Methodology Statements

• Esri Updated Demographics [PDF]
  Esri 2012/2017 Updated Demographics continues to build on the industry's most accurate data, while adapting to changes in source data. Esri's 2012/2017 Updated Demographics data incorporates Census 2010 counts and is in 2010 geography.
• Diversity Index [PDF]
  This white paper defines the U.S. Diversity Index and discusses the features of the Esri race and ethnic origin database that is supplemented by a diversity index.
• Tapestry Segmentation [PDF]
  This document describes how Esri uses the traditional statistical methodology of cluster analysis with the latest data mining techniques to create Tapestry Segmentation at smaller geographic levels.
• Business Locations and Business Summary [PDF]
  This document describes how Esri extracts its business data from a comprehensive list of businesses licensed from Dun & Bradstreet.
• Consumer Spending [PDF]
  This methodology white paper describes how Esri integrates data from the latest Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CEX)—the Diary Survey and the Interview Survey—from the Bureau of Labor Statistics with Tapestry Segmentation data to provide a comprehensive database about all consumer expenditures.
• Market Potential [PDF]
  This document explains how Esri calculates its Market Potential data by combining Esri's Tapestry Segmentation data with consumer survey data from the GfK MRI Doublebase.
• Retail MarketPlace [PDF]
  This document explains how Esri built the Retail MarketPlace database to provide a complete assessment of the retail marketplace including a measure of the difference between supply and demand by industry sector.
• 2006/2011 Gulf Coast Updates  [PDF]
  This white paper details how Esri's data development team created a new methodology to reveal the demographic changes in the Gulf Coast region from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.