MIP Logo

Buffer Map

This post was originally published on The Data School blog between 2018 and July 2025, before our program was renamed to MIP’s Analytics Career Accelerator. References throughout this article to “The Data School” or “DS” all refer to what is now MIP’s Analytics Career Accelerator. The program, its people, and its commitment to launching outstanding analytics careers remain the same – just under a new name.

If you are having trouble viewing this article, please report it here. 

To create a buffer map in Tableau, you can follow these steps:

  1. Prepare your data: Make sure you have geographic data in your dataset, such as latitude and longitude coordinates or address information.
  2. Connect your data: Open Tableau and connect to your data source that contains the geographic information.
  3. Create a map: Drag and drop the geographic data fields (latitude/longitude or address) to the “Columns” and “Rows” shelves. Tableau will automatically recognize the data as geographic and display a map.
  4. Define the buffer distance: To create a buffer around specific points or areas on the map, you’ll need to define the buffer distance. This can be done by creating a parameter or using a calculated field. For example, you can create a parameter called “Buffer Distance” and set the desired distance value.
  5. Create the buffer: In Tableau, go to the “Analysis” menu and select “Create Calculated Field”. In the calculation editor, write a formula that uses the buffer distance parameter or calculated field to create the buffer. For example, the formula could be something like: “ST_Buffer([Geometry Field], [Buffer Distance])”, where [Geometry Field] represents the geographic field in your data.
  6. Add the buffer to the map: Drag and drop the calculated field containing the buffer calculation to the “Marks” card in Tableau. Choose the appropriate mark type, such as “Polygon” or “Circle”, and adjust the size, color, and other visual properties as desired.
  7. Customize the buffer appearance: You can further customize the appearance of the buffer by adjusting the transparency, border color, and other visual settings. Use the formatting options available in Tableau to make the buffer visually appealing.
  8. Analyze and interact with the buffer map: With the buffer map created, you can now analyze and interact with the data. You can filter, highlight, and drill down into specific areas within the buffer to gain insights from your data.

By following these steps, you can create a buffer map in Tableau to visualize and analyze geographic data with buffer zones.

 

Share this post