Guess US city populations via bracket-style game

Test your gerrymandering skills with this interactive game

This simulation demonstrates how packing and cracking alter election outcomes. See how shifting district lines can change representation—regardless of the overall makeup of the electorate.

Ranking America's healthiest and unhealthiest cities

Compiling data from the 180 most populated cities in the US, WalletHub evaluated which of those metros are the healthiest using 43 health indicators, from the average cost of a medical visit to total vaccination rates.

Visualizing the world's population centers

What does population density look like on a global scale? These detailed 3D renders illustrate our biggest urban areas and highlight population trends.

How March Madness bracketology became a national obsession

An estimated 60 million people fill out March Madness brackets yearly, despite a one in 9.2 quintillion chance of filling it out perfectly. This Smithsonian magazine article explores how UCLA's dominance in the 1960s and '70s made brackets boring and predictable, and how the expansion to 64 teams and putting games on TV played a huge role in popularizing March Madness brackets.

The history of March Madness brackets

Every spring, millions of Americans fill out their March Madness brackets in hopes of picking the winner. But where did this annual tradition start? This CBS News article tells the story of how a bar in Staten Island started a $10 pool with 88 participants in 1977, and grew it into a $1.5 million contest that ended up getting shut down by the IRS.

Explore detailed US census data for each state

QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more, collected through the US census. Interactive tables, maps, and charts synthesize census data. A drop-down menu allows users to...

Visualizing New York City's public transportation commutes

New York City is one of the largest cities in the world, and transports one of the largest numbers of commuters on a daily basis. This data visualization tells the stories of those commuters, showing the varying volume of travelers throughout the week and day, where they are going, and maps of high-traffic areas like stadiums and midtown. Dive into the data here.

An interactive map of race and ethnicity across the US

This map by CNN shows race and ethnicity across the United States. America is more diverse and has more people than ever before. According to the 2020 census, much of its growth is occurring in and around metropolitan areas. By plotting the US...

Explore a worldwide ranking of smart cities

This interactive site evaluates residents' perceptions of the infrastructure and technologies available to them across 146 cities to produce a ranking based on a Smart City Index. Users can utilize the City Comparison feature to compare their city with others around the world.

The odds of a perfect March Madness bracket are worse than finding one specific grain of sand on Earth

With 63 games to predict, random guessing produces odds of 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Even an informed picker who gets 67% of games right faces odds of about 1 in 120 billion, meaning if every American filled out a unique bracket, we'd expect a perfect one in roughly 366 years.

Understand the US electorate demographics

Ever wonder how much of each group make up the American voting bloc? Find raw data from the '16 and '18 elections broken out by a variety of factors (click on "validated voters database" link).

See how populations across the world could change in the 21st century

This tool lets you model the populations of individual countries by adjusting key demographic inputs. See how changes in birth rates, mortality, and migration affect the size and structure of future populations.

An AI-built pixel map reimagines New York City as a video game

Isometric NYC is a zoomable pixel-art map that renders the city in game-style perspective (think SimCity), helpfully clarifying the dense geography and architecture. The makers built the project tile-by-tile using satellite data and generative AI. Zoom into building-level views or out to see all five boroughs.

Three ways the US population will change over the next decade

This article lists the top three ways the US population will change over the next decade. Using population data from the US Census Bureau and the UN Population Division, the piece explores what America might look like 10 years from now, which...

Test your historical knowledge with this daily game that shows you 10 historical artifacts and asks you to guess their time period and place of origin.

Compare the true sizes of continents, countries, and other regions around the world by dragging them across a Mercator projection.

The World Bank’s population data bank

This website by the World Bank provides visualizations for demographic data from around the world. Specific demographic data, such as total population, can be viewed through maps, charts, and graphs. Results can be filtered by sex, country, or year....

Visualize network coverage for mobile carriers worldwide with maps of crowdsourced latency and download and upload speeds.

How March Madness Selection Sunday works

March Madness is one of the most popular American sporting events, but most viewers aren't aware of how its 68 teams are selected for the prestigious national tournament. This official process overview breaks down how the teams are selected, seeded, and placed into the bracket. Knowing the ins and outs might not stop you from disputing the committee's selections, but at least you'll understand how they came to those decisions.

The UN’s interactive site analyzing the world’s population

The 2022 revision of World Population Prospects contains the official population estimates and projections from the United Nations. It presents population estimates from 1950 to present for 237 countries or areas around the world. The data consider...

America's happiest cities in 2023

WalletHub analyzed 180 cities using thirty indicators—like depression rate and average leisure time—to rank each city by the happiness of its residents. Check out the list to see how your city ranks.

The census reshapes House representation every 10 years

Conducted once every 10 years, the US Census determines how House seats are reapportioned among the states. The 2020 results shifted representation as state population growth and decline altered the geographic balance of political power.

How demographics influence voter turnout and elections

This article breaks down demographic data to show what it means for American elections. According to the latest US Census, the US is growing increasingly diverse. As the population becomes more diverse, so does the electorate. Analyzing the...

Explore US public health data

This resource tracks key US health metrics, including mortality causes, child survival rates, and life expectancy comparisons, to inform future health improvements, with regularly updated global estimates.

See the most oddly gerrymandered districts in the US

Based on input from redistricting experts and political scientists, this resource identifies and ranks the most extreme congressional gerrymanders of the 2020s, examining how map design, cracking, and packing reduce competition and distort representation across states.

Explore data on every US county with this interactive

The Community Explorer is an interactive tool that brings the power of big data and machine learning to the equity-related policy discussion. Search by economic profile and county and see the country from a different lens.

Tracking where people moved in the US in 2022

The latest data from the US Postal Service's change of address request system shows a decline in migration in 2022. See where people are moving and where they are leaving with this data breakdown.

US state economies compared to entire countries

This map compares US state economies by their gross domestic product to that of a similarly sized country. For instance, California has the largest state economy in the US, with a GDP nearly equal to that of India, the fifth-largest economy in the world. Click here to see how the rest of the states compare.

Visualizing obesity rates across the US

Nearly 70% of adults in the US are either overweight or obese, rates that have tripled over the last 60 years. Severe cases have risen tenfold during this period. Factors like location, income level, and demographics contribute to various obesity levels across the US. Visualize the statistics with this article and chart series.

Calculate whether or not you're in the American middle class

In 2022, roughly 52% of US adults lived in middle-income households. This income calculator can help you determine whether or not you're one of them. Specifically, the calculator lets you enter your household income, location, and more to see where you line up in Pew's government data.

Cities bore the brunt of the migrant surge in the 2020s

During the 2022-24 migration surge, cities such as New York, Chicago, and Denver faced shelter overcrowding, strained public services, and housing shortages—while the upfront costs fell almost entirely to states and cities.

Mapping the world records held by each US state

What world record does your state hold? Check out this map of the United States to see what weird accomplishment took place near you.

Search this digital archive of 19th-century "panoramic" maps of US and Canadian cities

The panoramic map was a popular cartographic form used to depict U.S. and Canadian cities and towns during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. You can peruse a gallery of almost 2,000 of them in this digital archive from the Library...

Can you pass the US Civics quiz?

To become a naturalized US citizen, you must answer 10 questions out of a pool of 100, with at least six being correct in order to pass. It's commonly said that many natural-born American citizens would likely not do so well on the test. To get a sense of the questions asked, challenge yourself with 10 civics questions with this fun quiz from the AP to see how you'd do on the all-important naturalization test.

Visualizing US state taxes in seven charts

Ever wondered how your state’s tax system compares to others? Here’s an overview of the US state tax system based on seven visualizations.

Evaluating the world’s 'smartest' cities

A ranking of "smart cities" analyzes cities by economical and technological aspects as well as quality of life, inclusiveness, and care to the environment.

See a visual of the largest airlines in the US by market share.

Data visualizations showing population growth around the world

This page presents data, charts, and analysis on changes in population growth around the world. Over the last few centuries, the human population has gone through an extraordinary change. In 1800, there were 1 billion people; today, there are more...

Explore the Opportunity Atlas and see which places in America offer the highest social mobility.

Explore a map of data centers worldwide, numbering over 12,250 as of August 2026, with over 4,500 in the US.

See how food access varies across America with these interactive maps that show grocery store proximity.

Check out America's happiest places to live

Where are the best overall places to live in the US? This list focused on finding the happiest towns in America, given the ongoing reconsideration of how people want to live and work in the post-pandemic world. The selection process involved...

17 cities have hosted a Super Bowl, with Miami and New Orleans tied for the most

The resource details where each Super Bowl has been played, listing every host city alongside its stadium, and shows how a small group of warm-weather and domed locations came to dominate hosting duties over time.

See MS prevalence by region in the United States

This map underscores that people in the northeastern United States have more cases of the disease as compared to the south, west, and midwest. On an individual level, these numbers may still differ based on genetic makeup and other factors irrespective of where people live.

Visualize population densities around the world represented as geographic terrain and how those densities changed from 1900 to 1975 to 2015.

15 out of 25 major US cities have a lower cost of living than their nearby suburbs

These cities are Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Boston, San Francisco, Detroit, Minneapolis, Denver, Baltimore, St. Louis, Orlando, Charlotte, and San Antonio. This article details the cost of living in major US cities versus their nearby suburbs, according to data from 2023.

Visualize tipping norms around the world with this map that reveals the US tips more service providers and leaves larger amounts than anywhere else globally.

In 1974, Los Angeles’s Community Analysis Bureau built a smart city

Los Angeles utilized aerial imaging and cluster analysis to gather and interpret civic data, leveraging surveillance technologies developed by the Department of Defense during the height of the Cold War. Instead of being used for military purposes, data insights helped direct social services to high-poverty neighborhoods.

Mapping the world's cell towers

Millions of cell towers around the world help connect the world's 8 billion people via cell phones and the Internet. But access to such coverage, while still expanding, is not equal. This data visualization depicts the world's many cell connections across a global map, revealing cell use hot spots and the world's many gaps in coverage.

States with the most million-dollar homes

As of 2024, the US has 621 cities where a typical home costs $1M or more. California has more million-dollar cities than any other state by a long shot, with 218. New York comes in second with 76. Want to see where other states rank? Check out this map to learn more.