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Warm up for the Super Bowl with Social Explorer’s own Big Data Dance

THURSDAY, FEB 02, 2017

Super_Bowl_logo_300Beyond game statistics, strategy and weather forecasts, true nerdy fans analyze demographics.

This Sunday, the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will compete in Super Bowl LI. But first, they face off in the Super Data Bowl.

We at Social Explorer take the opportunity to dig into data from the teams’ hometowns. For this demographic challenge, we will assess fandom, snack power, and related measures using Census and American Community Survey data.

Fan Strength

The following maps show the current population density of each team's hometown. The more local fans, the more cheering for the competing teams on game day.

Boston has 650,281 residents, compared to Atlanta’s 448,901 residents, giving the Patriots nearly one and a half times the cheering power.

Zoom in and click around to see more detailed views of both cities.

Snack Budgets

Boston households have higher median incomes than Atlanta households ($55,777 compared to $47,527). While Boston median household incomes are 3.5 percent higher than the nation figure, Atlanta households are 11.8 percent lower. Patriots fans could potentially afford more decadent Super Bowl snacks.

However, Boston’s median house value is nearly twice that of Atlanta ($393,600 compared to $209,200). So, Falcons fans may end up having more money available for game day food and drink.

Since Last Super Bowl Appearance

While the Patriots played in and won the Super Bowl last year, the Falcons last appeared in the big game in 1999, losing to the Denver Broncos. How have the two cities fared since then?

Looking at the 2000 Census data, both cities grew, but Boston’s population increased by 10.4 percent, while Atlanta’s increased by a more modest 7.8 percent. Both cities lag behind the overall population growth rate of 12.5 percent.

When adjusted for inflation, the median income in both cities decreased during this same period–Atlanta by 3.9 percent and Boston by 1.1 percent–but less so than median income nationwide (9.8 percent).

Explore more data on the hometowns and beyond with Social Explorer to impress your friends on Super Bowl Sunday

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