ArcGIS Pro method for simple area weighting interpolation

Question

What method (using ArcGIS Pro 2.7) would you propose for carrying out simple area weighting interpolation (also called areal weighted interpolation)?

I do not want the intricate Areal Interpolation with models as is offered through the Geostatistical Wizard. My project is comparing a simple AWI to a dasymetric method; transferring population count from census tract to a raster format (after which it can be applied to any areal unit).

So I simply need to create a raster output whereby each grid cell is assigned a population value based on the percentage area of the host/source areal unit (census tract).

Bethpc9 · Answer

Thanks Dan, definitely a warranted concern. Fortunately my data is population 'count', and the project is trying to provide a better alternative to simple area weighting interpolation to avoid this concern. But I'm currently trying to do this more simple areal weighting as a base to compare methods to.

Hope this makes a bit more sense in context?

danretired · Answer

The only concern would be your 3rd step.  You have spread the population amongst all the pixels which may not reflect the original distribution (aka, density)

Bethpc9 · Answer

Thanks Dan - I think you're definitely onto something there. I couldn't quite figure out how to apply it so have gone a long way around:

* Converted my census polygons to raster
* Used Zonal Statistics as Table to count the number of pixels in each polygon 
* Divided each census polygon 'population' by number of pixels to get population per pixel
* Used Zonal Statistics again, this time using a different set of polygons (my target zones) to 'sum' the values of those population pixels.

This was probably a very clumsy way around. Please correct me if this could have been done a different way.

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