship between deprivation and car ownership is controversial. The public transportation network within the downtown core of the GVRD does not require that all families posses personal transportation. This likely resulted in overestimating inequality within the urban areas of the GVRD.