With 2020 finally behind us, we want to start the new year looking forward. Specifically, we want to look at insights and data that can give us a better idea of what lies ahead. To help you make sense of 2020 and make it easier to infer future trends, we rounded up five maps that you have to see for 2021. 

1. U.S Presidential Elections in 1920 and 2020

One of the most talked-about topics of 2020 was, of course, the U.S. Presidential Elections. With Inauguration Day quickly approaching, we look at how the Presidential map has changed in the last century and the trends that led to last year’s historic election. With U.S. Presidential Election data from 1912 onwards, Social Explorer makes it easy to discover trends and explore insights within the Presidential Election dataset and beyond.

U.S. Presidential Election, 1920-2020. Click here to explore further.

2. A Year into the Global Pandemic: The Spread of the Virus in the United States

You cannot talk about 2020 without talking about the COVID-19 pandemic. An often confusing and disheartening topic, Social Explorer helped make sense of it all with our COVID-19 dataset which allows you to view data by confirmed cases, number of deaths, number of hospitalized, number of positive tests, number of negative tests, and changes from the previous day, week, and month. We have striven to bring insights through data from the very beginning of the pandemic and continue to do so with our regularly updated COVID-19 dataset well into 2021. 

COVID Across the U.S., March 2020 – January 2021. Click here to explore further.

3. Renters Across the United States 

The  pandemic has precipitated a great many economic challenges. Many people experienced financial uncertainty as layoffs became a common occurrence, while making ends meet became increasingly difficult. At the beginning of 2020, leniency was given to renters across the country, allowing them to pay their dues later. However, as the year progressed, many felt that struggling populations were not getting the financial aid they needed to get back on their feet. The year 2021 is sure to bring us new insights into housing and economic data when the ramifications of 2020 become more evident. Until then, the latest American Community Survey 2019 5-year estimates can offer an idea of where we might be heading. 

Renter Occupied Households, 2019. Click here to explore further.

4. Internet Access Becomes a Necessity 

2020 marked the year where we all embraced staying in for the greater good as lockdowns came into effect globally to slow down the spread of the virus and help save lives. Whether working or studying, many had to switch to at-home offices and classrooms, making internet access at home an absolute necessity. As one of the most developed nations in the world, you would not expect this to be an issue in the United States. However, the pandemic quickly showed a different side of the country. Pictures soon emerged of school children sitting outside a fast-food restaurant to use its free Wi-Fi to finish schoolwork, and the issue of the new “digital divide” became a topic of discussion. This map shows just how big an issue internet access was in 2020 and will continue to be into 2021.

No Internet Access, 2019. Click here to explore further.

5. The New Normal: Working from Home 

Just over a year ago, the thought of working from the comforts of your own home seemed like a dream. Well, you know what they say, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it, and we did. We hung up our suits and ties for pajamas and sweats and got to work. Since then, some of us have returned to work, while others remain working from home as companies realize that it actually works well in certain situations. Though this map might look a lot different in 2021, see just how many people were working from home in 2019 before the pandemic started.

Worked at Home, 2019. Click here to explore further.

With 2021 already upon us, we are eager to see what new trends await us and are keener to help make sense of data through insightful visualizations and mapping capabilities. Feel free to contact us to tell us what data you are most interested in seeing in the new year!

Author: Hana Trokic