Is Yelp the New Census?

With the 2020 census quickly approaching it seems to be an appropriate time to reevaluate the census and consider possible alternatives that are now possible thanks to new data technologies. The US Census is responsible for collecting data on demographics, economic activity, and more so that the government has a greater understanding of neighborhoods at a micro level. However, this comes with an exorbitant cost. The Census costs billions of dollars, and now might not even be the best method of understanding neighborhoods.

Using data from Yelp, the popular business-reviewing app, researchers can now more accurately determine “ neighborhood’s daytime population, nighttime population, the number of businesses located in it, and the amount of overall spending in the neighborhood.” This is a much greater understanding than is produced by the census, as the restaurant industry is one of the greatest determinants of a neighborhood’s socioeconomic activity, while also remaining one of the most enigmatic and decentralized.

This new method is not without its faults, however. Yelp is a platform that is highly biased — reviews are often written after particularly good or bad experiences. One way to address this, if researchers and policy makers wanted to pursue this data proxy further, would be to combine the data with other review platforms, such as Google Reviews or Facebook to get an even more accurate proxy for understanding economic activity and more in a much more cost-efficient way.

Articles referenced : http://news.mit.edu/2019/urban-planners-restaurant-neighborhood-0715