What is Psychographics?
Consumer attitudes, interests, values, and lifestyle characteristics that influence purchasing behavior.
Definition
Psychographics go beyond demographics (who people are) to describe how people think, what they value, and how they spend their time and money. In CRE site selection, psychographic data is accessed primarily through Esri's Tapestry Segmentation system, which classifies every U.S. household into 67 distinct lifestyle segments. Each segment combines demographic data with behavioral and attitudinal characteristics. Psychographic analysis helps CRE professionals understand market fit — whether the people in a trade area are likely to become customers of a specific concept. For example, two trade areas with identical median incomes of $85,000 may have very different psychographic profiles: one dominated by young urban professionals (high spending on dining out and fitness) and another by established suburban families (high spending on home improvement and children's activities).
Example
A premium fitness concept uses Esri Tapestry data to identify trade areas dominated by 'Top Tier' and 'Laptops and Lattes' segments — affluent, health-conscious consumers who index high for gym memberships.
Related Terms
Learn more about psychographics in practice
Demographics Guide