Create weighted Random Points

Question

I have a grid with values for each cell, I would like to create random points within each cells but weight them proportionally based on the landscan population raster so the areas of higher population receive a greater likely hood of  a point being placed there.  I have not been able to figure out a good way to do this though it seems like a workflow that would be useful enough to bake into the functionality of a tool that comes with arcpro.

danretired · Answer

Create Spatially Balanced Points (Data Management)—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

is one possibility if you can come up with an inclusion raster given your input population raster

LTS_DSolari · Answer

An untested concept: generate the random points (probably at a higher density than you normally would), run Extract Multi Values to Points to get the population values in there, normalize those values to (0 .. 1), then field calculate a yes/no field using your preferred Python RNG function, flagging every point whose normalized pop value is higher than the normalized RNG value. Delete whatever failed and you should have some weighted results.