Lab 7: Exploration Through Maps
This map of the United States takes a glance at the average increase of tuition and fees at public universities. While the darker shades of blue represent a greater percent increase of tuition, the lighter hues of blues/greens paint a picture of states with decreased tuition since 2004. A legend can be found in the bottom righthand corner which depicts a barometer of change associated with each color.
When taking a glance at this map, it becomes clearly evident that certain states have far more substantial growth of tuition compared to others. One theory behind this trend could be that certain states have universities that along with greater prestige, carry a far more hefty price tag. An example of this trend could be in California which is the home of Stanford University or UC Berkley.
At first glance, this map is a sobering visualization of the increase of homeless per state over the course of 20 years. Darker colors (purple and magenta) represent states that have the greatest increase of homelessness, while lighter colored states ( yellow and orange) represent an increase on a far smaller scale.
When looking at the map above, one of the first observations that can be made is that in states with densely packed cities like California and New York, that the level of individuals without a home skyrockets. This seems to make sense as with a greater population you will have a higher rate of homeless citizens. It is also important to consider that in larger cities comes a greater price tag on homes/apartment living which for the person living paycheck to paycheck, can equal disaster. Another interesting trend is also that certain states that have coastal regions ( Florida, California, and Oregon to name a few) have some of the highest increases homeless citizens.
