Dive Brief:

• The Census  Bureau is making available a new mapping tool that will allow data to be mapped in ways that should be a benefit to marketing people, including home builders.
• The Census Explorer can, for example show income levels and the balance of renters and home owners, and can also show changes over time by using the 1990 and 2000 census data.
• The mapping tool was released along with the annual American Community Survey, which is a detailed report about the country based on a survey of 6 million homes.

Dive Insight:

Windshield surveys and talking to local leaders give builders information about where they ought to target their products, but the ability to see graphically how communities sort out along various lines is a new help. It comes under the heading of "your tax dollars at work," though there have been calls to eliminate the annual survey that contributes much of the data.