Creating Hexbin Maps in R
Contents
Objective
The objective of this tutorial is to create a hexbin choropleth map of U.S. education costs in RStudio. Users will learn how to create a hexbin map from a geospatial object and plot thematic openly available data.This tutorial will additionally demonstrate how to add cartographic elements including symbolization and labelling. Through this tutorial, users will have the opportunity to explore the spatial capabilities of the software and learn more about advanced cartographic design.
This tutorial contributes to the collection of Open Source GIS tutorials created by Carleton University students.
'Note: This tutorial assumes basic knowledge of the R programming language. This version of the tutorial was created using a Windows platform with R version.'
Why Hexagons?
Getting Started
Downloading the Software
The first step of this tutorial is downloading R and RStudio if they are not already installed on your device. R version 4.1.2 is the latest version of the software released in 2021.
R is a widely used open-source software environment used for data manipulation and analysis (statistics, graphics, etc.). R is easily customizable and is executed line by line in a console. For the purposes of this tutorial, R will be accessed through an integrated development environment (IDE) called RStudio.
Data Retrieval
Spatial data
When creating a hexagonal map, users have the option to create a hexbin map from (1) a geospatial object or (2) a list of coordinates. For the purposes of this tutorial, an existing hexagon boundary file (.geojson) of the United States will be used. Download the data in .geojson format and save to a new project folder.
The hexgrid is available to download HERE.
Non-spatial data
The statistical data for this tutorial will be sourced from the United States (U.S.) National Science Board. The data of interest is the state-level “Average Undergraduate Charge at Public 4-Year Institutions” from 1994 to 2019. The charge includes the tuition, required fees, room, and board for a full-time undergraduate student who is a state resident. This data serves as a useful indicator of the accessibility of higher education.
The data is available to view and download HERE.
