Lab 2: Downloading GIS Data

Introduction: The goal of this lab was to learn how to download and map data from the U.S Census Bureau

Methods:
I first learned how to search for specific data from the U.S Census website according to topic and geographies using the bureau's FactFinder search engine.  I then downloaded attribute data for both total population and household size in Wisconsin counties.  In addition, the shapefile for the Wisconsin census data was also downloaded from the website.  Before the data could be linked together with the shapefile, I had to prepare the attribute data to be used in Arcmap by first saving it as a Excel workbook file.  Next, the shapefile and total population attribute data were joined based off the Geo ID so that the populations would be linked to the proper counties.  After the attribute data tables were linked, it was then mapped using a graduated color scheme. The same steps were followed to construct the map displaying percent of two-person households.

Results:
The map displaying population shows that counties with smaller total populations tend to be focused more in the north, while the more populated areas tend to be in the southeast portion of Wisconsin where larger cities such as Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Madison are located.  When placed side by side with the map displaying the percent of two person households, it is seen that less populated areas tend to have a higher percentage of two person households then more urban areas.

Sources: All data was obtained from the U.S Census Bureau website