Thematic maps make an ideal presentation tool, because they efficiently transfer information and are easy to read and understand. A few maps can effectively convey information that in any other context would be dense and confusing. Social Explorer maps are simple and attractive, and every element is carefully selected to make the maps as clear and intuitive as possible. 

Since 1790, the U.S. Census Bureau has conducted a decennial demographic survey of the entire country. These data are among the most detailed, complete, and consistent demographic data in the world, but the tabulated numerical tables the Census Bureau releases are notoriously difficult for researchers to use. Social Explorer represents a quantum leap in accessibility: for the first time, both modern and historical Census data are available in a straightforward electronic format. Users can pick geographies and datasets by browsing the map and identifying spatial patterns as they go; researchers that know precisely what they want can use the reports tool to jump straight to the data. Social Explorer harnesses the speed of the Internet and the collective data expertise of our team to make Census research more available than ever before.