The decennial census provides a treasure trove of data about the US. Although delayed by the pandemic, the 2020 Census revealed insights about how and where the US population is changing.
This interactive map from Esri uses 2020 Census data to map the predominant race and ethnicity in each place. It’s a multiscale map, so you’ll see different results as you zoom in from states to blocks.
Predominance maps use color and shading or size to show the most common data value in an area. They’re often used to map election results or demographics (or heating fuel sources).
In this map, each color indicates which of the eight race/ethnicity categories from the census have the highest total count in an area. The brightness of the color represents how predominant that category is. For example, the map shows dark green counties along the border between Arizona and New Mexico. These are places where a significant share of the population is American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic.
The map comes alive as you zoom in to census tracts and block groups. In urban areas like Houston, you can see a patchwork of different races and ethnicities across the city. The map includes bookmarks to let you quickly navigate to different cities. You can click any place for more information about the demographic makeup there.
Maps like this can reveal the legacy impacts of segregation policies like redlining. But they also highlight the diversity of many places across the US. Governments can use these insights to better serve people who may speak different languages. Businesses can optimize products and services. And people can better understand the unique characteristics of their communities.
More to Explore
- Learn more about predominance maps.
