A bubble map places proportionally sized circles at geographic coordinates, combining location context with magnitude comparison. It avoids the area-distortion problem of choropleths and works well for point-based data such as city populations or event counts.
Cumulative Orbital Launches by Spaceport (1957–2024)
Best for
- Showing magnitude of a variable at specific geographic points
- Comparing city-level data like population or revenue
- Avoiding area distortion inherent in choropleth maps
Avoid when
- Data is region-based rather than point-based — use a choropleth
- Many bubbles overlap in dense areas — consider clustering or a heat map
- Precise size comparison is essential — bubble areas are hard to judge