{"id":1192002,"date":"2021-04-12T11:10:18","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T18:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=1192002"},"modified":"2026-01-29T07:02:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:02:02","slug":"multivariate-maps-what-are-they-and-how-can-i-make-them-in-arcgis","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/multivariate-maps-what-are-they-and-how-can-i-make-them-in-arcgis","title":{"rendered":"Multivariate maps: what are they and how can I make them in ArcGIS?"},"author":6971,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[22941],"tags":[28521,26451,230422,33391,31301],"industry":[],"product":[36581,36551,36561],"class_list":["post-1192002","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mapping","tag-bivariate","tag-cartography","tag-data","tag-multivariate","tag-symbology","product-arcgis-living-atlas","product-arcgis-online","product-arcgis-pro"],"acf":{"short_description":"Multivariate maps are interesting and informative if done well. Here's an overview, plus some instructions for ArcGIS Pro and Online.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>If you&#8217;d prefer a fully written, non video (who could blame you), uncharacteristically formal introduction to bivariate and multivariate maps, you&#8217;ll find that <a href=\"https:\/\/gistbok-ltb.ucgis.org\/page\/34\/concept\/10541\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in this article<\/a> from the <a href=\"https:\/\/gistbok.ucgis.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIS&amp;T Body of Knowledge<\/a> which is a somewhat encyclopedic resource for GIS educators and enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p>If you are ok with delving into a rip roaring wild meandering breathless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLPjPOZQjCWEm2HThRN-5PbXQXTTLrVjud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">journey<\/a> through just a small slice of the information-dense world of bivariate and multivariate mapping then press play my friend&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Part 1<\/h2>\n<p>What is a bivariate or multivariate map? Why would you want to make one? What do the legends look like? What are some alternatives to a multivariate map?<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"youtube","start_time":"0","end_time":"","youtube_video_url":"<iframe title=\"What is a Bivariate Map? Well I&#039;m So Glad You Asked...\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oNwi0O4IvHc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>0:00 Nerd alert!<\/p>\n<p>0:22 Getting some obligatory definitions out of the way. Bi (two) variate (data variables).<\/p>\n<p>0:33 Show a relationship. Each layer of data give the others context. Where are they in\/out of synch? Connecting the dots. That sort of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/mapping\/context-mapping-fires-and-population\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>1:10 Careful not to blow out your audience&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cognitive_load\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cognitive load<\/a>. Find a balance.<\/p>\n<p>1:31 Is it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.davidrumsey.com\/luna\/servlet\/view\/search?search=SUBMIT&amp;cat=0&amp;q=note%3D%22prevailing+currents+and+winds%22&amp;dateRangeStart=&amp;dateRangeEnd=&amp;sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&amp;QuickSearchA=QuickSearchA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ingenious or burdensome<\/a>? More complex maps mean more effort for your audience.<\/p>\n<p>2:17 Building a simple bivariate map by just stacking two symbology dimensions on top of each other.<\/p>\n<p>2:55 Applying two data variables to a <em>single<\/em> symbol.<\/p>\n<p>3:21 Value by alpha. Using transparency to represent an underlying value (like population) while using color to show another value (like <a href=\"https:\/\/livingatlas.arcgis.com\/en\/browse\/#d=2&amp;q=county%20health%20rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">health measures<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>4:08 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joshuastevens.net\/cartography\/make-a-bivariate-choropleth-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bivariate choropleth maps<\/a> (aka <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/what-is-a-relationship-map\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relationship maps<\/a>). Calculating a grid of values (and colors) for two variables. Great for showing where phenomena are low or high overall and where the two phenomena differ.<\/p>\n<p>4:40 Some tips about bivariate choropleth legends. The corners are the most interesting parts.<\/p>\n<p>5:03 Disassembling a bivariate choropleth map into just its extremes. Extreme!<\/p>\n<p>6:00 Always choropleth? No way! You can get reallll crazy. Here&#8217;s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/mapping\/chernoff-faces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chernoff map<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>6:26 What about smooshing a <em>value by alpha<\/em> method into a <em>bivariate choropleth<\/em> method? An abomination? Nah, it just might work! The important thing is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/analytics\/analytics\/the-weird-world-of-a-cartographers-brain-and-basketball\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">try it and see<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>6:42 The same data can be multivariat-ized in lots of ways. Literally a kajillion.<\/p>\n<p>7:15 If you stack up some graduated symbol layers for a multivariate map you definitely will have issues with occlusion (stuff covering up other stuff). Well not if you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/Cascade\/index.html?appid=5a333512e79c4c5ab9052c9d0ff8f55b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">offset them radially like the petals of a flower<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>7:25 More thoughts on making understanding your multivariate map easy for your audience by disclosing it narratively like in a <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StoryMap<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>8:51 Stuck with a static legend? Think about some extreme cases and use them as a handful of <em>for instance<\/em> style legends.<\/p>\n<p>9:24 Sometimes you throw caution to the wind to make a bit of multivariate <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresinmapping.com\/2018\/04\/10\/tree-ring-symbology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">map&#8230;art<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>9:54 Doesn&#8217;t always have to be multivariate! There are alternatives, like <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresinmapping.com\/2018\/04\/13\/animated-tornado-tree-rings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">animation<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/adventuresinmapping.com\/2018\/03\/29\/tornado-migration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">small multiple<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>10:47 Getting a bit crazy&#8230;with a <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.esri.com\/stories\/2018\/health-factors\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trivariate choropleth map<\/a>. I told you we were diving deep!<\/p>\n<p>11:35 Even weirdly complex multivariate maps can be craftily communicated to an audience, if you keep in mind all the options you have for explaining them:<br \/>\n-a narrative structure like a <a href=\"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StoryMap<\/a><br \/>\n-layers that are revealed progressively to build up the concept<br \/>\n-use plenty of helpful legend-like graphics<br \/>\n-label interesting parts of the map directly<\/p>\n<p>12:01 <em>Interesting relationships<\/em> is the name of the game when it comes to multivariate maps.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Part 2<\/h2>\n<p>That was a lot of examples and chatter. What about digging in and actually making some of these things? We learn best by doing, so here are a handful of ways to make multivariate maps in ArcGIS Pro.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"youtube","start_time":"0","end_time":"","youtube_video_url":"<iframe title=\"Million and One Ways to Make a Multivariate Map\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8WuEHBYq4oM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>0:00 Who dresses this person?<\/p>\n<p>0:24 We&#8217;ll use one layer to make all these multivariate maps. The UN World Happiness Index (more info <a href=\"https:\/\/worldhappiness.report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>; I&#8217;m using <a href=\"https:\/\/nation.maps.arcgis.com\/home\/item.html?id=6a08481a40294f0797b09fe3a52b4bbb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">old data from 2017<\/a> which you can steal).<\/p>\n<p>0:59 Did you know you could tie thematic symbology to a polygon&#8217;s fill or its outline? Or both? That could be interesting!<\/p>\n<p>2:00 Check out the &#8220;vary symbology by attribute&#8221; tab in the symbology panel if you seek multivariate powers.<\/p>\n<p>2:29 Making a value by alpha map to include uncertainty in your map.<\/p>\n<p>4:17 Stacking up many instances of graduated symbology, each mapping a different variable.<\/p>\n<p>5:57 Radially offsetting graduated symbol layers avoids problems of overlap and creates an interesting symbol bouquet (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/analytics\/analytics\/happy-maps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here&#8217;s how<\/a> to use the symbol&#8217;s x\/y offset option).<\/p>\n<p>6:44 <a href=\"https:\/\/pro.arcgis.com\/en\/pro-app\/latest\/help\/mapping\/layer-properties\/chart-symbology.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chart symbology<\/a> is a ready-to-rock-and-roll multivariate option.<br \/>\n-Bar charts at 7:00<br \/>\n-Stacked bar charts at 7:31<br \/>\n&#8211; Pie charts at 7:44<\/p>\n<p>8:05 I tricked you into learning about redundant cues! That means using multiple visual dimensions showing the <em>same<\/em> variable. Like waving your hands <em>while<\/em> you raise your voice. While this is somewhat the opposite of a multivariate map, you can use redundant cues in a more complex multivariate map to really lock in a particular variable.<\/p>\n<p>9:12 Using the visual dimension of color to add another variable to a graduated symbol. Again, good old &#8220;vary symbology by attribute.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>10:10 Bivariate choropleth mapping in ArcGIS Pro (called &#8220;bivariate colors&#8221; in the primary symbology droplist)<\/p>\n<p>11:28 Are you ready to have your mind blown? &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/pro.arcgis.com\/en\/pro-app\/latest\/help\/mapping\/layer-properties\/attribute-driven-symbology.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Symbol property connections<\/a>&#8221; let you tie virtually any visual option of a symbol to data or a formula. It&#8217;s bananas. Warren Davison even tied a hachure graphic&#8217;s size and thickness to things like steepness and angle in <a href=\"https:\/\/warrenrdavison.wixsite.com\/maps\/post\/revisiting-hachure-lines-dynamic-hachure-contours-in-arcgis-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this<\/a> masterpiece of digital reconstruction (half way down).<\/p>\n<p>Ok, there you go, just a small sampling of multivariate mapping options in ArcGIS Pro. Seriously, when you activate symbol property connections you just plug right into the Matrix; you&#8217;ll be bending spoons and learning kung-fu and stuff, but like in a cartographic way. Also check out the work of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/kenfield\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ken Field<\/a>, who manages to sneak at least two visual dimensions into nearly ever map he makes.<\/p>\n<p>But what about the web?<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Part 3<\/h2>\n<p>Can you make multivariate maps in ArcGIS Online? Come on.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"youtube","start_time":"0","end_time":"","youtube_video_url":"<iframe title=\"Multivariate Mapping in ArcGIS Online\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6vy-kVkIcRg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>0:00 Couldn&#8217;t be bothered to comb that hair?<\/p>\n<p>0:46 Overlaying two layer copies (of <a href=\"https:\/\/livingatlas.arcgis.com\/en\/browse\/#d=2&amp;q=acs%20labor%20force\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">labor force data<\/a> from Living Atlas) of the same enumeration unit (counties, in this case), but using different symbology.<\/p>\n<p>1:50 Baking color for one variable into a graduated symbol of another variable. Underlying population drives size, labor force drives color.<\/p>\n<p>3:16 Including transparency as another visual dimension, to show uncertainty. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/margins-of-error-and-mapping\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This is important<\/a>, people!<\/p>\n<p>4:33 Making a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/Cascade\/index.html?appid=28f71c557007440ebd936b21969ffff8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relationship map<\/a> (trusty old bivariate choropleth).<\/p>\n<p>Annnnnd if you dig into <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.arcgis.com\/en\/paths\/try-arcade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">writing expressions<\/a>, there is no end to the visual dimensions that you can harness in ArcGIS Online. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/lisa_berry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lisa Berry&#8217;s work<\/a>\u00a0for a smorgasbord of multivariate mapping in ArcGIS Online.<\/p>\n<p>Happy Multivariate Mapping! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/John_M_Nelson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John<\/a><\/p>\n"}],"authors":[{"ID":6971,"user_firstname":"John","user_lastname":"Nelson","nickname":"John Nelson","user_nicename":"j_nelson","display_name":"John Nelson","user_email":"John_Nelson@esri.com","user_url":"http:\/\/www.adventuresinmapping.com","user_registered":"2018-03-02 00:19:05","user_description":"I have far too much fun looking for ways to understand and present data visually, hopefully driving product strategy and engaging users. I work in the ArcGIS Living Atlas team at Esri, pushing and pulling data in all sorts of absurd ways and then sharing the process. I also design user experiences for maps and apps.\r\nWhen I'm not doing those things, I'm chasing around toddlers and wrangling chickens, and generally getting into other ad-hoc adventures. Life is good.\r\nYou might also like these Styles for ArcGIS Pro: esriurl.com\/nelsonstyles","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Profile.jpg' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"}],"related_articles":"","card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MultivariateMaps_Card.jpg","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2021\/04\/MultivariateMaps_Banner.jpg","show_article_image":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Multivariate maps: what are they and how can I make them in ArcGIS?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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