Forum Discussion
Census Tracts in Azure Maps visual
I am working on a choropleth map for a US state with census tract-level data. Since Azure maps doesn't recognize FIPS codes, I followed the workaround to use a custom geoJSON file and while I can display the census tract data as a reference layer, the data is probably ~50% transparent and there's no way to adjust this for polygons (border transparency I can adjust but not fill). Ideally, either I could change the transparency of polygon fill OR use the filled map option for census tracts. As is, I find the differences in shading to be difficult to discern with the base map's variation underneath (see image).
Anyone have a solution or know if census tract might someday be possible as a filled map?
7 Replies
Hi skrape
As of this moment, Azure Maps in Power BI lacks the function of setting fill transparency for custom geoJSON reference layers, only the border transparency can be altered there has yet to be any inherent support for filled maps on census tracts by FIPS codes.
Some workarounds are:
- The geoJSON polygons are pre-styled to incorporate fill opacity before importing into Power BI.
- The Power BI Shape Map visual does the rest it allows filled polygons by census tract via FIPS codes (but it does lack some capabilities of Azure Maps).
Did it work? 👍 A kudos would be appreciated
🟨 Mark it as a solution to help spread knowledge 💡Thanks for your reply!
Have you tested that specifying the fill opacity in the geoJSON works and if so can you share details how to do so? I altered the geoJSON to set opacity to 100% but it made no difference in PowerBI.
After double-checking, I can confirm that Azure Maps in Power BI does not support fill or fill-opacity from GeoJSON files, so pre-styling isn’t effective.
For filled polygons like FIPS tracts, the Shape Map visual remains the best available option.
You might also consider exploring custom visuals such as Icon Map or Mapbox, which offer more styling flexibility though their capabilities can vary.
Did it work? 👍 A kudos would be appreciated
🟨 Mark it as a solution to help spread knowledge 💡
Hi skrape,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum and sharing the details. Also, thanks to DataVitalizer, for his inputs on this thread.
It sounds like you have put in a lot of effort getting the census tract data to show correctly with Azure Maps using a custom GeoJSON file. You are right now; Azure Maps doesn't allow us to control the fill opacity for polygons in reference layers only the border transparency can be adjusted. This often makes it hard to clearly see differences in shading, especially when the base map is visually busy.
Currently, Azure Maps does not offer control over the polygon fill transparency for custom reference layers, which can make it challenging to distinguish shading over detailed base maps.
Try a Simpler Base Map: To make your polygon shading easier to see, try changing the Map Style in the Azure Maps visual to something more minimal like "Grayscale light" or even "Blank" if available. This reduces the background detail, so your colour fill stands out more.
Get started with Azure Maps Power BI visual - Microsoft Azure Maps | Microsoft Learn
Use the Shape Map Visual (Preview): If you want full control over polygon fills (including full opacity), the Shape Map visual is a good alternative. It works well with custom GeoJSON files and lets you fully customize colour saturation and fill appearance.Steps: Enable Shape Map under File > Options > Preview Features. Load your GeoJSON, Use the tract ID (e.g., FIPS code) as the Location field, Assign your data measure to Colour Saturation, Customize the fill colour and opacity in the Format pane.
Use Shape maps in Power BI Desktop (Preview) - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Shape Map does not support panning or zooming like Azure Maps, but it gives more styling flexibility.
Add a reference layer to Azure Maps Power BI visual - Microsoft Azure Maps Power BI visual | Microsoft Learn
Hope this helps clarify things and let me know what you find after giving these steps a try happy to help you investigate this further.
Thank you for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.Yeah I think the blank basemap is the best workaround currently - client had complaints about the zoom functions in shape map, so needed a different map. Hoping Azure maps keeps getting updates to support more styling for custom reference layers 🤞
Hi skrape,
Thanks for the update totally understood. The blank base map is a solid choice when using custom GeoJSON layers in Azure Maps, especially to improve visual clarity.
Yes, you are right while the Shape Map visual offers more styling flexibility (like full polygon fill control), its limited interactivity (especially zoom and pan) can be a challenge in client-facing scenarios.
We appreciate your feedback on the need for more styling options in Azure Maps, especially for custom reference layers like census tracts. That is a great suggestion, and I have noted it internally as a feature request. I also recommend submitting it to the Fabric Ideas - Microsoft Fabric Community so others in the community can vote on it. It is one of the key channels the product team monitors for roadmap priorities.
Hope this helps clarify things and let me know what you find after giving these steps a try happy to help you investigate this further.
Thank you for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
