Use Business Analyst data

Available with Business Analyst license.

Esri's business, consumer spending, and demographic data encompasses a wide variety of datasets that are updated quarterly, semiannually, annually, and decennially in the case of U.S. Census data.

The Business Analyst 2022 dataset is the first release to use Census 2020 boundaries. These new boundaries have changed significantly at all levels, in all areas of the country, from those in Business Analyst datasets prior to 2022. Geography levels such as Counties or Block Groups, may have gained or lost area, been split into multiple polygons with new IDs, or been removed altogether.

By using the Data Browser window, you can search and browse for data by category, from custom data, saved variable lists, and from data you have saved as your favorites. You can access the Data Browser window from workflows in the contextual menu or from Business Analyst geoprocessing tools.

Custom Data

Custom Data in Business Analyst allows you to work with your own data in mapping and analysis, allowing you to define how your data is apportioned and aggregated when used with Business Analyst tools—for example, Enrich Layer.

See Create Business Analyst custom data for more information.

Favorites

Another way to quickly retrieve commonly used Business Analyst dataset variables is to tag them as favorites. Variables can be set as favorites by hovering over their description and clicking the star icon, which becomes shaded to indicate successful selection.

You can access these designated variables by clicking the Favorites node in the list on the left side of the Data Browser window and then selecting them as a set or individually. Variables selected as favorites will be available through this node in new and existing projects.

Note:

Favorites variables are local to the Data Browser window and will not be listed as items in the Catalog pane under Favorites.

Variable lists

A variable list is a set of variables you group together to use again. Variable Lists allow you to save sets of Business Analyst variables as an item, which can be loaded into data-dependent tools with a single selection in the Data Browser window. You might create a variable list to easily access a set of variables you use frequently, or that are relevant to a specific type of project.

Variable Lists can be created both in the Data Browser window and in data-dependent tools. Once created, the item is displayed under the Business Analyst folder in the Catalog pane. You can add Variable Lists to new and existing projects using the context menu.

Create a variable list in the Data Browser

1. Open the Data Browser window and select a set of variables.
2. Open the details panel by clicking Show/Hide details panel.

   

3. Click Save List and create a name for the variable list. When finished, click OK.

   

Create a variable list from within a tool

1. While using a geoprocessing or workflow tool, select a set of variables. Click OK to add them to the tool for processing.
2. Below the selected variables, click Save List.

   

   The Save Variable List dialog box appears.

   

3. In the Name text box, enter a name representing the set of variables and click OK.

Variable Lists are displayed as items in the Business Analyst folder in the Catalog pane.

Add a variable list to a new ArcGIS Pro project

1. Right-click a variable list in the Variable Lists folder.
2. Click Add To New Projects.

   

Add a variable list to an existing ArcGIS Pro project

1. In the Catalog pane, right-click a variable list in the Variable Lists folder.

   

2. Click Add To Favorites to open your project.

   The Catalog pane appears.

3. At the top of the Catalog pane, click Favorites, then right-click the variable list and click Add To Project.

   

Access a saved variable list from the Data Browser

Once your variable list is in the Business Analyst folder in any project’s Catalog pane, it will be available for selection in the Data Browser window.

1. Click Variable Lists in the list on the left side of the Data Browser window and select your list.

   Note:

   Variable Lists are available for selection when the Business Analyst dataset they were created from is active.