Change percent base of categorical variables

For some data selections, you can now adjust the percent base from the default total population to other possible subsets. This feature is particularly useful for mapping the percentage of certain categorical variables against a smaller base.

For example, if you’d like to calculate the percentage of African Americans among only the non-Hispanic or Latino population, or the percentage of the total population in the armed forces among the total labor force. 

Here’s how to change the variable percent base from the default to the smaller subset that you’re interested in.

1. Click Change data to select the variable you’d like to map (this feature may not be valid for all data selections). 
2. Click on the percentage icon  next to the star and information icons in the main data toolbar to change the variable percent base.

    

   

3.  To calculate variable values as a percentage of a smaller subset, select the smaller subset from the dropdown menu.

    

   

4. The map tooltip will now display the values of the categorical variable as a percentage of your selected smaller subset.

    

   

5. You can also choose a bubble map for visualizing the data. 

Bubble maps have the ability to display multiple pieces of information in a single visualization. Click here to learn how to show percentages on bubble maps.

Some variables will not have all three data visualization options available because of the nature of the data. Head over to this guide to learn more about data visualization types.