Filter Geographies, Create Custom Regions and Get the Data You Need

Custom Regions

Users can generate a comprehensive, printable report, create a shareable custom URL or save their custom regions for future reference and analysis. In fact, CBB offers multiple options for evaluating a region.

One is to focus on a region that matches a specific geography like a single county, metropolitan area or state.

The other is to create a custom region that includes multiple geographies by selecting the ‘Region View’ tab from the dashboard and the ‘Create Region’ button in the bottom left corner (Figure 1).

“The ability to customize and create your own geographic boundaries specific to your business needs is extremely innovative," says Melissa Kopajtic, branch chief for business statistics at the Census Bureau. "This capability enhances the utility of our data by enabling tailored analysis beyond traditional geographic boundaries.”

Click any geographic area on the map and it will automatically load into the dashboard’s region window.

You can add areas individually or choose a shape (circle, square or polygon) to select the portion of the map containing your desired regions (Figure 2).

You can also give your custom region a name (NY-MA Northeastern in this example). ‘Save Edits’ to create your custom region.

The new custom region is outlined in red and each of the geographic areas in the region are listed at the ‘Custom Region’ window (Figure 3).

A Geo Ranking chart compares the geographic areas in the custom region for any primary variable you choose (ex., Establishments).

The right side of the dashboard allows you to compare geographies by up to four variables with a simple click.

We compared New York’s Columbia and Albany counties by the following variables: median household income, share of population with a high school degree or higher, all employer establishments and home ownership rate (Figure 3).

A drop-down menu on the right lets you select a different geography in the custom region (Figure 4).

Geographic Filters

You can use filters to set your own geographic parameters, and the map will display data only for the areas you choose.

You can assign up to three filters that will either highlight or hide the counties not matching your criteria.

In Figure 5, we used a map of Texas counties and selected the ‘Retail Trade’ sector in the top left corner.

Let’s say you want to identify counties in Texas with the highest net job creation for Retail Trade. Start by selecting the ‘filters’ menu in the top right and click on the ‘+ Add Filter’ option.

Next, locate and select the appropriate filter and specify your desired range. For example, you can select ‘Jobs’ from the Primary Categories menu, then ‘Net Job Creation’ from the Secondary Categories menu.

As an added feature, if you hover over any of the variables, a tooltip will display the source and year of the data item, as well as a direct link back to the original program area. This was a recent application enhancement that users find helpful for tracing data.

From here, simply adjust the minimum and maximum values for this variable, and the map changes accordingly (Figure 7).