Census Map Series

This map represents the Black population of the United States by percentage in each county. The legend is divided into six categories, each representing a certain range of percent population of Black individuals. From the map it is clear that a majority of the U.S. has a very low percentage of Black residents (between 0.010289 and 4.0%). The region with the highest population of Black residents is the South, according to U.S. Census regions and divisions. The region is categorized under the top 4 ranges, which means that between 12 and 88% of the population is Black. There are pockets of densely  Black populated counties throughout the Midwest and Southern rim of the Northeast as well.

This map represents the Asian population of the United States by percentage in each county. The legend is divided into six categories, each representing a certain range of percent population of Asian individuals. This map has less contrast than the Black population map. While it is clear that a majority of the U.S. has a very low population of Asian residents (0.005-1 %), counties with higher percentages of Asian residents are spread out throughout several regions of the U.S, such as the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast. However, California undoubtedly has the largest concentration of Asian individuals indicated by the darker green and blue tones.

This map represents the "Some Other Race" population of the United States by percentage in each county. The legend is divided into six categories each representing a certain range of percent population of some other race individuals. According to the Census, the "Some other Race" category refers to individuals who identify themselves as multi-racial, interracial, mixed or Hispanic/Latino groups. While there are pockets of populated areas with a high percentage of "some other race" individuals scattered throughout the county, such as the Northeast, Florida, Illinois, etc, the Southwest as a clear concentration of "some other race" residents, which I believe is due to the large Hispanic/Latino populations in the region.

Overall, it was interesting working with Census data to create maps. I'm a very visual person and so it is an effective way to visually represent population percentages throughout the country. It was the first time we had to manually download data, input it into ArcGIS and join it with a preexisting map to create a model. While it was frustrating at first, not due to the difficulty level, but due to technical difficulties within the program, I learned a new and useful skill. The census data map series is a prime example of how attribute data can be turned into spatial representation within GIS programs.  It is an excellent way to present visual concepts that are based on solid data.