Demographics

Demographics reveal who lives within your trade area—the population characteristics that determine whether local residents match your target customer profile. GrowthFactor provides detailed demographic breakdowns with national benchmarks, helping you quickly assess customer fit for any site.

Accessing Demographics

Demographics display in the results panel when you search a site. The data reflects the population within your currently selected trade area—if you change your trade area settings, demographic figures update automatically.

Expand the demographics section to see distribution charts for each category.

Demographic Categories

Age Distribution

Shows the population breakdown by age group within the trade area.

Age Brackets:

• Under 10

• 10–19

• 20–29

• 30–44

• 45–59

• 60–69

• 70+

These brackets are designed to provide balanced, actionable segments—distinguishing younger families, working-age adults, and retirees in a way that aligns with typical retail customer profiles.

Key Metrics:

• Largest Group: The age bracket with the highest population count

• Biggest Difference: The bracket that deviates most from the national average (over- or under-indexed)

• Median Age: The midpoint age for the trade area population, compared to the national median

Income Distribution

Shows household income distribution within the trade area.

Income Brackets:

• Under $15,000

• $15,000–$24,999

• $25,000–$34,999

• $35,000–$49,999

• $50,000–$74,999

• $75,000–$99,999

• $100,000–$149,999

• $150,000–$199,999

• $200,000 and over

The brackets provide granularity at both ends of the spectrum—distinguishing lower-income households that may be price-sensitive and higher-income households that support premium concepts.

Key Metrics:

• Largest Group: The income bracket with the most households

• Biggest Difference: The bracket most over- or under-represented compared to national averages

• Median Income: The midpoint household income for the trade area, compared to the national median

Race Distribution

Shows the racial composition of the trade area population, using U.S. Census categories.

Education Distribution

Shows educational attainment levels for the adult population within the trade area—from less than high school through graduate degrees.

Gender Distribution

Shows the male/female population split within the trade area.

Reading Distribution Charts

Each demographic category displays as a horizontal bar chart comparing local data to national averages.

Chart Elements

Blue Bars (Local): Population count or percentage for the trade area

Purple Dots (National Avg): The corresponding national average for each bracket

Bar Length: Represents the absolute population or household count in that bracket within your trade area

Interpreting Comparisons

The relationship between local bars and national dots reveals how the trade area differs from the U.S. overall:

Example: If the $100K–$149K income bar extends well past the national average dot, the trade area has a higher concentration of upper-middle-income households than typical—potentially favorable for mid-premium concepts.

Key Demographic Insights

Below each chart, GrowthFactor highlights three summary metrics to surface the most important takeaways.

Largest Group

The bracket containing the most people (or households, for income). This tells you the dominant segment in the trade area.

How to use it: If the largest age group is 30–44, the area skews toward young families. If the largest income group is $50K–$75K, you're looking at a solidly middle-income market.

Biggest Difference

The bracket where the trade area deviates most from national averages—expressed as a percentage difference and whether it's above or below average.

How to use it: This flags what makes the trade area distinctive. A trade area that's 25% above average in the 20–29 age bracket has a notably young population. One that's 30% below average in the Under $15K bracket has fewer low-income households than typical.

Median Value

The midpoint value (age or income) for the trade area, shown alongside the national median for comparison.

How to use it: Medians cut through distribution complexity to give you a single benchmark. A median income of $85,000 vs. a national median of $75,000 tells you the area is more affluent than average at a glance.

Trade Area Impact

Demographics are calculated for the population within your selected trade area boundary. This makes trade area selection critical to demographic analysis.

Smaller Trade Areas

Tighter boundaries (e.g., 5-minute drive, 50% foot traffic zone) show the demographics of your immediate, core customer base. Numbers will be smaller in absolute terms but may be more representative of who actually visits.

Larger Trade Areas

Wider boundaries (e.g., 20-minute drive, 80% foot traffic zone) capture a broader population. This provides larger sample sizes and may smooth out hyperlocal anomalies, but could dilute signals if the outer ring differs significantly from the core.

Foot Traffic Trade Zones

When using Foot Traffic Trade Zones, demographics reflect the areas where visitors actually originate—not just who happens to live nearby. This can produce different (and often more accurate) demographic profiles than radius-based approaches.

Note: Foot Traffic Trade Zones may show lower absolute population numbers since they're scoped to visitor origins rather than arbitrary boundaries. The data is more precise but covers a more targeted geography.

Data Sources

GrowthFactor demographic data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and updated regularly.

Age Data: Based on the Census population estimates by single year of age and sex (NC-EST series).

Income Data: Based on Census household income tables (Table A-2 from Current Population Survey).

National average benchmarks come directly from these Census sources, ensuring consistent and authoritative comparisons.

Using Demographics in Site Selection

Customer Match

The primary question: does the local population match your target customer?

If your concept targets young professionals with disposable income, look for:

• Over-indexed 25–44 age brackets

• Above-average median income

• Strong representation in $75K+ income brackets

If you serve families with children, look for:

• Strong Under 10 and 30–44 age representation (parents and kids)

• Median income aligned with your price point

Identifying Mismatches

Demographics can disqualify sites quickly. A luxury concept in a trade area with median income 30% below national average faces an uphill battle—regardless of how strong the traffic or visibility metrics look.

Conversely, a value-oriented concept in an ultra-affluent area may struggle with perception or format fit, even if raw population numbers seem adequate.

Contextualizing Other Metrics

Demographics add context to other analyses:

• High foot traffic + mismatched demographics → The traffic may not convert to your customers

• Strong competitor performance + aligned demographics → Validates that your customer base is present and spending

• Weak sales projection + strong demographics → Other factors (competition, access) may be limiting potential

Comparing Sites

When evaluating multiple opportunities, demographics provide an apples-to-apples comparison lens. Two sites with similar sales projections might have very different demographic profiles—and therefore different risk profiles for your concept.

Best Practices

Start with your customer profile. Before analyzing a site, know what demographic markers correlate with your brand's success. Which income brackets drive your sales? What age groups over-index in your customer base?

Focus on differences, not just absolutes. The Biggest Difference metric often reveals more than raw numbers. An area perfectly matching national averages is unremarkable; an area dramatically over-indexed in your target segment is noteworthy.

Compare multiple trade area configurations. If demographics look marginal at a 15-minute drive time, check what happens at 10 minutes. You may find a strong core customer base that gets diluted by a weaker outer ring.

Triangulate with foot traffic demographics. If available, compare radius-based demographics to Foot Traffic Trade Zone demographics. Differences may reveal that your actual customer base differs from the resident population (e.g., daytime workers vs. residents).

Don't disqualify on a single metric. Demographic mismatches are yellow flags, not automatic disqualifications. A below-average median income might be offset by unusually high population density or lack of competition.

For related analysis, see Trade Area Analysis, Sales Projections, and Foot Traffic and Brand Rankings.