Get started with U.S. Updated Demographics

In  Part 1: Understanding the Updated Demographics portfolio tutorial , you learned about the basics of Updated Demographics data -what it is, who creates the data, and its advantages over other data sources. In  Part 2: Explore lifestyle, behavioral, business, and census data , you learned about the other types of analytical databases that coincide with and round out the Updated Demographics portfolio. In this section, we provide four quick steps to help you access and start using the data.

 Choosing data  in many ways is like using a road map. Before you can begin any meaningful analysis, you need to know your starting point and destination. In this next section, we outline four basic steps as a guide to working with Updated Demographics:

1. Set a goal or goals for your project
2. Explore Updated Demographics variables
3. Decide which Updated Demographics data you want to use in your analysis
4. Gain access to Updated Demographics data

Let's break down each of these steps.

In this next section we show how to access data for a typical site location example using Esri reports and maps.

Updated Demographics provides decision makers with the most current information available to understand and track changes in the population, consumer behavior, and broader market area trends. In this tutorial series, you learned about key aspects of working with Updated Demographics data. Over the course of these three stories, you learned the following:

• What is Updated Demographics data, who creates the data, and why use it
• Other key data tables that comprise the Updated Demographics portfolio
• How to start a data analysis project, including a site location example
• How to explore data using browsers and catalogs
• How to gain access to the data using Esri software products, reports, or stand-alone files

To continue learning about Updated Demographics -how to best use and interpret the data, explore the tutorial series below. Databases such as Tapestry, Market Potential, Daytime Population, Labor Force, index-ratio measures, and many others are available.

Esri data estimates and forecasts are developed from a mix of inputs from  Esri U.S. Updated Demographics , the decennial census, the ACS, and business data from Data Axle. Represented as point-in-time estimates as of July 1, the data is available for Esri’s standard geographic areas and for any user-defined polygon such as a ring or drive time.  Read the Esri Updated Demographics Methodology Statement for more information 

Use our  data reference page  to help answer additional questions about Esri Demographics.

If you have a topic you would like covered in a data tutorial to help you better understand U.S. data, send us an e-mail with your topic idea.