Define the geography before you interpret a number
The Census records Alma as a municipality in Crawford County. That distinction matters when a dashboard displays locations. A city view, a county view and a broader Arkansas view are not interchangeable, and a household or individual measure would answer a different question again. The population estimate for Alma is eligibility context, not evidence that residents are looking for counsel or that a particular practice area is commercially attractive. Ask how the dashboard labels city, county and other geographic signals before treating a location result as a market result.
Recommended approach
Bring a written geography definition to the consultation. State whether your firm wants to evaluate Alma alone, Crawford County, Arkansas, or another clearly defined service area. Ask which location fields appear beside rankings, calls, leads and source attribution, and record any limitation rather than blending unlike areas.
