Dan Kopf
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Data editor @sfchronicle. Writer of Bay Area-focused newsletter goldenstatswarrior.substack.com
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Articles by Dan Kopf
Map: How San Francisco neighborhood demographics changed since 2010
Map: How San Francisco neighborhood demographics changed since 2010 Each year, the Census Bureau releases local demographic stats on population, diversity, income and more. We've compiled that data so you can explore how your neighborhood has changed over last the 15 years. By Darryl Laiu and Adriana Rezal | Updated June 30, 2026 7:48 a.m.
Test your Bay Area knowledge at the Chronicle's annual Data Trivia Night
Bay Area trivia heads, come one, come all. The Chronicle's fourth annual Data Trivia Night will be held at Standard Deviant Brewing in the Mission District on May 12. Join us for an evening of spirited competition to crown the Bay Area's biggest, most knowledgeable number nerds. Our questions will cover the region's demographics, geography and culture. This is the night when your knowledge of the most-used BART stations in the Bay Area will actually come in handy.
Test your Bay Area knowledge at the Chronicle's annual Data Trivia Night
Bay Area trivia heads, come one, come all. The Chronicle's fourth annual Data Trivia Night will be held at Standard Deviant Brewing in the Mission District on May 12. Join us for an evening of spirited competition to crown the Bay Area's biggest, most knowledgeable number nerds. Our questions will cover the region's demographics, geography and culture. This is the night when your knowledge of the most-used BART stations in the Bay Area will actually come in handy.
Test your Bay Area knowledge at the Chronicle’s annual Data Trivia Night
Bay Area trivia heads, come one, come all. The Chronicle’s fourth annual Data Trivia Night will be held at Standard Deviant Brewing in the Mission District on May 12. Join us for an evening of spirited competition to crown the Bay Area’s biggest, most knowledgeable number nerds. Our questions will cover the region’s demographics, geography and culture. This is the night when your knowledge of the most-used BART stations in the Bay Area will actually come in handy.
Reader survey: Indian Americans are facing backlash. What are you noticing in the Bay Area?
Over the last half century, Indian Americans have become increasingly central to life in the Bay Area. Today, people who identify as having Indian ancestry represent more than 6% of the population of the region. As it's grown, this community has touched nearly every facet of life in the region. Bay Area Indian Americans are leaders in tech and AI, politics, and popular culture. They are now a key voting bloc. But the last few years have been a more challenging period.
Reader survey: Indian Americans are facing backlash. What are you noticing in the Bay Area? Original
Rangoli, a colorful form of Indian folk art celebrating art, beauty and culture, are seen drawn on the sidewalks of Bishop Ranch City Center to celebrate the Hindu holiday Diwali in San Ramon last year. Jessica Christian/Jessica Christian / The Chronicle Over the last half century, Indian Americans have become increasingly central to life in the Bay Area. Today, people who identify as having Indian ancestry represent more than 6% of the population of the region.
San Francisco Chronicle launches first-of-its-kind tool to search inspection reports on California hospitals and other health facilities - Editor and Publisher
The project was launched to help our readers access the most comprehensive information on problems occurring in California hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric facilities, hospices and clinics — and to point them to cases where inspectors may have found a particularly serious issue. The result is a first-of-its-kind tool that brings together almost 40,000 inspection reports, published by the California Department of Public Health between January 2022 and November 2025.
Chronicle launches first-of-its-kind tool to search inspection reports on California hospitals and other health facilities
Today, the San Chronicle publishes one of the most ambitious public-service tools it has ever built: a searchable database that allows readers to examine regulatory violations at 16,000 licensed and certified health care facilities in California.
She’s dominating S.F. trivia. Can you beat her?
Marissa Skudlarek might just be the most knowledgeable person in San Francisco. Last September, the 37-year-old software engineer by day and playwright by night placed fourth out of nearly 30,000 people in a prestigious online trivia competition, the LearnedLeague. This is no league for chumps. The invitation-only group competition is chock-full of former "Jeopardy!" contestants, and is known to humble many trivia fans who once considered themselves highly cultivated (myself included).
Aseem Shukla joins S.F. Chronicle as deputy data editor
The San Francisco Chronicle is delighted to announce the hiring of Aseem Shukla as deputy data editor. Shukla comes to the Chronicle from the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked as a data reporter focused on politics. At the Inquirer, he used his statistics background to report on the various ways the Pennsylvania electorate's voting behavior is changing. He also contributed to reporting on climate and the economy.
Aseem Shukla joins San Francisco Chronicle as deputy data editor - Editor and Publisher
Posted Tuesday, October 29, 2024 10:35 am The San Francisco Chronicle is delighted to announce the hiring of Aseem Shukla as deputy data editor. Shukla comes to the Chronicle from The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked as a data reporter focused on politics. At the Inquirer, he used his statistics background to report on the various ways the Pennsylvania electorate’s voting behavior is changing. He also contributed to reporting on climate and the economy. Click here to read more.
What is Vote Compass? Answers to your questions on the San Francisco mayoral campaign survey
It’s not always easy to understand how well your views align with candidates for elected office. That’s particularly true in a race like the 2024 San Francisco mayoral election, where all five of the major candidates identify as Democrats. That’s why the San Francisco Chronicle decided to work with the research organization Vox Pop Labs to create a “Vote Compass” for this election.
These are the best state parks in California, according to over 300,000 reviews
Halfway along California’s 800-some-odd-mile coast, just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, is where you’ll find the state park that visitors love most. That’s Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, a protuberance of serrated bluffs and sandy pocket coves that juts into the Pacific like an otter’s outstretched paw. It’s not the biggest state park or the most visited. There are no old-growth redwoods, waterfalls or Instagram-famous features. Dogs aren’t allowed. There isn’t even a place to camp.
Oakland has been publishing misleading crime data for years
In recent months it seemed that Oakland — a city famously grappling with a rise in crime — had course-corrected in remarkable fashion. Statistics published by the police department showed year-to-year crime had dropped by 33% overall by the end of April, a dramatic shift after last year’s spike. Mayor Sheng Thao praised the city for turning a corner. Gov. Gavin Newsom quoted the 33% figure in a news release touting Oakland’s partnership with the California Highway Patrol.
The best karaoke bars in the Bay Area
Everyone has a song in their heart; it just takes the right karaoke bar to coax it out. Fortunately, the Bay Area has a range of persuasive options for the art of singing your favorite songs in front of appreciative friends and strangers. There are public stages for impressing the crowd with your Adele impression. There are private rooms for screaming the Cranberries with your loved ones.
This is the best hiking trail in each Bay Area county, according to 850,000 AllTrails reviews
They trace the ridgelines encircling the bay and spill down into shady evergreen forests of oaks and redwoods. They meander along hundreds of miles of crumbly coastal bluffs and ocean overlooks. They take hikers up the region's highest heights to the summits of Diablo, Tamalpais and even Twin Peaks. There are so many hiking paths, and so much quality open space, that trail lovers are stitching together the bay's nine counties with a giant contiguous 550-mile loop trail.
The history of the pivot table, the spreadsheet’s most powerful tool
Pivot tables are the quickest and most powerful way for the average person to analyze large datasets. No coding skills or mathematical brilliance are necessary—just the ability to point and click your mouse. But don’t take our word for it. Pivot tables had a superfan in none other than Apple founder Steve Jobs, who immediately saw their genius. In 1985, Jobs was forced out of his role as chairman of the board at Apple after failing to beat IBM in the business computer market.
San Francisco Chronicle and Hearst DevHub launch first-of-its-kind nationwide tracker of drug overdose deaths
We hope governments, public health professionals and regular citizens concerned about the crisis will use this information to monitor whether the situation is worsening in their county and state.” — Dan Kopf SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA, August 21, 2023/ EINPresswire.com/ -- Drug overdoses have killed more than a million people in the United States since 1999, with the majority of deaths in recent years driven by the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.
The S.F. Chronicle has a data newsletter
Long time no see! Although I am still not going to be sending regular newsletters from this feed, I have an even better offer for you. As some of you may know, for the last several years, I have been the data editor for the S.F. Chronicle. It's been an incredible experience.
SFChronicle launches California Data Dive newsletter
Email initiative represents the next step for the newsroom's data journalists, who are focused on providing the nuance behind the numbers March 16, 2023 From Tim O’Rourke, vice president of content strategy for Hearst Newspapers: The San Francisco Chronicle’s data team has brought a new level of computational journalism to Bay Area readers since its launch in 2021. Now, the team is expanding its scope and debuting a newsletter, California Data Dive, which you can sign up for here.
The Chronicle's Data Trivia Night crowns Bay Area's greatest data nerds
The competition at Manny's tested teams' knowledge on history, arts, demographics and more Last Tuesday, a crowd of data enthusiasts gathered for The San Francisco Chronicle’s first ever Data Trivia Night at Manny’s. Throughout the evening, 25 teams answered data-related questions about Bay Area demographics, culture, climate, history and politics, with many answers drawn from recent Chronicle stories.
S.F. Chronicle launches new monthly event series at Manny’s
Every month, The Chronicle will host a live, in-person event at Manny’s restaurant and community space in the Mission, showcasing Chronicle journalists, discussing the most pressing issues in San Francisco and having a little fun along the way. “Manny's has become a critical gathering place for the community to come together and both discuss the key issues we face but to also just gather and have a good time,” said Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz.
A major Bay Area hospital opened a critical care unit for kids. Then four died
Cynthia Dizikes, Matthias Gafni, Dan Kopf Dec. 1, 2022Updated: Dec. 3, 2022 3:41 p.m. UPDATE: Officials call for investigation of Bay Area hospital after children’s deaths. Eight years ago, hospital leaders at John Muir Health and Stanford donned tuxedos, gowns and feathered masks. At a masquerade-themed gala, they mingled with donors to raise money for a new unit that would provide care for critically ill children in the East Bay.
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Walking and talking the best (and worst) Bay Area hiking trails
Chronicle Data Editor Dan Kopf joins Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about numbers, fungi and the greatest Bay Area hiking trails New to podcasts? Here's how to listen. What are the best hikes in San Francisco and the Bay Area? Chronicle Data Editor Dan Kopf joins Total SF hosts Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight to talk about their recent collaboration, using more than 600,000 AllTrails user reviews to determine the best and worst hikes in the region.
This Oakland neighborhood used to be majority Black. Dramatic change is sparking tension
For nearly 70 years, Carol Lee Tolbert has watched changes unfold in Oakland’s Longfellow neighborhood — some welcome, others not. Growing up, she said most of the neighborhood’s residents were Black families like hers living in single-family homes. Kids played in the street. Neighbors looked out for one another. Black businesses thrived.
How does The Chronicle decide when to call San Francisco elections?
On the night of November 5, San Francisco Chronicle staff will be holding their breath at 8:45 p.m. That is the release time for the first batch of San Francisco election results, which includes mail-in ballots received by the Department of Elections prior to Election Day. Ballots that are cast or received on Election Day are counted later in the evening and in the days after the election.
How does The Chronicle decide when to call San Francisco elections?
By “calling the election,” we mean that The Chronicle will assert that we know the winner of a measure beyond any reasonable doubt. To make that determination, The Chronicle uses expected turnout information and historical data on how much election outcomes typically change from partial to final results. So, how can be sure about the result with only votes that were received before Election Day?
S.F. Chronicle sells out its first ever 'Datathon'
The sold-out event, held at The Chronicle’s office on 901 Mission St., gathered nearly 40 data lovers of all ages and skill sets, including students from Stanford University and Minerva University, professors at San Francisco State, Laney College and the University of Pennsylvania.
The Chronicle was provided with inaccurate migration data by a California research group. Here’s what happened
Data isn’t always perfect. Just like human sources, data sources can be inaccurate for a variety of reasons. The Chronicle recently encountered one of these cases. On Saturday, Feb. 25, The Chronicle published a story headlined “Migration to California has plummeted — from every state. The decline was especially extreme for one region.” The story was based on data provided to The Chronicle from the California Policy Lab, a research group based out of the University of California.
How COVID vaccination rates stack up against Newsom recall votes in each California county
Sep. 30, 2021Updated: Sep. 30, 2021 5:25 p.m. Supporters of the California recall are joined by anti-vaccine protesters before the start of a rally with Gov. Gavin Newsom in Culver City in early September. Support for the recall is closely correlated with low vaccination rates in California counties. Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press Politics and COVID-19 vaccination rates are strikingly correlated in the U.S., with redder states generally having lower vaccination rates than bluer ones.
New S.F. Chronicle census interactive helps readers explore how communities are changing
The Chronicle Data Team will discuss the project and the census data behind it at an upcoming live event From Dan Kopf, Data Editor: The San Francisco Chronicle has launched the 2020 census explorer to help readers understand how their communities have changed over the past 10 years. This project allows readers to input an address anywhere in the country and see how the racial and ethnic demographics of their community changed between the 2010 and 2020 censuses.
SFChronicle launches Drought Tracker as latest in suite of reader tools
Newsroom focused on building utilities to complement news coverage and make communities safer Aug. 16, 2021Updated: Aug. 16, 2021 4:44 p.m. The Chronicle From Tim O’Rourke, The Chronicle’s director of product and strategy: The San Francisco Chronicle is launching the Bay Area Drought Tracker, an online tool to help readers stay updated on water shortages and restrictions in communities affected by the dry conditions plaguing the West.
Want to understand recent Bay Area crime trends? Look to car theft and larceny
The coronavirus pandemic upended crime trends across California. Most cities have seen homicides rise, assaults and rapes decline, and overall property crime rates go down. But even in a highly unusual era for crime, the Bay Area stands out when it comes to two types of property crime: larcenies and auto thefts.
Now playing for the SF Chronicle
Thanks for joining me for the 31st issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. Thank you for your support! I created this newsletter because I wanted to learn more about the Bay Area and, hopefully, help others do the same. It was a way to push myself to think locally, read locally, and act locally. Writing this newsletter has made my life so much richer.
What we can learn from Bay Area vaccine data
Thanks for joining me for the 30th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. Thank you for your support! Several weeks ago, I decided this newsletter would be about what we could learn about the Bay Area’s Covid-19 vaccination progress. It’s perhaps the most important issue facing the region (and the world), so an obvious subject choice.
Shonda Rhimes is taking on the the Great Migration for Netflix
From 1916 to 1970, about 6 million African-Americans moved from the South to the Northeast, Midwest, and West. While more than 90% of African-Americans lived in the South in in 1910, this was true of only 53% in 1970. Referred to as the Great Migration, it is the largest internal movement of any group in American history. Due to racism and economic inequality, the Great Migration has been largely ignored in popular American culture—until now.
Data show rich cities are failing the Bay Area on housing
Thanks for joining me for the 29th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. Thank you for your support! I try not to express my political beliefs in this newsletter, but here is one I hold deeply: Rich communities should want to welcome more residents, particularly those less fortunate than them. Sadly, in the Bay Area, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Bay Area slang redux
Thanks for joining me for the 27th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. I am grateful for your support. Before I get the main business of this week’s newsletter, a little personal news. After more than four wonderful years at Quartz, I am taking some time off to work on personal projects (like this newsletter) and figure out what’s next. Got any ideas about what I should do?
The Bay Area's history is in shipping. What about its future?
Thanks for joining me for the 28th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. I want to acknowledge how challenging these last few weeks have been. If you are in need of a little hope, I suggest you watch the Oakland Symphony’s Virtual Inauguration Ball, which includes performances by arts groups across the Bay Area.
One of the world’s happiest economic stories comes from South Asia, but not India
Bangladesh’s population of 160 million is as big as France, Germany, and the Netherlands combined. The country is also easily the poorest of the world’s 10 most populous. Given its size and the depth of its poverty, the country’s recent economic boom must rank as one of the world’s happiest economic stories right now. According to the Asian Development Bank, Bangladesh’s economy grew by 7.1% in 2016, the fastest expansion in 30 years.
These are five statistical thresholds that will probably be breached in 2021
What will 2021 bring for the global economy? Projections from the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organization (WTO) say the following five things just might happen. In 2021, the median human turn 31 The world is slowly getting older. Longer lifespans combined with falling fertility rates mean the world’s typical person gets a little older each year.
Are the Bay Area's new Covid-19 stay-at-home orders changing anything?
Thanks for joining me for the 26th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. I am grateful for your support. Starting December 7th, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties implemented new stay-at-home orders. The orders require people to stay home as much as possible and stop gathering with people who are not a part of their household, either inside or outside.
The future of the movie theater industry, by country
2020 was a mess for movie theaters. The pandemic led to a massive decline in global ticket sales due to government-mandated theater closures and people’s fears of contracting the novel coronavirus in enclosed spaces. But even before Covid-19, the movie theater industry was changing. The North American market, classified as the US and Canada, has been the world’s largest for decades.
This is the year Hong Kong began speaking the Communist Party’s authoritarian language
When authoritarians speak, pay close attention. Words, beyond their basic function of communication, signal intent and outline ways of thinking. But in an age of “alternative facts,” we know too well that words can obscure as much as they clarify. Words can also be weapons.
This is the year Hong Kong began speaking the Communist Party’s authoritarian language
When authoritarians speak, pay close attention. Words, beyond their basic function of communication, signal intent and outline ways of thinking. But in an age of “alternative facts,” we know too well that words can obscure as much as they clarify. Words can also be weapons.
How much do America's minimum-wage workers actually earn?
The US federal minimum wage is becoming increasingly obsolete. In 2020, 29 states and the District of Columbia, which account for half of the US population, have minimum wages above the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. In 2000, just 11 states were above the federal threshold.
The Bay Area movies to see, according to data
Thanks for joining me for the 25th issue of the Golden Stats Warrior, a newsletter for data-based insights about the Bay Area. If this is your first time reading, welcome! You can sign up here. I am grateful for your support. There is something special about watching a movie when it’s based in your home town. At least for me, when a fictional world overlaps with my real one, it is exhilarating. Every scene there is the chance the protagonist might walk by your favorite park or restaurant.
Where the fight for a $15 minimum wage goes from here
Since fast-food workers in New York walked off the job in 2012 to demand higher wages, the movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour has found success in cities and states around the US. Joining residents of Democratic-leaning states like Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, voters in Florida approved a $15 wage floor in November, showing that even in more conservative political environments, minimum wage acts are popular.
Why economists don’t think sports matter for the economy
In March 2020, the professional sports world stopped. European soccer, professional US basketball and baseball, and world cricket all suspended play. It was a huge blow to fans and athletes all over the world who rely on sports for pleasure and camaraderie. But for the greater economy, it really wasn’t a big deal. Despite the hype about sports teams generating growth, sports economists generally agree that professional sports teams play a surprisingly small role in the economy of their cities.
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