Maps

Maps can be used to display quantitative data geographically. Three types of maps are available through the MICA/Community Data Profile tools.

Quintile Maps

Quintile maps are based on the rank of each county. The counts or rates for all 115 counties in Missouri are sorted from highest to lowest and divided into five groups, or quintiles, which each contain 23 counties unless there are ties. The counties in the quintile with the highest rates are represented in the darkest color, regardless of whether the highest rates are the “best” or “worst” rates for a particular indicator. The counties in the quintile with the lowest rates are represented in the lightest color. Note this is different than the way quintile maps are treated in the Community Data Profiles described here.

Quintile maps are only available for counties.

Quartile Maps

Quartile maps are also based on the rank of each county. The counts or rates for all 115 counties in Missouri are sorted from highest to lowest and divided into four groups, or quartiles. The top two quartiles will each contain 29 counties and the bottom two quartiles will each contain 28 counties unless there are ties. The counties in the quartile with the highest rates are represented in the darkest color, regardless of whether the highest rates are the “best” or “worst” rates for a particular indicator. The counties in the quartile with the lowest rates are represented in the lightest color.

Quartile maps are only available for counties.

Significance Maps

Significance maps are based on the results of statistical significance tests comparing each geography’s rate to the overall state rate. Therefore, geographies with a rate that is statistically significantly higher than the state rate appear in the darkest shade of color. Geographies with a rate that is statistically significantly lower than the state rate appear in the lightest shade of color. Geographies with a rate that is not statistically significantly different from the state rate appear in the middle shade of color. In the MICA and Community Data Profile tools, all significance maps are based on 95% confidence levels. 

Significance maps are available for all geographic levels.