Insights for ArcGIS - Create and use a combo chart

A combo chart is a combination of two column charts, two line graphs, or a column chart and a line graph. You can make a combo chart with a single dataset or with two datasets that share a common string field.

Combo charts can answer questions about your data, such as: What are the trends for the same categories?

Example

An environmental organization is tracking the drought conditions in Southern California and wants to compare temperatures and precipitation to determine which cities are most vulnerable. The organization uses a combo chart to show both the total precipitation and the average temperature for each city in one chart.

Combo chart showing temperature and precipitation for Southern California cities

Create a combo chart

To create a combo chart with a single dataset, complete the following steps:

Steps:

Select a string field and two number or rate/ratio fields .
Create the combo chart using the following steps:
1. Drag the selected fields to a new card.
2. Hover over the Chart drop zone.
3. Drop the selected fields on Combo Chart.

To create a combo chart on top of an existing column chart or line graph, complete the following steps:

Steps:

Select one of the following data options:
- A number or rate/ratio field from the same dataset as the existing chart.
- A string field that corresponds to the existing chart's string field plus a number or rate/ratio field from a different dataset than the one used in the existing chart.
Drag the selected fields to the existing column chart or line graph.
Drop the fields on the Combo Chart drop zone.
Note:
The field must be dropped on the body of the chart. Dropping the field on the y-axis of the chart will update the numeric field for the existing chart, rather than create a combo chart.
Optionally change the type of chart using the Line Graph button or Column Chart button on the vertical axes.

Tip:

You can also create charts using the Chart menu above the data pane or the Visualization type button on an existing card. For the Chart menu, only charts that are compatible with your data selection will be enabled. For the Visualization type menu, only compatible visualizations (including maps, charts, or tables) will be displayed.

Usage notes

Combo charts are symbolized using single symbols by default. The Legend button Legend can be used to change the Symbol Type to Unique symbol for the column chart, but not for the line graph. If unique symbols are used, the legend can be used to select data on the column chart. To change the color associated with a category, click the symbol and choose a color from the palette or enter a hex value.

The value of each bar and the trend of the line can be symbolized as a count of features in each category on the x-axis, or as a number or rate/ratio field. If a field is used, the values can be calculated as a sum, minimum, maximum, average, percentile, or median of values from the field for each category.

Note:

Median and percentile are not available for remote feature layers.

The Column Chart button and Line Graph button on the y-axes can be used to switch the visualizations between column charts and line graphs. If both axes are set to column chart, the columns will be subgrouped within each category.

When you create a combo chart, result datasets Results with the string and number fields used to create the charts will be added to the data pane. The result dataset can be used to find answers with nonspatial analysis using the Action button Action .