The layers for the "Buxton Urban Density Score" can be found in the "Boundaries" group underneath the To view BUDS boundaries in Scout, open the map interface, navigate to the map layers menu, and select Boundaries > BUDS. Once selected, the BUDS layer will display population density and urban/suburban delineations as overlay boundaries."Buxton Data".

The Buxton Urban Density System (BUDS) is a measure of population density that describes the differences among highly rural areas and highly urban areas. BUDS accounts for the population and employee density decay that occurs when moving farther from an urban center by examining population per square foot.

To access the BUDS boundaries within Scout, follow these steps:

BUDS is assigned at the block group level, the lowest level of the geographic hierarchy for which the Census Bureau tabulates. The 242,180 distinct block groups are a subdivision of a census tract generally containing between 600 and 3,000 people per block group with an optimum size of 1,500 people per block group. After analyzing the average population/employee density for all of the block groups in five mile rings, the block groups are then divided up into six classifications based on average population and employee density. Thresholds for these six categories are determined by calculating the average population/employee density within these five-mile rings. Adjustments were made to these classifications based on a ten-mile radius to ensure that each block group was in the correct category.

The six BUDS classifications and their average five-mile population and employee densities are as follows:
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Additionally, the chart below further illustrates the six BUDS groups by comparing percentages of population to land area.
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This chart illustrates how population density decreases from very Urban to Rural areas. For example, Urban areas command a minuscule amount of land space but contain 7% of the U.S. residential population. By contrast, 1.1% of the United States’ land area is Suburban, but it contains 31.5% of the residential population. Additionally, 90.7% of the United States’ land area is Rural, but Rural areas only contain 12.6% of the residential population.

BUDS boundaries are updated to reflect changes in population growth and demographic dynamics. These adjustments ensure accuracy and relevance, although updates can vary based on geographic location. This dynamic nature of BUDS helps users make informed decisions based on the latest available data.

Return to the Buxton Data