Where the Boys Are - part 2

File under: demographics, Wellington

Well, it seems I can write as much as I like about the arts or sustainable design, but after an unscientific, informal survey of my readers (the sort of unscientific informality that you only get on a Friday night after a couple of bottles of Viognier), it appears that my last week's Where the Boys Are has proved to be by far my most popular post. So I'll cave in to market demand and post some further analyses of the 'man drought' and the search for an oasis.

My previous map was based on ratios, but some interested parties told me that absolute numbers are of more interest. I'm still looking at the 20-39 age group, not out of any ageist impusles but because this covers the 'man drought' cohort and their likely targets. Next, I made the rash assumption that singles will tend to pair up with other local singles, so I only needed to look at the excess men or women in each statistical area unit. Then I plotted these "extras" via a dot map, whereby each dot represents an "unclaimed" man or woman (blue or pink, according to custom).


Once again, Te Aro and Lambton shine forth as beacons of testosterone amid a pink ocean. The north end of Miramar peninsula is also very blue, though before anyone rushes out to explore, I have three words of warning: Mount Crawford Prison. In the northern wastes (no offence), it looks like Johnsonville and Newlands could pretty much cancel each other out, which might make Jay's Bar and the like more lively than I thought.

Here's a zoom towards the central city:


Please note that the dot map algorithm places the dots randomly within an area unit, as I don't actually know the addresses of all those single men and women (though if you ask nicely, I have some contacts...). You may also notice what looks like a bunch of men off for a swim: these guys probably live on yachts at one of the marinas, but the area unit covers the whole harbour.

Coming soon: more detailed breakdowns by age, and any income stats I can dig up (can you say gold digger??). But be aware that this sort of statistical analysis relies on a lot of assumptions. One of my readers claims to have already performed her own analysis, and applied a number of other filters (by variables such as sexual orientation and physical attractiveness) based upon national averages and general prejudice. She claims that there only nine men in Wellington worth going out with. And she's already been out with five of them.

Oh well. As the TAB slogan said: You know the odds, now beat them.