Exploring the map and switching data layers
This guide shows you how to navigate the map, switch between data categories, and read what the colours mean.
The layer toggle
The toolbar on the left side of the screen controls which data is displayed. It is organised into categories — Demographics, Housing, Economics, Transport, Energy, Elections, Weather, and more.
- Click any category icon to activate it.
- If a category has sub-metrics (for example, Demographics includes Population, Income, and Disability), a secondary menu appears — click the metric you want.
- The map recolours immediately to show that metric across all areas.
The colour scale legend at the bottom of the screen shows what the values mean. Darker or more saturated colours indicate higher values for most metrics.
Hovering over an area
Move your cursor over any area on the map to see a popup card showing:
- The area name and geography type — Electoral Division, county, constituency, or postal district.
- The metric value for that location.
- Comparison to the national average — shown as a difference (+ or −).
- A confidence indicator — whether the value is directly observed, derived, or estimated.
At county zoom level, the card also shows related context metrics and any area-specific signals about what stands out for that location.
Zoom levels
The map shows different boundary types depending on how far in you are zoomed:
- Zoomed out — county-level data across all 26 counties.
- Zoomed in — Electoral Division (ED) level detail becomes available. Ireland has 3,420 EDs, each typically covering a few hundred to a couple of thousand households.
Some metrics are only meaningful at county level. If a hover card shows a note about data availability, zoom out for better coverage.
Clicking on the map
Clicking on a county opens a full county profile in the Rankings panel — showing rank, context metrics, and area insights. On mobile, the hover card appears on tap.
When the Weather category is active, clicking anywhere opens the Weather panel for that exact location.
Try it now
Open the map and explore a metric that interests you.