Module 4: Data Classification

     The above image is a map depicting the percentage of census tract populations over the age of 65 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The map displays this information via the Natural Breaks (top left), Quantile (top right), Equal Interval (bottom left), and Standard Deviation (bottom right) methods of data classification. Each method is mapped to the same scale.
     This week's lesson covered different methods of data classification. We learned about the Natural Breaks, Equal Interval, Quantile, Maximum Breaks, and Standard Deviation methods and their various pros and cons. In lab we were tasked with creating two maps of census data using four of the aforementioned data classification methods. The first map, pictured above, was made using the percentage of the population over the age of 65 in each of the census tracts. The second map, not pictured, was created using the total count of people over 65 per square mile. We were then asked to compare the methods and the two data presentations of the maps. The same four classification methods were used for both maps.