Federal Reserve Economic Data

Fortunes can vary widely from one neighborhood to the next and also from one state to the next. The map above, which looks at U.S. states, shows median household income. This measure of income is basically a line through the middle: Half the households within that state receive more income and half receive less income. The map shows some regional correlations, but it is quite interesting to see how median income in one state can be almost twice as high (or low) as it is in a neighboring state. Use the “View on GeoFRED” link above to visit the site. There you can interact with each state on the map and gather more details about it. You can also change the applicable date to see how the distribution of the median income has changed over the years.

How this map was created: The original post referenced an interactive map from our now discontinued GeoFRED site. The revised post provides a replacement map from FRED’s new mapping tool. To create FRED maps, go to the data series page in question and look for the green “VIEW MAP” button at the top right of the graph. See this post for instructions to edit a FRED map. Only series with a green map button can be mapped.

Suggested by Christian Zimmermann

FRED is gathering more and more international data, including socio-demographic data. The map above was built in GeoFRED and shows the World Bank’s “age dependency ratio.” This particular measure is the ratio of older “dependents” to “workers.” A higher number indicates more potential retirees (those 65 and older) for every 100 persons considered to be in their most-productive working years (15 to 64). The concept behind this terminology is that retirees are in some ways economically “dependent” on those who still work. Of course, there are qualifications: Many younger persons are in school or other training, and many older persons work effectively after age 65.

The map shows stark differences in this ratio across the world. Look at the legend: The ratios span an almost tenfold range from the bottom to the top category. There are two main reasons. Less-developed economies have shorter expected lifespans, reducing their proportion of potential retirees. Developed economies have lower birth rates, reducing their proportion of younger workers.

How this map was created: The original post referenced an interactive map from our now discontinued GeoFRED site. The revised post provides a replacement map from FRED’s new mapping tool. To create FRED maps, go to the data series page in question and look for the green “VIEW MAP” button at the top right of the graph. See this post for instructions to edit a FRED map. Only series with a green map button can be mapped.

Suggested by Christian Zimmermann