Gallery: Fascinating Old Census Maps, Updated for a Modern America
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata01yau-water
Thanks to satellite data and other sources, the modern map of waterways is incredibly detailed.
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata02yau-forest
Yau's map of forested areas has far more detail than the 1870 version (next slide).
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division031870-woodlands
But the pattern is similar.
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata04yau-sex
The 2015 map shows pockets where the population of males (blue) or females (red) is higher than average.
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division051870-sex
In the 1870 version, western territories had an abundance of males.
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata06yau-foreign-parents
Yau's map of people born to foreign parents, according to the 2010 Census.
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division071870-foreign-parentage
The 1870 map of foreign parentage.
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata08yau-gainful-occupation
Detail from a chart of occupations based on 2010 Census data.
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division091870-gainful-occupation
The 1870 version of the occupation chart.
Nathan Yau / Flowingdata10yau-mortality-circulatory
Contemporary data on mortality from circulatory disease.
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division111870-malaria
Mortality from malaria, mapped in the 1870 atlas.
Library of Congress, Geography & Map Division121870-cover
Cover page of the 1870 Statistical Atlas.
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