A New Method for Mapping Population Distribution

Abstract

Human population counts are collected and commonly displayed uniformly across areas, such as U.S. Census Bureau block-groups and tracts. The limitation inherent in this type of representation is the assumption that people are evenly distributed across each areal unit, when in actuality many areas such as parks, open spaces, and industrial zones are uninhabited. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a geospatial tool that uses a 'dasymetric' mapping method to redistribute census population values to homogenous, inhabited, zones, enhancing visualization and accuracy.