Raw numbers often lack context. Is a median income of $85,000 high or low for a California city? Does 55% support for a bond measure indicate enthusiasm or reluctance? This platform uses relative standings—percentile-based comparisons—to show how any jurisdiction compares to others like it. Understanding these comparisons unlocks faster, more accurate analysis.
Where You'll See Relative Standings
Relative standings appear in three main areas of the platform:
Summary pages show key metrics with their relative standings at a glance—giving you immediate context on whether a jurisdiction's demographics and characteristics are typical or unusual.
Census Data pages display standings for demographic and economic metrics—median income, homeownership rate, unemployment, educational attainment, and more. From any jurisdiction, navigate to Voters → Census Data. Each metric shows a badge indicating where the jurisdiction ranks compared to similar jurisdictions.
Ideology Analysis displays standings for ballot measure voting patterns. From any jurisdiction, navigate to Voters → Ideology Analysis. Both the overall ideology score and individual proposition results show how the jurisdiction compares to peers.
How the Badges Work
The platform uses five-level badges to communicate relative position:
- Very Low: Bottom 20% of comparable jurisdictions
- Low: 20th-40th percentile
- Average: 40th-60th percentile
- High: 60th-80th percentile
- Very High: Top 20%
A "Very High" median income means the jurisdiction is in the top 20% among similar jurisdictions—not that the income is objectively high in absolute terms.
Comparison Groups Matter
Different jurisdiction types are compared to their peers:
- Cities compare to other California cities
- Counties compare to other California counties
- City council districts compare to other city council districts
- Legislative districts compare to other districts of the same type
This prevents misleading comparisons. A small city with $60,000 median income might rank "High" among cities, while a county with the same income might rank "Low" among counties. The same raw number means different things in different contexts.
Census Data Standings
On the Demographics, Education & Work, Income & Economic, and Housing tabs, you'll see relative standings for metrics like:
- Median household income
- Homeownership rate
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- Unemployment rate
- Rent burden (percentage of income spent on rent)
- Over 65 population
- Foreign-born population
Each summary statistics bar highlights four key metrics with their standings, allowing quick comparison across jurisdictions.
Ideology Standings
The Ideology Analysis page uses percentile rankings differently. Rather than fixed quintile badges, ideology positions a jurisdiction on a Progressive-to-Conservative spectrum based on how it votes on ballot propositions compared to similar jurisdictions.
Overall ideology classifications range from Very Progressive through Moderate to Very Conservative, based on aggregated proposition voting.
Category scores (Tax-Related, Bond Measures, Social Issues, Criminal Justice, Rent Control) each show where the jurisdiction falls on the spectrum for that issue area.
Individual proposition standings show how the jurisdiction's Yes vote compared to similar jurisdictions—a "Very High" Yes vote means the jurisdiction was more supportive than most peers.
Practical Applications
Quick jurisdiction profiling: Before diving into details, scan the summary bars on Census Data pages. Any "Very High" or "Very Low" badges immediately signal distinguishing characteristics worth understanding.
Comparing apples to apples: When analyzing multiple jurisdictions, their relative standings let you compare even when raw numbers aren't directly comparable. Two cities with different population sizes can be meaningfully compared by their standings.
Identifying outliers: A jurisdiction that's "Very High" on unemployment and "Very Low" on income is clearly economically distressed. A jurisdiction that's "Progressive" overall but "Conservative" on criminal justice has a distinctive profile.
Reality-checking assumptions: A D+20 registration district that shows "Moderate" or "Conservative" on ballot measure ideology is more complex than its registration suggests. Use relative standings to test assumptions.
Limitations to Keep in Mind
Percentiles hide magnitude. The difference between the 50th and 60th percentile might be tiny or substantial depending on data distribution. Standings show rank, not distance.
Context still required. A "Low" badge on a metric doesn't explain why it's low. Relative standings identify patterns—they don't explain them.
Small jurisdiction uncertainty. Census data for small jurisdictions has larger margins of error. A "High" standing in a jurisdiction with 5,000 residents is less reliable than the same standing in a jurisdiction with 500,000 residents.
Comparison groups aren't always intuitive. A city council district compares to other city council districts statewide, not to other districts in the same city. Always note what's being compared to what.
Reading the Full Picture
Relative standings are most powerful when viewed together. A jurisdiction that's:
- Very High on median income
- Very Low on public assistance recipients
- High on homeownership
- Low on rent burden
...tells a story of affluence and stability. But pair that with "Conservative" on tax measures and "Moderate" on bond measures, and you understand not just the demographics but how they translate to voting behavior.
Use relative standings as your first filter. They quickly separate the typical from the unusual, the expected from the surprising. Then dig into the raw numbers and specific propositions to understand why.