MAG Regional Analytics Digest: Quarterly update for MAG data and map users

• Census Release
• Short Term Rental Analysis
• Employer Data Update

• Virtual Maps & Data Training
• Upcoming Projects

Census Release

The U.S. Census Bureau has released 2020 redistricting data, their initial data set from Census 2020. The data set was originally released in August 2021. MAG collected and processed the data set as soon as it was available, and created a number of tables and maps to make the data easily accessible to anyone interested. Additionally, MAG has created a simple interactive web viewer to allow for easy access to the data. The viewer and reports that MAG has published so far, as well as future publications, can be found at azmag.gov/Census.

Short Term Rental Analysis

Short-term rentals, which are rental homes that typically rent for less than 30 days at a time on websites such as VRBO and AirBnB, have become an increasing concern in some communities.  MAG has been analyzing data obtained from AirDNA and found that the number of short term rentals exploded in 2017 and continues into 2020 in parts of the Valley such as Scottsdale, Central Phoenix, and Paradise Valley.  According to AirDNA, Phoenix had the most total short term rentals, approximately 5,300, which is around 0.8% of the total housing stock of Phoenix.  By comparison, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley have roughly 3.2% and 3.7% of their housing stock respectively. MAG is sharing these findings with member agencies, as they look at ways to mitigate the impact on their neighborhoods of short term rentals. 

Employer Data Update

The Arizona COG/MPO Employer Database has been updated with 2020 data. The database includes information about all employers across Arizona with five or more employees. It also includes information on industry clusters, key industries, and foreign-owned businesses. The data is available through the Arizona Employer Viewer and users can acquire a copy of the 2020 database by contacting Scott Wilken. The Business, Jobs, and Industry dashboard, infographics, and commute shed reports have also been updated with the latest employer data.

Virtual Maps & Data Training

The last MAG Maps and Data Workshop webinar of 2021 will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, November 9, via Zoom. The class is free and open to the public. We’ll cover how to find, customize, and download demographic and employer data, as well as review all of our most popular map viewers. Find more information and registration details at maps.azmag.gov/trainings.html. 

Upcoming Projects

The Regional Analytics Division has a number of exciting new projects and updates to look forward to in the coming months including an update to the Recreation Viewer and a new housing dashboard. Keep an eye out on our social media and newsroom for more information.