Methodology & Data Sources
Address Context combines available information for research. This page explains the source types, geographic context, and important limitations behind that work.
Address geocoding and geography
Address searches use the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and coordinate-based geography lookups. A geocoded point may be calculated along an address range and is not a surveyed parcel boundary. City and ZIP information can be postal context rather than a verified municipal boundary.
Property, parcel, building, assessment, and tax data
Available property records can come from county or city data services, OpenStreetMap, and Regrid when configured and matched. County assessor, zoning, land-use, building, permit, and tax records have different coverage and update cycles. Current code includes selected Los Angeles public records and a conditional Regrid fallback; an unavailable result does not prove a record does not exist.
Market data
Market context uses U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) estimates and FHFA House Price Index data where available. ACS values are estimates with margins of error, not a property appraisal. Figures may describe a census tract, county, or state; FHFA series can fall back from county to state when a reliable county series is unavailable.
Crime and public safety
Crime coverage differs by city. Address Context uses supported local police open-data portals where available and FBI Crime Data Explorer data as a fallback when local incident data is not available. Providers may publish exact, approximate, or block-level locations, and map results may be limited for performance. Reporting lags, agency participation, period definitions, and radius or area coverage all affect results. The absence of incidents in the interface is not proof that no crime occurred, and the map is not a risk score or safety guarantee.
Environmental, hazard, and connectivity data
Environmental and hazard information can describe modeled or area-level conditions, often at a census-tract or other source-defined resolution. Transportation noise, hazards, and internet availability can vary at a property or unit scale. Source resolution and coverage differ, so results should be investigated with the relevant official agency or provider when material to a decision.
Resident Insights
Resident Insights are user-submitted opinions and experiences. Submissions are moderated before publication, but they remain subjective and are not independently verified unless explicitly stated. They should complement, not replace, official records or professional advice.
Geographic fallbacks, freshness, and missing data
When an exact local source is not available, a result may use a broader tract, county, state, agency, or other documented geography. Source periods and update dates are shown only when the provider supplies them. Data may be delayed, estimated, incomplete, approximate, or unavailable. We do not infer missing facts from nearby records, and missing data is not evidence that a condition or record does not exist.
Third-party sources
Sources currently used by the service include the U.S. Census Bureau, FHFA, OpenStreetMap, local government and police open-data portals, the FBI Crime Data Explorer, Regrid where applicable, and other feature-specific public or third-party services. Each has its own methodology, terms, availability, and update schedule. See the source label and linked source page in the relevant result when provided.