Sociodemographic correlates of greenness within public parks in three U.S. cities

•We used a very high-resolution dataset (1 m2) to measure specific types of vegetation and other landcover within urban public parks and surrounding neighborhoods.•We used a novel spatial analysis to match urban public parks with the sociodemographic characteristics of the neighborhoods they likely serve.•Urban public parks had substantially more vegetation when compared to surrounding neighborhoods confirming public parks are key contributors to urban greenness.•Parks generally had less tree canopy and more grass and impervious surface or soil as the population of Black, Hispanic/Latino, or low SES residents in surrounding neighborhoods increased.•Our findings have important implications for future research and interventions concerning the health benefits of access to parks and greenness in urban areas.