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[LEARN] Choropleth vs. Bubble Map Charts—Which Works Best For Your Data?

Krystine
Krystine
  • Updated

Venngage offers two types of charts designed to help you represent data tied to geographic location and population statistics: choropleth maps and bubble maps.

But how do you know which one best fits your data story?
Let’s break it down.

 

Choropleth Map Charts

Choropleth maps use color gradients to represent higher and lower values across a region. They help viewers easily identify where certain data points—like population, votes, or activity—are most and least concentrated.

Here’s an example created in the Venngage Editor:
A choropleth map of Canada titled "Ice Cream Lovers by Canadian Province" uses pink shades to show how many people in each province love ice cream. Darker areas indicate higher numbers.

A choropleth map of Canada titled 'Ice Cream Lovers by Canadian Province'. The names of the provinces appear over each one in white text outlined in black, and the provinces themselves are colored different shades in a gradient from dark to light pink. The darkest colored provinces have icons of ice cream cones and sundaes on them. The background is a light to dark blue gradient.

From the fictional survey:

  • 29% live in Ontario

  • 25% in British Columbia

  • 23% in Quebec

  • The rest are spread across other provinces

Even without numbers, it’s clear that darker provinces have more ice cream fans.


When to Use a Choropleth Map

Choropleth maps are ideal when you want to visualize:

  • Population data (e.g., density, average age)

  • Political sentiment (e.g., voter turnout, party support)

  • Public health (e.g., risk factors, birth weights)

  • Economic or development indicators (e.g., wealth, food access)

  • Environmental trends (e.g., rainfall, soil quality, crop yields)

  • Technology adoption (e.g., social media or cell phone use)

 

👉 You can customize your choropleth map by adjusting gradient steps, defining data ranges, and fine-tuning colors to make your map clearer and more engaging. Learn more: Customizing choropleth map steps and colors


Bubble Map Charts

Bubble maps (also known as proportional symbol maps) use circles of different sizes to represent values across locations. The larger the bubble, the greater the data value.

They’re great for identifying “hot spots” or trends in regions with many data points.

For example, using the same ice cream data from above:
A bubble map shows Canada with pink circles of various sizes indicating ice cream lovers per province. Larger bubbles = more fans.

A bubble map version of the 'Ice Cream Lovers by Canadian Province' represented in the choropleth map above. The names of the provinces appear over each one in white text outlined in black, and the provinces themselves are all the same shade of light pink. Each province has a dark pink circle on it of various sizes, representing the amount of ice cream lovers in each province. The provinces with the largest circles have icons of ice cream sundaes and cones over them. The background is a light to dark blue gradient.

While the map is visually clear, it’s not as effective for small data sets spread over large areas. However, when we zoomed in to just Ontario, the results popped:

A bubble map of Ontario highlights clusters of ice cream lovers, especially in the southwest (Niagara region).

A bubble map of Ontario titled 'Ice Cream Lovers in Ontario'. The names of the regions appear over each one in white text outlined in black. There is a white line indicating the region covered by the largest bubble (Niagara), with an ice cream sundae icon next to it. The province is light pink and regions are overlayed with dark pink bubbles of varying sizes. The background is a light to dark blue gradient.

Here, overlapping bubbles instantly show where the majority of respondents live.


When to Use a Bubble Map

Use a bubble map when you want to:

  • Show multiple data inputs across regions

  • Highlight regional clusters or hot spots

  • Track growth or change over time

 

Choosing the Right Map Chart

When deciding between the two:

  • Use a choropleth map when you want to show gradual differences across a region.

  • Use a bubble map when you want to highlight specific data points or concentrations.

Try both in Venngage and see which one makes your story stand out best!

The feature(s) discussed in this article is available on the following Venngage subscription plans: Free, Premium, Business and Enterprise.

Curious about upgrading? Compare our plan features side by side.

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