Set up custom data for infographics in ArcGIS Pro

California's climate disruptions are characterized by increasingly severe wildfires, prolonged droughts, and extreme heatwaves. All these issues are exacerbated by climate change, which threatens housing markets, water resources, agriculture, and overall ecosystem stability. Climate-driven disruptions have continued to grow in frequency and severity, impacting businesses in California.

Many investors, insurers, financial services providers, and nonprofit organizations rely on information about localized physical climate risks, like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires. The outcomes of these risk projections have significant economic consequences, including allocating investment capital, impacting housing prices and demographic shifts, and prioritizing adaptation infrastructure projects.

With the help of FEMA's National Risk Index data and the custom data setup workflow in Business Analyst, decision-makers and executives can fully understand how region-specific risks impede their operations or the downstream impact they will have. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to integrate this data source, set up custom variables, categorize them, and apply them to assess risks effectively for your specific region.

This tutorial was last tested on March 14, 2025, using ArcGIS Pro 3.5. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Pro, you may encounter different functionality and results.

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role (see options for software access)
• ArcGIS Pro
• ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro
• USA_ESRI_2024 Business Analyst local data installed and connected to in ArcGIS Pro (learn more)

Add custom data to a project

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) data assesses the vulnerability of communities to natural hazards by evaluating factors such as hazard exposure, social vulnerability, and community resilience, providing insights to guide disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts. NRI data will help an insurer or investor assess the physical risks associated with a location. This tutorial uses county-level NRI data for California.

Create a project

First, you'll create a project in ArcGIS Pro. You'll also confirm you have the Business Analyst license necessary to complete the tutorial.

1. Start ArcGIS Pro. If prompted, sign in using your licensed ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have access to ArcGIS Pro or an ArcGIS organizational account, see options for software access.

   When you open ArcGIS Pro, you're given the option to create a new project or open an existing one. If you've created a project before, you'll see a list of recent projects.

2. Under New Project, click Map.

   

3. In the New Project window, for Name, type Risk Analysis. Leave Location unchanged and confirm that Create a folder for this project is checked.
4. Click OK.

   The project is created with a default map. For now, the only layer is the World Topographic Map basemap, which provides geographic context.

5. On the ribbon, click the Project tab.

   

6. Click Licensing.

   

7. Under ArcGIS Pro Extensions, confirm that you have the Business Analyst license, which is required to complete this tutorial.

   

   Note:

   To learn more about the Business Analyst license and how to acquire it, visit the ArcGIS Business Analyst product page.

8. Click the back button.

   

Download the data

Now that you've created a project, you'll download the NRI data and add it to your project. You'll download the data as a table, as this allows you to effectively explore and analyze the available variables.

1. Go to the FEMA National Risk Index site.
2. Scroll down to the Downloads section and click Geodatabase format.

   

   You're taken to a section where you can download data for all counties in the United States.

3. Click All Counties – County-level detail (Geodatabase) to download the data.

   

4. In Microsoft File Explorer, go to the Downloads folder and locate the NRI_GDB_Counties.zip file. Extract its contents to a folder on your computer that you'll use for this tutorial.
5. Once extracted, browse to the folder you selected and open the NRIDataDictionary .csv table and explore it.

   

   The NRIDataDictionary spreadsheet explains the field name and the data type for each field of the data.

6. When finished, close the table.

   The NRI dataset comprehensively assesses various hazards and their associated risks across different geographic areas. Key fields in the dataset include FIPS codes for geographic identification, overall risk ratings and scores, social vulnerability, resilience scores reflecting community capacity, annual losses, and risk scores for various hazards. The NRI covers a range of hazards, such as flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, severe storms, landslides, and droughts.

   Each entry helps illustrate how communities might be impacted by various natural disasters, enabling better preparedness and response strategies. These variables are later categorized to help better use them for analysis.

Set up the data

Next, you'll set up the NRI data as a statistical data collection, which stores custom data for use in ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro. Before you continue, you'll confirm you're using a locally stored United States dataset downloaded from Esri.

1. In ArcGIS Pro, on the ribbon, click the Analysis tab.

   

2. In the Workflows group, click Business Analysis.

   

3. At the bottom of the menu, confirm Business Analyst Data Source is set to a local dataset, such as USA_ESRI_2024.

   

   Note:

   If the data source is not set to USA_ESRI_2024, click Change data source. In the Business Analyst Data Source window, navigate to the locally stored dataset and select it. See more information on setting up local data.

4. In the Business Analysis gallery, click New Statistical Data Collection.

   

   The Create Statistical Data Collection window appears.

5. For Input Data, click the browse button.

   

6. Browse to where you stored the NRI_GDB_Counties.gdb file and double-click it.
7. Double-click NRI_Features, click NRI_Counties, and click OK.
8. Leave the Output Statistical Data Collection name as the default, NRI_Counties.sdcx.
9. Click Create.

   The NRI_Counties window appears. Here, you can explore the data's variables and properties and modify properties. Next, you'll create a performance index.

10. Under Performance Index, click Build Index.

    

    Note:

    The index improves performance and efficiency when working with the custom dataset in Business Analyst. Learn more about the custom data settings.

11. On the Apportionment Layer window, click OK.

    After a few minutes, the performance index is built.

    

12. In the NRI_Counties window, click OK.

    

    In the Catalog pane, the statistical data collection appears.

You've added your custom data to the project and set up the statistical data collection so you can view the data on the map. Next, you'll visualize the data using benchmark comparisons and infographics.

Use custom data in analysis

Now that the custom data has been saved in your project, you can use it in benchmark comparisons and incorporate it into your infographics. First, you'll run benchmark comparisons using the NRI data to analyze risk for all counties in California. Then, you'll modify the Housing Market Characteristics infographic template to use your custom data to gain a deeper understanding of physical risks of climate change and their impact on the housing market.

Add county boundaries

First, you'll compare data for all the counties in California. You'll start by mapping all the counties and run benchmark comparisons using your custom data.

1. In the Geoprocessing group, click Tools.

   

   The Geoprocessing pane appears.

2. In the Geoprocessing pane search bar, type generate standard geography trade areas. In the list of results, click Generate Standard Geography Trade Areas.

   

   This tool creates a layer with basic geography boundaries at a level you specify based on the active ArcGIS Business Analyst data source.

3. For Geography Level, choose Counties (US.Counties).
4. For Output Feature Class, type California_counties.

   

   Next, you'll choose the counties you want to include in your output layer. You can search for and choose counties from any state.

5. For Geography IDs List, click the Browse button.

   

6. In the Select Geography: US.Counties window, click US by Counties.

   

   A list of all the states appears.

7. Click California.

   

   A list of all the counties in California appears.

   

   Each county is designated by a number and name. You'll select every county in the state by checking the box for California.

8. Check the California check box.

   

   All 58 counties in California are selected.

9. Click OK.

   

   The IDs for the counties in California are listed in the tool parameter.

10. In the Geoprocessing pane, click Run.

    A layer of counties in California appears on the map.

    

    Now that you have a spatial representation of the counties, you'll use them for further analysis.

Perform benchmark comparisons

You'll now compare data for all the counties in California.

1. On the Analysis tab, click Business Analysis and choose Benchmark Comparisons.

   

   The Benchmark Comparisons Properties pane opens.

2. For Input Features, choose California_counties. For Name Field, choose NAMES.

   

   Next, you'll add variables from the custom NRI data.

3. Next to Variables, click the add button.

   

   The Data Browser window appears.

4. In the navigation pane, click Custom Data and click NRI_Counties.

   

   A list of all the NRI variables appears.

   

5. In the list, select the following variables:

   Note:

   In addition to scrolling, you can also search based on keywords.

   • National Risk Index – Score – Composite
   • Social Vulnerability – Score
   • Community Resilience – Score
   • Coastal Flooding – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
   • Drought – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
   • Heat Wave – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
   • Wildfire – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
6. Click the Show/Hide details panel button to see the variables you selected.

   

   The selected variables appear.

   

   Next, you'll save the list of variables so you can access them for analysis.

7. Above the selected variables, click Save List.

   

8. For Name, type Risk Assessment Variables and click OK.

   The variables list is saved. You can access it from the Variable Lists category in the Data Browser window.

9. In the Data Browser window, click Variable Lists.

   

   The Risk Assessment Variables list now appears.

10. In the Data Browser window, click OK.

    

    The list of variables appears in the Benchmark Comparisons Properties pane.

11. At the top of the workflow pane, click the Comparison Methods tab.

    

12. Check the Mean check box.

    

    The mean values will be added to the results. This information provides the average risk level across all counties in California to help you quickly view the overall risk profile for the state. It also offers a baseline for comparing individual counties. By using the mean values, you can identify which areas are above or below the state's average risk, providing a clearer picture of where higher or lower physical risks may be concentrated.

13. For Method, click the drop-down menu and choose Above and below benchmark.

    

14. Click the Benchmark drop-down menu and choose Mean.

    

15. Click Apply.

    The custom variables are applied to the benchmark comparison.

    

    The results are displayed as a table in the Results pane. The results and the map automatically update to show how each county's risk compares to the mean. Counties in green are above the statewide mean for the composite risk score, and counties in red are below this benchmark. You'll reverse the color scheme so that counties above the statewide mean display as higher risk.

16. In the Benchmark Comparisons Properties pane, for Style, click the Color scheme drop-down menu and choose Color scheme properties.

    

17. In the Color Scheme Editor window, click Reverse color scheme.

    

18. Click OK and click Apply.

    

    The colors are now more intuitive, indicating higher risk with red polygon symbolization.

19. On the table, click Transpose Table to switch the table's rows and columns.

    

    Counties with higher or lower risk are color-coded, offering a clear view of the disparities in the table. You can view this information in ArcGIS Pro or export the results to Microsoft Excel.

20. Close the results table and save the project.

    You can access the results table in the Contents pane in the Results section.

    

Create visualizations

You'll begin by adding an infographic panel with the custom data. Infographic panels serve as individual sections within the larger infographic, allowing you to present specific data points clearly and effectively. By choosing to add panels, you can bring focus to various aspects of the housing market that you want to highlight, such as vulnerability to climate risks or changes in property values.

1. On the Analysis tab, click Business Analysis and choose Infographic Editor.

   

   The Infographic Editor view appears.

   

   In the Infographic Editor view, you can build an infographic from standard templates that are included in the app, from other templates that you have created, or from shared templates that others in your organization have created. You'll use a standard template.

2. On the Standard Templates tab, point to the Housing Market Characteristics infographic and click Open.

   

   The Housing Market Characteristics infographic appears in edit mode.

   

   This template is suitable for this example because it combines housing data with risk data, allowing you to illustrate the relationship between climate change risks and their effects on the housing market.

3. Scroll down to the second page of the infographic. Point to the Gross Rent chart and click Replace.

   

   The Add element menu appears. You'll replace the chart with an infographic panel.

4. From the list of options, click Infographic.

   

   The Add infographic panel window appears.

5. Click Create infographic panel.

   

   The Create infographic panel window appears. Here, you can choose which variables to add to the infographic. You can browse through demographic variables or use the custom data variables that you added.

6. Click My variables to see the custom data that you added.

   

7. Under My variables, click NRI_Counties.sdcx to view the available variables.
8. In the list of variables, find and click the following variables to select them:
   • National Risk Index - Score – Composite
   • Social Vulnerability – Score
   • Community Resilience - Score
9. In the upper right corner of the window, click Selected variables.

   

   The variables you chose are listed.

10. Close the Selected Variables window and click Next.

    Each variable that you selected has a placeholder in the template.

11. On the infographic panel, point to the current title, MY INFOGRAPHIC, and click Edit text.

    

12. For the title, type Site Risk Outlook.

    

13. Click the placeholder icon for the National Risk Index variable and choose Shapes and icons.

    

    The icon library appears.

14. In the Enter icon name search field, type community. In the Community events section, click the first icon.

    

    The shape you selected replaces the placeholder icon.

    

15. For the remaining two variables in the infographic, update their icons.

    

    Note:

    Your icons may differ, depending on what you chose for each variable.

16. Click Save. Accept the default title of Site Risk Outlook and click Save.

    

    The new infographic panel appears under the My panels tab.

    

17. Point to the infographic panel and click Add.

    

    The infographic panel you created is added to the template.

    

    You have customized an infographic template by modifying the default panel to include the custom NRI variables you added to the project.

Create a chart

Next, you'll create a chart showing the high-risk hazards of the area and add it to the template.

1. To the left of the infographic panel you just added, point to the Vacant Housing Units chart and click Replace.
2. From the list of options that appears, click Chart.

   

   The Insert chart window appears.

3. Under Customize chart and edit chart data, click the drop-down arrow and choose Horizontal bar chart.

   

   Next, you'll add the hazard risk variables to the chart.

4. Click the Standard variables drop-down menu and choose My variables. Click NRI_Counties.sdcx.

   

5. Click NRI_Counties.sdcx and find the Coastal Flooding – Hazard Type Risk Index Score variable and drag it onto the chart.

   Note:

   To locate the variables within your custom category, you can use the Filter by option and enter a keyword, such as coastal. For the other variables, use another keyword that matches the variable names.

   

   The variable is added to the chart.

   

6. Drag the remaining variables onto the chart. For each variable, choose Append to current series option.
   • Drought – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
   • Heat Wave – Hazard Type Risk Index Score
   • Wildfire – Hazard Type Risk Index Score

   

   The chart now contains all four risk index variables.

   

7. Click Chart options.

   

8. In the Chart options section, expand Chart. For Title, type High Risk Hazards.

   

   Next, you'll edit the variable labels so they are shorter.

9. On the chart, click the label for Wildfire – Hazard Type Risk Index Score.
10. On the Point label window, for Label, type Wildfire Risk.

    

11. Edit the remaining labels to be Heat Wave Risk, Drought Risk, and Coastal Flooding Risk.

    

12. Click Apply.

    The chart is added to the infographic template.

    

13. Click Save.
14. On the Save infographic template window, for Title, type Housing Market Characteristics and click Save.

    

    You've finished modifying the infographic template with the custom data. The infographic is now saved under My templates and ready for use.

View the infographic

Next, you'll run the modified infographic for counties in California to view the climate impact on housing market characteristics.

1. Click the Map view to activate it and view the California counties.

   

2. On the Map tab, in the Selection group, click Select.

   

3. On the map, click the largest country in southeast California (San Bernardino), to select it.

   The feature is selected, and a selection chip appears. A selection chip allows you to choose a feature to select when features are coincident.

4. On the selection chip, click the drop-down arrow and under California_counties_ComparisonLayer, click San Bernardino County.

   

   The county is selected and highlighted in cyan.

5. On the Analysis tab, in the Geoprocessing group, click Tools, to open the Geoprocessing pane.
6. On the Toolboxes tab, in the Business Analyst Tools toolbox, expand the Reports toolset and click Summary Reports.

   

7. In the Summary Reports pane, for Boundary Layer, choose California_counties_ComparisonsLayer.

   

   The county you selected will be input into the tool.

8. For Create Reports, click the drop-down arrow and scroll down to the My Reports section.
9. If necessary, expand My Reports and check the box next to Housing Market Characteristics_Risks and click Add.

   

   The report is added to the tool parameter.

10. At the bottom of the Geoprocessing pane, click Run.
11. Once the tool has finished, point to the Summary Reports completed message and click View Details.

    

    The Summary Reports (Business Analyst Tools) window appears.

12. Click the Parameters tab and click the link next to Output Folder.

    

    The file is located on your machine.

13. Double-click the file.

    It opens as a PDF using your default PDF application.

14. Scroll to the second page.

    The High Risk Hazards chart and the Site Risk Outlook section that you created are populated with NRI data for San Bernardino County.

    The infographic shows a concerning risk outlook for San Bernardino, given its high national risk index and social vulnerability score, combined with a low community resilience score. Additionally, San Bernardino shows a high risk for wildfires and heatwaves. This combination of factors could significantly impact the San Bernardino housing market, leading to declining property values, increased insurance costs, and a potential exodus of residents seeking safer living conditions. As demand decreases, the market may struggle to attract new buyers and investors, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the community.

In this tutorial, you used NRI data within ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro to gain insights into the physical risks impacting California. First, you set up the data as a statistical data collection. Then, you modified the Housing Market Characteristics infographic template and created a chart and an infographic panel with the NRI data. By incorporating the NRI data into the infographic, you can better understand the significant impact of physical risks on housing markets across United States counties.

Areas vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes often experience declining property values and increasing insurance costs, making them less attractive to potential buyers. This volatility can deter investment and development, leading to a shortage of housing in safer areas, while demographic shifts may see residents relocating to lower-risk regions. Additionally, infrastructure damage from disasters can strain local services, further impacting market stability. By understanding these dynamics, stakeholders can make informed decisions to enhance housing resilience in at-risk communities.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• Esri Demographics data accessed with ArcGIS Business Analyst. Terms of use.
• World Streets Map: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), NOSTRA, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community
• World Topographic Map sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community
• California National Risk Data provided by FEMA.