While census data is a valuable tool in mapping population change, it does not provide an objective view of demographics. It has been widely reported that the census has consistently undercounted communities of color since its start. Researchers have found that the 2010 Census failed to count nearly a tenth of Black Americans.1 Exacerbating this further, white Americans have been consistently overcounted.2 While I do not know the specific history of census data collection in Hayes Valley, theses patterns may very well be reflected in the data I have mapped, as seems likely when looking at these maps alongside documented history of the neighborhood.
Similarly, the business records shown in these maps may not be comprehensive. See the Business Spotlights tab for stories about businesses that are not reflected in the records.
Maps, particularly those that reflect government data, are presented to us as informational authorities. The process of creating the below maps has complicated my own understanding of their objectivity. Like any source, these maps tell an incomplete story. Even so, there is power in visualization.
Map Navigation Instructions
When navigating the census data, note that the tract boundaries and racial categorizations shift over the years. The color of each block group marks the most prominent racial group in that area during that census year. Refer to the legend in each map for a color-coded guide and click on a block group to see the total population with a detailed breakdown.
Businesses are represented with points, colored according to how long they had been open in the year the map represents. In the legend, “date_locat” refers to the date a business opened at that location. Click on a point to view a business’ name, address, and opening and closing dates. If you are shown census data rather than business information after clicking on a point, look to the bottom right corner of the pop-up to change the information being displayed. If the pop-up is cut off, place your cursor on the map and drag until the full pop-up is in the map frame.
Begin by pressing play on the Business Timeline, then explore the eight maps below it. What types of businesses appear to be longstanding? What types of change are visible between decades? What changes and stories might this format obscure?
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 1950 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
Note: Some of the data for 1950 is visually misrepresented in this map due to an ArcGIS abnormality. The purple and turquoise are correct in the legend, but incorrectly mapped onto block groups. Click on a block group to see an accurate breakdown in the pop-up.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 1960 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 1970 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 1980 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 1990 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 2000 Census via IPUMS NHGIS.
Note: Not all block group data from 2000 is available.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 2010 Census Data.
The above map draws data from San Francisco’s Registered Business Locations Open Data and from the United States Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Data.