Cluster analysis grouped neighborhoods by demographic and lifestyle similarity of residents.

Evidence

At the height of a progressive movement to acknowledge and empower neglected groups—African Americans most prominently—Robbin worked on what he called “cluster analysis,” by which one could understand more precisely what kind of people lived in any neighborhood based on the “principle that residents living near each other are likely to have similar demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics.” — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 601

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines cluster analysis as the core of geodemography, the technique that later became audience segmentation.
• XREF: connects to: Thirty-four census factors explained 87 percent of variation across American places — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 606; PRIZM’s cluster profiles linked consumption habits directly to party voting patterns — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 607; PRIZM reimagined America as repeating lifestyle-neighborhood clusters rather than states — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 608

Broader Connections

• Thirty-four census factors explained 87 percent of variation across American places #corroborates (0.75) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 606