Geospatial
Hexagonal Grid Map
Equal-sized hexagons represent regions, eliminating area bias.
Approval Rating by State
Equal visual weight per state
View data (50 rows)
| Approval | State |
|---|---|
| 43 | AL |
| 48 | AK |
| 50 | AZ |
| 42 | AR |
| 62 | CA |
| 58 | CO |
| 63 | CT |
| 59 | DE |
| 51 | FL |
| 49 | GA |
| 64 | HI |
| 45 | ID |
| 57 | IL |
| 46 | IN |
| 47 | IA |
| 44 | KS |
| 43 | KY |
| 41 | LA |
| 61 | ME |
| 65 | MD |
| 65 | MA |
| 55 | MI |
| 60 | MN |
| 40 | MS |
| 45 | MO |
| 46 | MT |
| 46 | NE |
| 56 | NV |
| 59 | NH |
| 60 | NJ |
| 55 | NM |
| 65 | NY |
| 51 | NC |
| 45 | ND |
| 46 | OH |
| 41 | OK |
| 62 | OR |
| 53 | PA |
| 61 | RI |
| 43 | SC |
| 44 | SD |
| 43 | TN |
| 48 | TX |
| 47 | UT |
| 63 | VT |
| 55 | VA |
| 64 | WA |
| 42 | WV |
| 52 | WI |
| 42 | WY |
Use a hexagonal grid map when…
- US state maps where geography misleads
- When every region should have equal visual weight
Avoid when…
- When geographic accuracy matters
- Non-standard region sets (counties, custom sales territories) without an established hex layout
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 3 |
| Min Columns | 2 |
| Column Types | stringnumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
hexagon
Channels
color-luminanceposition (grid)
Axes
hex grid
Guiding principles
Consider instead
Common mistakes
No labels on hexagons
Color scale not explained
Misleading hex placement when the reader needs actual geography
History
Popularized by NPR and FiveThirtyEight in 2010s election coverage.
Accessibility notes
Label each hexagon with region abbreviation.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Hexagonal Grid Map plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.