Resizing America based on property values

Although all Americans are equal, the land we live on is not. Of the 3.8 million square miles that comprise the United States, some parcels of land are more coveted than others. For instance, the five New York state counties of New York, Nassau, Kings, Queens, and Westchester cover a mere 0.026% of the total land area in America but account for 5.1% of the total residential property value, according to the Economist.

Metrocosm, a real estate data blog, estimates that roughly half of the total property value in America comes from five states: California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania respectively.

To visualize just how concentrated property values are in America, Metrocosm created a cartogram, or a map that resizes each state in America based on which ones have the greatest residential property value, which is also a reflection of the most populous places in America.

An even more striking way to view this disparity in property values is by making a cartogram that substitutes county land area with residential property value, which Metrocosm did in the GIF below:

Finally, here is another cartogram that shows the disparity in residential property values in neighborhoods in Manhattan as well as the other four boroughs: