2010 Census and ACS data is free on PolicyMap

The New York Times was the first to push out truly beautiful maps of the new data from ACS and in February we were pleased to incorporate the ACS data into PolicyMap – making it available to our users for FREE in fluid, interactive maps and tables. PolicyMap adds value to the ACS data by giving our users the ability see how areas they care about have changed since the Census 2000; and makes it available to subscribers in reports that can be generated for any custom region, zip code, congressional district, radius or unique area you draw on the map.

Just last week, we did the same for the new indicators from Census 2010 and the response we’ve had from users interested in incorporating this new data in their work has been tremendous. As a result, we thought it would be good to post a quick note and remind you what you can do for FREE with this data in PolicyMap. In short, you can do a lot.

• Create a map of any custom geography of your choosing, add an ACS indicator and then share that map with others via email; embed a map in your own website; save as a PDF; or create a really high-resolution PNG file to bring the map into your own publications.
• See how indicators have changed since 2000. Using guidelines established by the Census, we calculated for you the change between the 2000 Census and the 2005-2009 ACS so you can see how the areas you care about have changed over time. Again, make a map of the change and incorporate it into your own work. Much of the data is available down the block group level, so zoom in and see what is going on at a more granular level.
  (Percent change in the number of people between 2000 and 2010)
• Compare an indicator across geographies in our tables. Want to compare the median home value in cities across the nation. Just use the tables. Select the indicator and enter in the cities.

We’ve also got a free widget that you can embed on your own site empowering your website visitors with this latest information from ACS as well. Just embed the iframe code below into your webpage.

For more information on what additional tools and reports you can access as a subscriber, just contact us.