From Dan Kopf, Data Editor:
The San Francisco Chronicle has launched the 2020 census explorer to help readers understand how their communities have changed over the past 10 years.
This project allows readers to input an address anywhere in the country and see how the racial and ethnic demographics of their community changed between the 2010 and 2020 censuses. Through maps and charts, the interactive tool shows readers movements in their census tract, city, county and state. The tool also allows readers to see how their neighborhoods’ demographics differ from that of their county and state.
“The census explorer is a powerful way to explore how local demographic trends correspond or divert from city and state figures, giving readers the data behind neighborhood changes they've witnessed in the last decade,” said newsroom developer Yoli Martinez, who led the project’s creation alongside former newsroom developer Eric Blom. “To make the interactive, we used the mapping program MapBox and the javascript visualization library D3. We are proud that the tool is such a smooth experience that will help inform our community.”
The 2020 census explorer is the latest interactive tool built by The Chronicle Data Team in collaboration with newsroom developers known collectively as the DevHub. Martinez and Blom were supported in project development by newsroom developer Paula Friedrich, data visualization and interactive project lead Hilary Fung, and senior interactive developer Evan Wagstaff. Data reporter Susie Neilson contributed reporting for the story, and data editor Dan Kopf edited the project.
Other recent projects from the DevHub and Chronicle Data Team include:
- Drought Tracker: An interactive that helps readers stay updated on water shortages and restrictions in Bay Area communities affected by the dry conditions plaguing the West
- Five ways of looking at how San Francisco’s population changed: A series of maps examining where the city’s population grew over the last decade
- California’s complicated history with assault weapons: An illustrated story showing how gun manufacturers make guns that are similar to assault weapons to be sold in California, even though assault weapons are banned in the state.
“We believe that data analysis and interactive storytelling are key to informing our readers,” said Kopf. “Presenting readers with detailed information on issues like how their neighborhoods are changing and the state of the drought helps people have a more accurate understanding of what’s happening in their community and, in some cases, make choices that make that community better.”
The Data Team will discuss the census interactive and what new census data tells us about our changing region at Data Speaks: Dissecting the Decennial Census and What it Means for the Bay Area on Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. This virtual live event is open to the public and free to join. Click here to register.
About The San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle.
