Census Dots: A New Interactive Dot Map Reveals the Demographic Makeup of America
Census Dots is an interactive map displaying all 331 million Americans from the decennial census, color-coded by race. Users can explore demographic patterns from national to neighborhood levels. The project revives a similar 2010 map, with future plans to add additional historical and socioeconomic data.
BROOKLYN, NY - Census Dots is an updated demographic dot map of the United States, displaying all 331 million Americans recorded in the 2020 Census, color-coded by race. The map is interactive and zoomable, allowing exploration at the national, state, city, and neighborhood levels. Dedicated pages exist for both states and municipalities — for example, Texas or Los Angeles, CA — providing statistics on individual geographies and allowing easy comparison between neighbors. Census Dots intends to make it easier for journalists, researchers, and the public to visualize census data and explore demographic trends across the United States.
The Census Dots map was created following the loss of Dustin Cable's popular 2010 Racial Dot Map, which he created at UVA's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Citing outdated data and a lack of resources, the Cooper Center ceased hosting the map in 2022 and it disappeared from the web. 'When the Cooper Center took down the 2010 Racial Dot Map, it left a huge void,' said Luke Loreti, creator of Census Dots. 'I wanted to bring that resource back — updated for the 2020 Census—so people could again explore the data in an intuitive, visually compelling format.'
Similar to previous dot maps, the map was created by combining two census data sources: population counts published in the State Redistricting Data and Shapefiles defining the census geographies. The decennial census provides population counts down to the census block level — an area roughly the size of a city block — enabling a high degree of geographic accuracy. The dots within a given census block are placed at random, which is why some dots may appear in unlikely places like parking lots or bodies of water. The data comes together to create an extremely visually striking map, both when viewed at the national scale and when zoomed into individual neighborhoods. It often illustrates the stark divides that persist across much of the country.
The Census Dots map launches with data from the most recent decennial census, with plans to incorporate additional datasets and views in the coming months. Future updates will include historical comparisons between census years and additional socioeconomic data layers.
The map is optimized for both desktop and mobile use. The project was enabled by the previous work of Dustin Cable, Peter Richardson, Erica Fischer, Brandon Martin-Anderson, and others who have mapped census data.
To explore your city, visit .
City: Brooklyn
State: NY
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
Archaeologists may have finally solved the mystery of Roanoke's ‘Lost Colony'
A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. A group of over 100 colonists settled on North Carolina's Roanoke Island in 1587, led by Sir Walter Raleigh. John White, the governor of the colony, returned to England for supplies in 1587. When he came back to Roanoke Island in August 1590, he found the settlement mysteriously abandoned – and all the colonists, including his daughter Eleanor Dare and his granddaughter Virginia Dare, gone. One of the only clues remaining at the site was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a palisade. It either referred to Croatoan Island, which is now called Hatteras Island, or the Croatoan Indians. The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Whether the colonists were killed by Native Americans, starved to death, or left for greener pastures has eluded historians. But new research suggests the colonists' fate may not have been tragic after all. Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, spoke with Fox News Digital about his findings. 5 A team of researchers believes they may have cracked one of America's most enduring legends: Where did the settlers of the Roanoke Colony go? Getty Images For the past decade, the British researcher has worked with the Croatoan Archaeological Society's Scott Dawson to uncover the mystery. Horton said they've uncovered proof that the colonists assimilated into Croatoan society, thanks to a trash heap. 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Horton said. The smoking gun at the site? 5 The mystery has haunted Americans and Brits for the past four centuries, with several investigations launched into the matter. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Hammerscale, which are tiny, flaky bits of iron that come from forging iron. Horton said it's definitive proof of iron-working on Hatteras Island, which could have only been done by English colonists. 'The key significance of hammerscale … is that it's evidence of iron-working, of forging, at that moment,' he said. 'Hammerscale is what comes off a blacksmith's forge.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Horton added, 'This is metal that has to be raised to a relatively high temperature … which, of course, [requires] technology that Native Americans at this period did not have.' Hammerscale shows that the English 'must have been working' in this Native American community, according to the expert. But what if the hammerscale came longer after the Roanoke Colony was abandoned? Horton said that's unlikely. 'We found it stratified … underneath layers that we know date to the late 16th or early 17th century,' he said. 'So we know that this dates to the period when the lost colonists would have come to Hatteras Island.' 5 The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was the first permanent English settlement in the United States. Getty Images 5 'We're looking at the middens — that's the rubbish heaps — of the Native Americans living on Hatteras Island, because we deduced that they would have very rapidly been assimilated into the Native American population,' Mark Horton, an archaeology professor at the Royal Agricultural University in England, said. Youtube/IslandTimeTV 'It's a combination of both its archaeological position but also the fact that it's evidence of people actually using an English technology.' At the site, archaeologists also found guns, nautical fittings, small cannonballs, an engraved slate and a stylus, in addition to wine glasses and beads, which all paint a vivid picture of life on Hatteras Island in the 17th century. When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. 'We have one little snippet of historical evidence from the 1700s, which describes people with blue or gray eyes who could remember people who used to be able to read from books,' he said. 'Also, they said there was this ghost ship that was sent out by a man called Raleigh.' 5 When asked if the colonists could have been killed in a later war, Horton said they survived among the Croatoans and successfully assimilated. Youtube/IslandTimeTV Horton added, 'We think that they assimilated into the Native American community and their descendants, their sons, their granddaughters, their grandsons carried on living on Hatteras Island until the early 18th century.' When asked if he's officially solved the mystery, Horton said that though the archaeological evidence is definitive, the legend will probably still endure. 'Have we solved the mystery? Well, you know, it's pretty good evidence, but there's always more work to be done,' he said. Horton added, 'And people love mysteries. They hate resolving things one way or the other. So I'm sure that the mystery will continue, you know, whatever the scientific evidence says.'
2 days ago
By The Numbers: The origins of Pride Month
A look at the numbers behind the significance of the month of June for LGBTQ+ Americans.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
101-year-old Dunwoody veteran travels to France for 81st D-Day anniversary
The Brief Hilbert Margol, 101, traveled from Dunwoody, Georgia, to Normandy, France, to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, honoring the fallen soldiers of World War II. A World War II veteran who helped liberate Dachau concentration camp, Margol reflected on the sacrifices made and was awarded France's Legion of Honour last year. Despite his accomplishments, Margol humbly states, "I never considered myself or any of the other veterans heroes because in my judgment, the heroes are the guys who didn't make it back." ATLANTA - At 101 years old, Dunwoody resident and World War II veteran Hilbert Margol made the journey to Normandy, France, this week to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day, joining a small group of surviving veterans honoring those who fought and died in the pivotal battle. Although Margol did not serve on D-Day itself, he was part of the Allied forces that ultimately secured victory in World War II. He first visited Normandy last year for the 80th anniversary and immediately knew he wanted to return. "It was such a fantastic trip. I said, I have to go back again," Margol said. Before leaving for France, Margol shared a farewell kiss with his wife of more than 70 years — a moment captured just as it was during his trip the year before. During last year's visit, Margol toured the Normandy American Cemetery, reflecting on the sacrifice made by thousands of soldiers, even though he didn't personally know any of the men buried there. PREVIOUS STORY: Dunwoody vet travels to France for D-Day anniversary, receives France's highest honor "I know that those that were gave all of the freedom that this country enjoys, and it was quite emotional at the time," he said. More than 2,500 American soldiers lost their lives on D-Day alone, with more than 400,000 Americans dying during the war. Over 16 million Americans were called to serve. "All the veterans that I served with, you know, were born and grew up during the Great Depression. So we were used to tough times. So going into combat was not that difficult," Margol recalled. Margol's military service included a profound and somber moment — alongside his twin brother, he was among the first American soldiers to enter the Dachau concentration camp on April 29, 1945. "We knew almost nothing about such camps, so whatever we saw, witnessed a lot of dead bodies and so forth. We didn't understand why they were there, why they were dead," Margol said. Last year, Margol was one of 11 U.S. veterans awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit. "When President Macron of France pinned the medal on my jacket, he leaned over and kissed me on both cheeks, which I expected because that's European custom," Margol said. His trips to Normandy were made possible through the support of the Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines. Despite the accolades, Margol remains humble about his service. "I never considered myself or any of the other veterans heroes because in my judgment, the heroes are the guys who didn't make it back," he said. For Margol, the journey across the Atlantic wasn't about reliving history — it was about paying tribute to those who never returned.
