Demographics Analysis

Mapping Strategies has done a significant amount of demographic analysis. We use Census data, including American Community Survey (ACS), regularly. Once you know the characteristics of your clients, you can look for spatial concentrations.

The following map is a straightforward use of Census data on Veterans for targeting a Florida Community Health Center Project. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) were interested in serving more veterans due to a federal rule change. The map has veteran characteristics at the county level and the Census Tract level (when one “zooms in”). It also highlights where FQHC are with a star and where VA Clinic service areas are (competitors) with a big brown-orange buffer. (Click on the double arrow in the upper left hand corner to see the map legend and details.) One can see several FQHCs are clearly outside of VA service areas where clients exist.

Following is another map we constructed for a health care client that transforms ACS data into indices for targeting. First, it plots all the Community Health Centers (the client) and all the Hospitals (a competitor) using a geocode. Then it uses two indices or composites of ACS data: one made by the Health Service Resource Administration (HRSA) and the other made by Mapping Strategies from longitudinal analysis of ACS data. (Click directly on a map feature to reveal its data.) The map shows potential target areas and where competitors exist.