1. Start with the geography your firm actually serves
St. Paul is a municipality in Minnesota, and the Census records its county relationship as Ramsey County. The 2020–2024 American Community Survey five-year estimate records 307,284 residents, with a margin of error of 47. That is eligibility and market-context information, not evidence of legal demand, search volume, competition, calls, cases or revenue. A dashboard should therefore distinguish St. Paul from Ramsey County and from any wider metropolitan area your firm chooses to measure. Those are different geographic scopes, and combining them can make a report difficult to interpret.
Recommended approach
Ask for separate geographic definitions before reviewing performance: St. Paul city, Ramsey County, and any broader area the firm intentionally serves. Confirm whether a city label refers to a search target, a caller’s location, a matter’s location or another field. Use the dashboard to inspect the firm’s chosen scope; do not treat the population estimate as a forecast.
