This map was created to compare different methods of data classification, using the median monthly rent cost in Vancouver:
The standard deviation map displays how far maps deviate from the mean. Although useful for scientific analysis and finding areas of a map that may be considered outliers, it is not at all useful for creating a comprehensible map for the public.
Manual breaks allow the map creator to create their own breaks, and may be used to create comprehensible maps with logical, easy to follow separations. This is the best option when publishing a map for public view.
Equal Interval creates equal breaks between all of the values. It is useful for identifying the most extreme areas in a map, and for showing whether the bulk of areas rests at low or high counts. In this case, most areas lie at the lower end. Equal Interval may also be used to identify extreme outliers, such as the only burgundy area in this map.
Natural Breaks finds the optimal way to classify data, increasing the similarity within a class while reducing similarity between classes. This is the best way to break up data, but often results in unrounded numbers, and may look less neat. They may also result in non-natural numbers, as the algorithm will not take into account the context for the map.
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