To display a city layer enriched with demographic data from another table that is not geometrically correlated, which association should be applied?

To display a city layer enriched with demographic data from another table that lacks geometric correlation, applying a join is the appropriate choice. A join operates by combining data from two tables based on a common key, which allows attributes from the demographic table to be appended to the city layer's attributes. This method is beneficial when both datasets have a common attribute, such as a city name or ID, which can be used to create a unified view of data.

Joins are particularly useful in scenarios where you want to incorporate additional information that is not spatially represented but is relevant for data analysis and visualization. This means that you can enhance your city layer without the necessity of a geographic link, ensuring that the additional demographic information can be easily accessed and utilized in the same context.

In contrast, relates facilitate a temporary association between two tables without merging them; they allow for access to related records but do not combine attribute data. A spatial join, on the other hand, requires a geometric relationship and would not apply when the data is not geometrically correlated. A relationship class, used for managing relationships between feature classes and tables in a geodatabase, fits within a more complex data modeling structure and isn't necessary for enriching a layer with demographic data at this level.