The Statistical Atlas that Keeps On Going

I already revived the first Statistical Atlas of the United States using modern data, going through each page and producing a more recent version. But it didn’t feel done yet. There’s a lot more data now than there was in 1870, and there’s a constant flow from various government organizations.

The United States continues to evolve, get better, and get worse.

So I kept going with it—in an effort to produce a more complete Statistical Atlas of the United States. There are a lot more maps and charts, searchable and browsable.

The plan is to update weekly, until all the data runs dry. This could be a while.

Want to keep the project going? I’d love if you became a supporting member. All of the graphics for the atlas are made in R (partly as a challenge to myself), and you’ll gain access to tutorials and a four-week course on how to do the same.

See where the atlas is at so far.

Become a member. Support an independent site. Make great charts.

See What You Get

Learn to Visualize Data See All →

How to Make a Grid Map with Histograms in R, with ggplot

Layout multiple charts in a single view. Then adjust the scales appropriately for maximum comparability and a unified graphic.

How to Make Alluvial Diagrams

Here’s how to do it in R from start to finish, plus editing in illustration software. Make design choices and trade-offs for more readable charts.

Mapping With Shapefiles in R – Getting Started

Geographic data is often available as a shapefile, and there’s plenty of heavy software to get that data in a map. R is an open source option, and as a bonus, much of the work can be done in a few lines of code.

How to Make Venn Diagrams in R

The usually abstract, qualitative and sometimes quantitative chart type shows relationships. You can make them in R, if you must.

Favorites

How Much Minimum Wage Changed in Each State

Minimum wage has increased over the years, but by how much depends on where you live.

Shifts in How Couples Meet, Online Takes the Top

How do couples meet now and how has it changed over the years? Watch the rankings play out over six decades.

Divorce Rates for Different Groups

We know when people usually get married. We know who never marries. Finally, it’s time to look at the other side: divorce and remarriage.

Reviving the Statistical Atlas of the United States with New Data

Due to budget cuts, there is no plan for an updated atlas. So I recreated the original 1870 Atlas using today’s publicly available data.