County Heatmap
Privacy
Last updated September 25, 2026
The short version
No accounts, no ads, nothing sold or shared. The map runs in your browser. We count anonymous usage to see what works, and we keep what you send us through the Request form so we can read it.
Your settings stay on your device
The metrics you switch on, your targets, pins, colors and theme are saved in your own browser (local storage) so they're there next time. They are never sent to us. A share link carries your setup inside the link itself; only people you give it to see it.
Anonymous usage analytics
We use Google Analytics to count things like page visits, when the map recalculates, pins, image exports, shared links and form submissions, plus a timing sample from about one in four visits (how fast the map loaded and recolored, device type, browser, CPU cores). It helps us find what's slow or confusing.
We also count which features get used, so the popular ones can be made easier to reach: which metrics, activities, professions and industries are switched on, which states and counties are looked at, which Versus map categories are opened, what's typed in the criteria search (to spot things people look for and can't find), and how far people get in the guided tour. These counts are anonymous and aren't tied to you.
- No advertising features, no Google Signals, no ad personalization.
- Google Analytics doesn't store IP addresses.
- Visitors in the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland: analytics cookies are off by default.
- Analytics data is kept for 14 months, then deleted by Google.
When you send us a message
The Request form sends us your message and, if you add them, your email address (so we can reply) and, for problem reports, the device and performance details shown in the form before you send. We also keep your browser type and a scrambled (hashed) form of your network address, used only to stop spam and repeated submissions.
- Messages are stored on our server and may be emailed to our inbox.
- Messages flagged as spam are deleted after 90 days.
- We never sell or share what you send. To have a message deleted, email us.
The data on the map
Every number comes from public datasets (Census, BLS, NOAA, CDC, CMS, OpenStreetMap and others, listed under About → Sources). It describes counties, never individual people.