Census Tracts entirely within another Census Tract

Magkey

Hi,

I am working with a U.S. Census Tract layer. I am just wondering why there are tracts entirely within another tract when, in general, the territory is divided by partitioning the space into a number of simple rectangular regions, divided up by axis parallel (more or less) splits.   

Maybe the explanation is related to the fact that the inner tracts represent the population and the outer tracts are large agricultural areas? 

Zoom in:

Thanks,

Marcos Keyser

DianaLavery1

Hi Marcos, 

Yes, your guess is correct that the inner tracts represent more populated areas. Census tracts are not necessarily rectangles, just polygons that contain a certain range of population and households.  Census tracts are reviewed every 10 years, and if the size of population and households has changed dramatically, then the tracts are split (or merged) accordingly.

-Diana