Mapping Racial Diversity in the USA

National Geographic has created a wonderful interactive map which visualizes the racial diversity of America block by block. The map provides a fascinating insight into the diversity of American towns and cities and also reveals how these same towns and cities can be divided along racial lines.

Back in 2013 the University of Virginia made the Racial Dot Map, a Google Map which shows the geographic distribution, population density, and racial diversity of the USA. The Racial Dot Map uses data from the 2010 US census, with each of the 308,745,538 dots representing the location and race of one American citizen.

The National Geographic map uses the same 2010 census data, as geographically refined by the University of Virginia Demographics Research Group and the University of Minnesota. Where we Live, Block by Block colors each census tract by the majority racial / ethnic group in the block. Using the map you can zoom in on any city or town in the USA to view the racial diversity of the local neighborhoods.

The National Geographic map also includes a number of guided tours of American cities and regions which have an interesting history of racial diversity. These tours explore the current racial diversity of these areas and often attempt to explain the historical reasons for this diversity.