We sometimes get the question: “Can I switch between a line chart and a bar chart?” The short answer is: no, and there’s a good reason for that.

Charts aren't just a matter of personal preference. From a data visualization standpoint, different chart types are designed to answer different types of questions. There’s a right and wrong time to use each one—and using the wrong type can lead to misleading or hard-to-interpret data.

Line Charts vs. Bar (Column) Charts: What's the Difference?

• Line charts are ideal for showing trends over time. They're especially useful for metrics that change gradually, like median sale price or number of sales. Line charts don’t have to start at zero, which allows you to better visualize subtle shifts over time.

• Bar or column charts, by contrast, are best for comparing individual values across categories, like price ranges or property types. These must start at zero, because bars visually encode size by length—starting the axis higher than zero can distort the comparison.

Why not use a bar chart for counts over time?

It may seem intuitive to use a bar chart to compare, say, sales counts over the past three years—one bar per year. But here's the problem: bar charts suggest discrete categories, not a continuous flow of time. They don’t highlight trends or seasonality. When you use bars for time-series data, especially at annual intervals, you lose the ability to see direction, acceleration, or volatility—all of which are crucial in understanding market dynamics.

Line charts are much better at revealing those temporal patterns. A bar chart might tell you 2023 had more sales than 2022—but a line chart can show you when that shift happened.

What about exceptions to the rule?

There are rare cases when we intentionally break the “start at zero” rule, usually to avoid hiding meaningful differences. A great example is the Percent of List Price Received metric. Since this figure typically varies within a narrow range (e.g., 96%–101%), forcing the axis to zero would flatten those differences and obscure trends. In those cases, we carefully adjust the bounds to emphasize the variation without misleading.

Why we don’t let you toggle chart types

Ultimately, we don’t offer chart-type toggles because we believe in making the best choice for data clarity and integrity. It’s not about restricting flexibility—it’s about helping you avoid misleading interpretations. Rather than a “choose your own adventure” approach, we prioritize the chart that most clearly and accurately tells the story your data holds.