How to display zip code frequencies

[daraeskridge]

Hello. I am not quite a newbie to ArcGIS but I have tons to learn. I have an Excel table showing how often calls to a hotline were made from zip codes in a city. The table only has a column of zip codes and a column of calls from the zip code. I have a map with the boundaries and zip codes. How can I use the table I've described to visually illustrate the frequency of calls from zip codes? I appreciate any assistance. Thank you!

[SimonPerron]

I think you could do this:
1) load your Excel file in ArcMap
2) right-click on the table-layer in the 'Table of content' (TOC)
3) chose the option ''Summarize'', then summarize base on the ZIP code field. This will return a new dbf file with frequencies of each ZIP code. (maybe you will need to transform the Excel file in DBF in order to summarize..I don't remember..
4) you could then join (by attributes) this dbf file with you geo-data based on the ZIP code
5) Symbolized your ZIP code layer based on the frequencies (count field from the Summarized data) - by ceating class renderer

I could not verify the details here, because I don't have ArcMap presently...

[daraeskridge]

Thanks. I will try that now.

[daraeskridge]

I think you could do this:
1) load your Excel file in ArcMap
2) right-click on the table-layer in the 'Table of content' (TOC)
3) chose the option ''Summarize'', then summarize base on the ZIP code field. This will return a new dbf file with frequencies of each ZIP code. (maybe you will need to transform the Excel file in DBF in order to summarize..I don't remember..
4) you could then join (by attributes) this dbf file with you geo-data based on the ZIP code
5) Symbolized your ZIP code layer based on the frequencies (count field from the Summarized data) - by ceating class renderer

I could not verify the details here, because I don't have ArcMap presently...

When I attempt to join, the 3rd field (Choose the field in the table to base the join on) drop-down menu is empty! Any ideas why this is so?

[SimonPerron · Accepted solution]

Maybe it finds no field from the same type as your other field (in the geo-layer).
You could verify what is the field type in your geo-layer, then verify if it is the same in your summarized field. If no, you could create a new field of this type and copy the values inside with the Calculate Field option.

[daraeskridge]

Maybe it finds no field from the same type as your other field (in the geo-layer).
You could verify what is the field type in your geo-layer, then verify if it is the same in your summarized field. If no, you could create a new field of this type and copy the values inside with the Calculate Field option.

Your suggestion to add a field to the existing shapefile table was a great one. Many thanks!