CALIFORNIA MAP

The purpose of this map is to analyze and map the distribution of the senior population in California in the year 2014. The thematic map created for this assignment aims to address the following geographic question: "How is the senior population distributed across different regions of California?"

Variable Description

The variable being analyzed and mapped is the senior population, which refers to the population within the age group of 65 and above. This variable provides valuable insights into the demographic composition and aging trends within California.

Descriptive Statistics

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the senior population distribution, various descriptive statistics have been calculated and interpreted. These statistics include the five-number summary, which consists of the minimum, first quartile (Q1), median (Q2), third quartile (Q3), and maximum values.

The five-number summary of the senior population in California for the year 2014 is as follows:

Minimum: 7.88
Q1: 7.88
Median: 12.57
Q3: 15.61
Maximum: 21.66

These statistics provide an overview of the range, spread, and central tendency of the senior population variable in California.

Number of Classes

The Number of classes were calculated on the basis of Sturges Formula: 1 + 3.322 * log(n)

Where n = number of observations, i.e.: 58.

Sturges formula gave the following result: 6.85

For the choropleth map, the Goodness of Variance Fit (GVF) was calculated for both 6 and 7 classes for following methods:

Natural Breaks
Quantile
Equal Interval
Manual Interval.

The GVF represents the measure of fit between the data and the chosen classification scheme.

The following results were obtained:

Among these results, the Natural Breaks Class 7 exhibited the highest GVF of 0.982, indicating a strong fit between the data and the chosen classification.

By selecting 7 classes, we can effectively represent the variability in the senior population across California while maintaining meaningful distinctions between different levels of population density. This classification scheme allows for a more detailed representation of the distribution patterns and highlights potential regional variations.

Graphical Representation

The column chart represents the senior population for each county in California. The x-axis represents the county names, while the y-axis represents the senior population percentage.

Interpretation: The column chart visually illustrates the variation in the senior population across top 5 counties in California. It allows for a quick comparison of the population sizes and facilitates the identification of counties with higher senior population percentages.

Map Layout

The choropleth map visually shows how the Senior population is distributed across California's census divisions in 2014. Each division is shaded based on the percentage of Senior population, with darker shades representing higher percentages.