Maps – Reference at Newman Library

UK Census and US Election Data in the Social Explorer

The Social Explorer has recently added some new datasets. US Demography is still their primary module, which includes historical and current US Census data from the decennial census and the American Community Survey. But if you were looking for UK Census data, you’re now in luck! The United Kingdom 2011 Census is available for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The UK module works the same way as the US one; you can make good-looking web maps using a variety of different geographies, and download census reports.

Just in time for the upcoming 2016 election, they’ve added a US Election Data module. You can create maps of voter registration and actual election outcomes for presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial elections at the state and county level for the past decade or so. Unfortunately you can’t download any of the underlying data; they’ve partnered with Dave Leip’s and his Atlas of Presidential Elections, and he holds a virtual monopoly on this information. There are public and free alternatives for voter registration and federal election data at the state level, but they are from two different sources: the Census Current Population Survey for the former and the Federal Election Commission for the latter. A central, reliable, public source for county-level data is non-existent. Despite this large shortcoming, the Social Explorer module is still useful for exploring and visualizing election data.

The Social Explorer is available via our databases page, and you can access each of the modules under the Maps heading. Scroll down and pick the one you’d like.

Accessibility to Jobs for NYC Neighborhoods

The Rudin Center for Transportation at NYU recently released a report entitled Mobility, Economic Opportunity and New York City Neighborhoods. Included with the report are an interactive map and summary profiles by ZIP Code (together in one PDF) that illustrate how accessible each neighborhood is relative to employment opportunities. In addition to illustrating accessibility, the data also seeks to illustrate the balance or imbalance between available job opportunities (based on the type / sector of work) versus the education, skill, or income level of different neighborhoods.

Accessibility measures and transit routing were generated using the Google Apps API, and the other data comes from the Census: neighborhood demographics from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey, and job counts from the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics. This would be a good resource for our students who are doing neighborhood research.

CityMaps Shows Retail Locations

A New York Times article this week alerted me to an interesting map service on the web that details all the stores, hotels, etc. on every block in Manhattan. I see that the map covers all of NYC (correction: just Manhattan and Brooklyn) but am not sure how comprehensive it is. Check out this map currently pinpointed to the Newman Library here at Baruch.

Home page: CityMaps

New Census Resources for NYC Neighborhood Data

1. I’ve created a handout that summarizes the different neighborhood geographies, census datasets, and sources for finding neighborhood profiles and comparison tables. Much of the 2010 Census data is now available and the NYC Dept of City Planning has also released some new resources. The handout is available on the neighborhoods tab of the NYC Data Libguide as a PDF; it updates and replaces the Neighborhood FAQ page that was previously in the guide.

What’s the difference between the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey? What the heck is a PUMA and a ZCTA and what’s the difference? Where’s the best place to go get neighborhood census data? It’s all in the handout. The dataset, geography, and source you choose will vary based on the nature of the question and the relative importance of currency, size of geographic area, and variables needed.

2. I’ve created a new Google Map that lets you to click on ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) within the city to open 2010 Census profiles directly from the Census Bureau’s American Factfinder. ZCTAs are statistical areas created by the Census Bureau to approximate USPS ZIP Codes. The map is also available on the neighborhoods tab of the NYC Data guide, directly below the PUMA Google Map (which you can use to get neighborhood profiles from the 2007-2009 American Community Survey). If viewing the map within the guide is too constraining, you can click the View Larger Map link directly below the map to get the full screen view.

New 2010 Census Maps

The Census Bureau has created some slick looking maps and charts with new 2010 Census data. There’s a national map that shows change in population, change in congressional apportionment, and population density by state, along with population change charts for the past 100 years.

There are also state level maps that show change in population between 2000 and 2010 at the county level for total population and population by race and Hispanic / Latino origin. As of this post there are only 4 states available (New York isn’t ready yet, but you can check out Jersey); all the state level maps should be released by April 1st.

These maps were designed to be used as “widgets”. There’s some html code below each one that you can copy and paste into a web page, allowing you to embed a particular map on your web site. This blog doesn’t support the particular code; otherwise I’d embed one here. It does work in LibGuides however, if you’re using a wide page layout (two columns instead of three).

Take a look here: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/