Multi-Category Counter

How the Multi-Category Counter Works

Sort your counts into groups and smaller groups within them. For example, put cars and trucks in a Vehicles group. Each tap adds to the item and its group.

1. Create categories: Set top-level groups such as Vehicles, People and Animals.
2. Add subcategories: Place items under each group, such as Cars and Trucks under Vehicles.
3. Tap a subcategory: Each tap adds 1 to the subcategory and to its parent category.
4. Review the breakdown: Read totals at both levels to compare groups and items inside each group.

Multi-Category Counter Formula

Add the counts in each small group to get the group total. Add all group totals to get the grand total.

Subcategory counts

Tallies for items inside one category

Category totals

Sums for each top-level group

Example: Vehicles holds Cars = 120 and Trucks = 35, so Vehicles = 155. People holds Walkers = 60 and Cyclists = 25, so People = 85. The grand total is 155 + 85 = 240.

Multi-Category Counter Reference Table

This table shows each group as a share of all items. The example is a one-hour street count.

About the Multi-Category Counter

This is a two-level tally. Use a main group at the top, then count the types of items within it.

This is also called a hierarchical tally. Each parent group equals the sum of its child groups. You do not need to add them up again at the end.

Ways to Use the Multi-Category Counter

Use grouped counts when one list is hard to follow. Here are five tasks that can use them.

• ✓Traffic surveys: Group road users into vehicles, people and bikes with item-level detail.
• ✓Retail audits: Count products by department and by product line.
• ✓Ecology field work: Record species under family groups, such as birds and insects.
• ✓Customer feedback: Tally comments by topic, such as price, service and delivery.
• ✓Lab sample sorting: Count samples by test type and by result.