9 Ways to Leverage Demographic Data in MapBusinessOnline

MapBusinessOnline includes Census Bureau demographic data that you can combine with geographic areas and your own business data to analyze markets, compare territories, evaluate locations, and support other sales and marketing decisions.

All MapBusinessOnline subscription plans, including the free trial, come with demographic data access.

Here are nine practical ways to leverage demographic data in MapBusinessOnline:

1. Color-code maps or territories by demographic characteristics.
2. Summarize demographic data for specific areas – radius circles or polygons.
3. Add demographic information directly to map labels.
4. Compare and balance sales territories by demographic opportunity.
5. Filter geographic areas to focus on the areas of your target demographic profile.
6. Export demographic data for further business analysis in third-party software.
7. Create custom demographic measures with Calculated Data Columns.
8. Compare demographics around multiple locations at once.
9. Enrich your location data with demographic characteristics of the area.

1. Color-Code Maps or Territories by Demographic Characteristics

One of the simplest ways to put demographic data to work is to turn it into a visual map.

Color-code ZIP codes, counties, states, and other supported map layers based on demographic variables to reveal geographic patterns that are difficult to identify in a spreadsheet. For example, shade ZIP codes by population, household income, age, or another characteristic relevant to your addressable market.

Add your customer, store, or sales locations to the same map to see how your existing footprint relates to the demographics of the surrounding market and identify areas worth further investigation.

2. Summarize Demographic Data for Specific Areas – Radius Circles or Polygons

A market rarely follows the exact boundaries of a ZIP code or county. MapBusinessOnline lets you summarize demographic data within areas you define on the map.

For example:

• Draw a radius around a store, office, school, or other location and summarize the population or household characteristics inside that circle.
• Create a drive-time or drive-distance polygon around a location and calculate the population of your target age group in the polygon.
• Draw a custom polygon when the area you need to study does not fit a standard geographic boundary.

The result is a demographic profile of an area relevant to market analysis, site evaluation, sales planning, or other location-based decisions.

3. Add Demographic Information Directly to Map Labels

A useful business map should communicate its message without requiring the reader to repeatedly switch between the map and a table.

MapBusinessOnline lets you include demographic information in map layer and territory labels. For example, a sales territory map could display population or another demographic measure directly within each territory.

Instead of presenting geography alone, the map can show the numeric information decision-makers need to understand each area.

4. Compare and Balance Sales Territories by Demographic Opportunity

Territories may look balanced geographically while representing very different levels of market opportunity. Color-code and/or label territories with demographic measures such as population or median household income to compare their potential.

Consider demographics alongside your customer and sales data to build a broader picture of each territory. The goal is not necessarily to make every territory demographically identical, but to understand the differences before making resource and assignment decisions.

5. Filter Geographic Areas to Focus on the Areas of Your Target Demographic Profile

When analyzing hundreds or thousands of geographic areas, focus on locations that meet your target demographic criteria, such as higher median income or specific age groups.

Use demographic variables in the Data Window to filter the areas displayed on your map. For example, narrow a list of ZIP codes or cities based on income or another demographic requirement. Then compare the resulting areas with customer locations, sales results, facilities, or other business information.

This helps reduce a large number of possibilities to a more manageable set for further analysis.

6. Export Demographic Data for Further Business Analysis in Third-Party Software

Demographic analysis does not have to remain on the map. Export demographic data for your areas of interest for use in other business workflows.

For example, an exported dataset can provide demographic context for ZIP codes being considered in an expansion plan or support further analysis outside the mapping application.

The map provides a geographic perspective, while exported demographic data becomes available for broader reporting and analysis.

7. Create Custom Demographic Measures with Calculated Data Columns

Sometimes the demographic measure you need is not represented by a single data column. Calculated Data Columns let you combine demographic variables using formulas. For example, if your target audience spans several available age ranges, combine those ranges into a custom age group.

You can also combine demographics with business data. For example, calculate market penetration by dividing the number of customers in a ZIP code by its population. The resulting value can be viewed in the Data Window or used for color-coding and labeling.

This lets you create measures that better reflect how your organization defines its customers and markets.

8. Compare Demographics Around Multiple Locations at Once

Requires MapBusinessOnline Pro.

When evaluating many stores, facilities, prospects, or potential sites, analyzing locations individually can become impractical. The Summarize demographics Market Analysis tool processes demographic information for radius-based market areas around multiple center locations.

For example, compare population or household income within a defined radius of dozens or hundreds of potential store locations. Existing locations can be analyzed the same way to compare the markets they serve.

Alternatively, a service or delivery company can analyze demographic profiles for a set of concentric circles around one central service point.

This turns repetitive site-by-site demographic analysis into a bulk analysis workflow.

9. Enrich Your Location Data with Demographic Characteristics of the Area

Requires MapBusinessOnline Pro.

The Enrich a dataset Market Analysis tool adds selected demographic or geographic variables to an imported dataset or marketing list based on the map layer containing each location.

For example, enrich customer or business locations with demographic characteristics associated with their ZIP code or Census tract. You can then analyze those demographics alongside your existing business information to support customer profiling and identify relationships between customer activity and local market characteristics.

Turn Demographic Data into Business Insight

Demographic data is most valuable when it helps answer a business question. Use it alongside geography and your own business data to better understand markets, territories, customers, and potential locations.

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