Blog - Category New Features

Check out the new features that will help you get even more out of Social Explorer. We began shifting our mapping platform from Flash to HTML5 for a fully responsive, fast and flexible user experience for computers, tablets and mobile. UK Census data is already available in HTML5, and we just publish the USA demography HTML5 map. Read on to find out more about our new HTML5 map tools. Highlight Locations with Our New Masking Tool Our new masking tool lets you focus... more

Social Explorer is developing new ways for users to upload their own data. While we are refining these features, we want to let you test our new Geocoder (Beta). This lightweight tool allows you to upload a list of addresses and turn them into annotation points on our maps. (Just like our regular annotations, but in bulk.) Get started with the Geocoder by navigating to the map menu on the right corner (see blue arrow). And then click on the Geocoder from the list of o... more

Did you know that Social Explorer allows you to map multiple variables at once? Open up new opportunities to compare groups directly and visually on a single map. This blog post will guide you through mapping multiple variables in a few easy steps.  Our first map shows the white population in the New York metro area. With a few clicks, we'll add data on the black and Asian populations. To add other variables, go back to the Change Dat... more

Social Explorer Announces New Release of Election Maps Social Explorer users now have access to a century of election data.  The presidential, senatorial, congressional and gubernatorial election data come from Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.  Building on our recent release of 2004-12 election data, these maps now span over a century: presidential elections 1912 to the present, gubernatorial elections (including off-year elections) from 1... more

New Report and Interactive Maps Explore Potential Impact of Evenwel v. Abbott on Redistricting Population equality is the main criteria for creating legislative districts in the US, but a proposed change could drastically alter how people are counted and how districts are drawn.  On December 8, 2015, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Evenwel v. Abbott, whose plaintiffs argue that legislative districts should be based upon the number of voters or potential voters in each dis... more

Social Explorer users can already visualize map data by state, county, place, tract and (where available) block group levels. Now, users can explore data by ZCTA5 (zip codes), School Districts (UNSD, SCSD, ELSD), Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) and Congressional Districts. Add more context to you maps and presentations with our new geographic layers. To customize any map view, start by clicking on "Show data by.&... more

Today the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration opened The Peopling of America Center, a multifaceted collection that explores the entire panorama of the American immigration experience. The new center features major exhibitions that chronicle immigration to America before the processing station at Ellis Island opened in 1892 and after it closed in 1954. Social Explorer developed an interactive installation called U.S. Population: A Map of Diversity for the museum. ... more

Social Explorer announces first release of election data As talk of the 2016 presidential race and other contests heats up, you can now visualize United States election results with Social Explorer.  These presidential, senatorial, congressional and gubernatorial election data come from Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. These data are available for map presentation only.  This first release includes election data down to the county level for all four... more

Social Explorer announces first international mapping project--Irish religion data.   As millions celebrate Ireland's patron saint and Irish culture this St. Patrick's Day, explore new data that help tell the story of the Ireland's religious history. Explore Irish religion and population data from 1911 to 2001 through decades of political change. These data and geographies were compiled by Professor Ian Gregory of Lancaster University, from Trou... more

Try the New Social Explorer!  The latest version of Social Explorer includes a powerful storytelling tool, side-by-side mapping, custom annotations, and more.  Get started here, or tour our new features here.  You can also find out more in our help section.     A sample from the new Social Explorer showing the new dashboard, double map, satellite view, and mouseover. Social Explorer provides quick and easy access to cur... more