Make a choropleth map

Select platform: Android iOS JavaScript

A choropleth map is a type of thematic map in which administrative areas are colored or shaded according to a data value. You can use a GMSFeatureLayer to style a map based on data where each administrative area is associated with a range of numeric values.

A diagram showing a boundary choropleth map

In this example, the data consists of an array of key-value pairs, matching the display name of each state with a numeric population value.

Swift

//..

let featureLayer = mapView.featureLayer(of: FeatureType.administrativeAreaLevel1)

let populationOfStates = [
"ChIJdf5LHzR_hogR6czIUzU0VV4": 5_039_877,
"ChIJG8CuwJzfAFQRNduKqSde27w": 732673,
"ChIJaxhMy-sIK4cRcc3Bf7EnOUI": 7_276_316,
"ChIJYSc_dD-e0ocR0NLf_z5pBaQ": 3_025_891,
"ChIJPV4oX_65j4ARVW8IJ6IJUYs": 39_237_836,  // California
"ChIJt1YYm3QUQIcR_6eQSTGDVMc": 5_812_069,
"ChIJpVER8hFT5okR5XBhBVttmq4": 3_605_597,
"ChIJO9YMTXYFx4kReOgEjBItHZQ": 1_003_384,
"ChIJvypWkWV2wYgR0E7HW9MTLvc": 21_781_128,
"ChIJV4FfHcU28YgR5xBP7BC8hGY": 10_799_566,
"ChIJBeB5Twbb_3sRKIbMdNKCd0s": 1_441_553,
"ChIJ6Znkhaj_WFMRWIf3FQUwa9A": 1_900_923,
"ChIJGSZubzgtC4gRVlkRZFCCFX8": 12_671_469,
"ChIJHRv42bxQa4gRcuwyy84vEH4": 6_805_985,
"ChIJGWD48W9e7ocR2VnHV0pj78Y": 3_193_079,
"ChIJawF8cXEXo4cRXwk-S6m0wmg": 2_934_582,
"ChIJyVMZi0xzQogR_N_MxU5vH3c": 4_509_394,
"ChIJZYIRslSkIIYRA0flgTL3Vck": 4_624_047,
"ChIJ1YpTHd4dsEwR0KggZ2_MedY": 1_372_247,
"ChIJ35Dx6etNtokRsfZVdmU3r_I": 6_165_129,
"ChIJ_b9z6W1l44kRHA2DVTbQxkU": 6_984_723,
"ChIJEQTKxz2qTE0Rs8liellI3Zc": 10_050_811,
"ChIJmwt4YJpbWE0RD6L-EJvJogI": 5_707_390,
"ChIJGdRK5OQyKIYR2qbc6X8XDWI": 2_949_965,
"ChIJfeMiSNXmwIcRcr1mBFnEW7U": 6_168_187,
"ChIJ04p7LZwrQVMRGGwqz1jWcfU": 1_104_271,
"ChIJ7fwMtciNk4cRxArzDwyQJ6E": 1_963_692,
"ChIJcbTe-KEKmYARs5X8qooDR88": 3_143_991,
"ChIJ66bAnUtEs0wR64CmJa8CyNc": 1_388_992,
"ChIJn0AAnpX7wIkRjW0_-Ad70iw": 9_267_130,
"ChIJqVKY50NQGIcRup41Yxpuv0Y": 2_115_877,
"ChIJqaUj8fBLzEwRZ5UY3sHGz90": 19_835_913,
"ChIJgRo4_MQfVIgRGa4i6fUwP60": 10_551_162,
"ChIJY-nYVxKD11IRyc9egzmahA0": 774948,
"ChIJwY5NtXrpNogRFtmfnDlkzeU": 11_780_017,
"ChIJnU-ssRE5rIcRSOoKQDPPHF0": 3_986_639,
"ChIJVWqfm3xuk1QRdrgLettlTH0": 4_246_155,
"ChIJieUyHiaALYgRPbQiUEchRsI": 12_964_056,
"ChIJD9cOYhQ15IkR5wbB57wYTh4": 1_095_610,
"ChIJ49ExeWml-IgRnhcF9TKh_7k": 5_190_705,
"ChIJpTjphS1DfYcRt6SGMSnW8Ac": 895376,
"ChIJA8-XniNLYYgRVpGBpcEgPgM": 6_975_218,
"ChIJSTKCCzZwQIYRPN4IGI8c6xY": 29_527_941,
"ChIJzfkTj8drTIcRP0bXbKVK370": 3_337_975,
"ChIJ_87aSGzctEwRtGtUNnSJTSY": 645570,
"ChIJzbK8vXDWTIgRlaZGt0lBTsA": 8_642_274,
"ChIJ-bDD5__lhVQRuvNfbGh4QpQ": 7_738_692,
"ChIJRQnL1KVUSogRQzrN3mjHALs": 1_782_959,
"ChIJr-OEkw_0qFIR1kmG-LjV1fI": 5_895_908,
"ChIJaS7hSDTiXocRLzh90nkisCY": 578803,  // Wyoming
]

featureLayer.style = { feature in
  FeatureStyle(
    fill: populationOfStates[feature.placeID].map {
      UIColor(
        hue: log(CGFloat($0) / 5e5) / 7.5,
        saturation: 1,
        brightness: 0.75,
        alpha: 0.5)
    } ?? nil,
    stroke: nil,
    strokeWidth: 0
  )
}

self.view = mapView

Objective-C

//..

GMSFeatureLayer<GMSPlaceFeature *> *featureLayer =
    [mapView featureLayerOfFeatureType:GMSFeatureTypeAdministrativeAreaLevel1];

NSDictionary<NSString *, NSNumber *> *populationOfStates = @{
  @"ChIJdf5LHzR_hogR6czIUzU0VV4" : @(5039877),
  @"ChIJG8CuwJzfAFQRNduKqSde27w" : @(732673),
  @"ChIJaxhMy-sIK4cRcc3Bf7EnOUI" : @(7276316),
  @"ChIJYSc_dD-e0ocR0NLf_z5pBaQ" : @(3025891),
  @"ChIJPV4oX_65j4ARVW8IJ6IJUYs" : @(39237836),  // California
  @"ChIJt1YYm3QUQIcR_6eQSTGDVMc" : @(5812069),
  @"ChIJpVER8hFT5okR5XBhBVttmq4" : @(3605597),
  @"ChIJO9YMTXYFx4kReOgEjBItHZQ" : @(1003384),
  @"ChIJvypWkWV2wYgR0E7HW9MTLvc" : @(21781128),
  @"ChIJV4FfHcU28YgR5xBP7BC8hGY" : @(10799566),
  @"ChIJBeB5Twbb_3sRKIbMdNKCd0s" : @(1441553),
  @"ChIJ6Znkhaj_WFMRWIf3FQUwa9A" : @(1900923),
  @"ChIJGSZubzgtC4gRVlkRZFCCFX8" : @(12671469),
  @"ChIJHRv42bxQa4gRcuwyy84vEH4" : @(6805985),
  @"ChIJGWD48W9e7ocR2VnHV0pj78Y" : @(3193079),
  @"ChIJawF8cXEXo4cRXwk-S6m0wmg" : @(2934582),
  @"ChIJyVMZi0xzQogR_N_MxU5vH3c" : @(4509394),
  @"ChIJZYIRslSkIIYRA0flgTL3Vck" : @(4624047),
  @"ChIJ1YpTHd4dsEwR0KggZ2_MedY" : @(1372247),
  @"ChIJ35Dx6etNtokRsfZVdmU3r_I" : @(6165129),
  @"ChIJ_b9z6W1l44kRHA2DVTbQxkU" : @(6984723),
  @"ChIJEQTKxz2qTE0Rs8liellI3Zc" : @(10050811),
  @"ChIJmwt4YJpbWE0RD6L-EJvJogI" : @(5707390),
  @"ChIJGdRK5OQyKIYR2qbc6X8XDWI" : @(2949965),
  @"ChIJfeMiSNXmwIcRcr1mBFnEW7U" : @(6168187),
  @"ChIJ04p7LZwrQVMRGGwqz1jWcfU" : @(1104271),
  @"ChIJ7fwMtciNk4cRxArzDwyQJ6E" : @(1963692),
  @"ChIJcbTe-KEKmYARs5X8qooDR88" : @(3143991),
  @"ChIJ66bAnUtEs0wR64CmJa8CyNc" : @(1388992),
  @"ChIJn0AAnpX7wIkRjW0_-Ad70iw" : @(9267130),
  @"ChIJqVKY50NQGIcRup41Yxpuv0Y" : @(2115877),
  @"ChIJqaUj8fBLzEwRZ5UY3sHGz90" : @(19835913),
  @"ChIJgRo4_MQfVIgRGa4i6fUwP60" : @(10551162),
  @"ChIJY-nYVxKD11IRyc9egzmahA0" : @(774948),
  @"ChIJwY5NtXrpNogRFtmfnDlkzeU" : @(11780017),
  @"ChIJnU-ssRE5rIcRSOoKQDPPHF0" : @(3986639),
  @"ChIJVWqfm3xuk1QRdrgLettlTH0" : @(4246155),
  @"ChIJieUyHiaALYgRPbQiUEchRsI" : @(12964056),
  @"ChIJD9cOYhQ15IkR5wbB57wYTh4" : @(1095610),
  @"ChIJ49ExeWml-IgRnhcF9TKh_7k" : @(5190705),
  @"ChIJpTjphS1DfYcRt6SGMSnW8Ac" : @(895376),
  @"ChIJA8-XniNLYYgRVpGBpcEgPgM" : @(6975218),
  @"ChIJSTKCCzZwQIYRPN4IGI8c6xY" : @(29527941),
  @"ChIJzfkTj8drTIcRP0bXbKVK370" : @(3337975),
  @"ChIJ_87aSGzctEwRtGtUNnSJTSY" : @(645570),
  @"ChIJzbK8vXDWTIgRlaZGt0lBTsA" : @(8642274),
  @"ChIJ-bDD5__lhVQRuvNfbGh4QpQ" : @(7738692),
  @"ChIJRQnL1KVUSogRQzrN3mjHALs" : @(1782959),
  @"ChIJr-OEkw_0qFIR1kmG-LjV1fI" : @(5895908),
  @"ChIJaS7hSDTiXocRLzh90nkisCY" : @(578803),  // Wyoming
};

featureLayer.style = ^(GMSPlaceFeature *feature) {
  NSNumber *population = populationOfStates[feature.placeID];
  UIColor *fillColor = population ? [UIColor colorWithHue:(log(population.doubleValue / 5e5) / 7.5) saturation:1 brightness:0.5 alpha:0.5] : nil;
  return [GMSFeatureStyle styleWithFillColor:fillColor strokeColor:nil strokeWidth:0.0];
};

self.view = mapView;