Site Selection & Population - Census or Satellites?

When selecting a new retail site, location dictates market success: if your location is close to your buyers, you'll have a better chance of getting their business. Create more distance between you and your buyers, and you risk losing their business. 

But how do you find your buyers?

Population Explorer utilizes high-resolution, up-to-date population estimates derived from satellite imagery, infrastructure data, and environmental factors. This methodology provides a granular view of population distributions, allowing retailers to assess current and localized population density and trends. This real-time data is particularly valuable in dynamic urban environments where rapid population shifts can significantly impact retail performance.

Traditional census data, collected by the U.S. Census Bureau every ten years, offers a comprehensive and detailed demographic snapshot of the population, including age, income, education level, and housing characteristics. This depth of demographic information is crucial for retailers to understand their target market’s characteristics and purchasing power. However, the decennial nature of census data means it can become outdated, particularly in fast-growing or changing areas, potentially leading to less accurate site selection if significant demographic shifts have occurred since the last census.

Population Explorer’s strength lies in its ability to provide current, high-resolution population estimates, making it ideal for capturing the latest population trends and ensuring timely site selection decisions. Conversely, census data offers unmatched demographic detail, essential for in-depth market analysis and understanding the broader socio-economic context of potential retail locations. 

If your priority is for more granular, detailed datasets which might be outdated, stick with census. If your priority is to understand demographic trends right now, you'll want to use satellite derived datasets like those found in Population Explorer. 

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