Your study area does not have to be a single official geography. You can combine areas, or select areas with a radius, a travel time, or a shape you draw.
Combine several places
If you select several areas for your study area on The map or in Browse levels, Studio combines them into one custom area and asks you to Name your area. Step 2 shows it as Custom area with the number of geographies, and the profile reports one total under the name you gave it.
- A custom area uses one geography level, for example only tracts.
- It can include up to 500 geographies.
Select with a radius, travel time, or drawing
On The map, the Radius, Travel, and Draw tools select every area within a circle, a travel time, or a shape you draw, for example everything within a 1 mile radius of a downtown square. Choose a place explains each tool, the Center and Every area rules, and the messages you may see.
When you click Use as the study area, Studio suggests a name from the shape, such as "1 mi around Church Street Marketplace", and explains that the profile reports the selected areas.
| Note: Studio reports whole census areas, never a clipped piece of one. The shape is only used to select the areas. The map lists the areas the profile will report. |