Data Sources
Every PadStats endpoint draws from authoritative, regularly-updated data sources. Understanding the provenance of each data type helps you evaluate accuracy, coverage, and appropriate use cases.
Property Valuations (AVM)
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Sale comparables | MLS and public record transaction data |
| Property attributes | County assessor and recorder records |
| ML model ensemble | XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost trained on local sale comparables |
| Walk Score | Walk Score® (when provided in request) |
The AVM produces a point estimate from the ensemble median and a probabilistic distribution based on comparable sale variance in the subject property's local market. The 95% confidence interval reflects model uncertainty at the specific price point and location.
Flood Zone
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Flood zone boundaries | FEMA DFIRM (Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps) |
| Base Flood Elevation | FEMA DFIRM BFE data |
| SFHA designation | FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer |
FEMA DFIRM data is the official source used by lenders, insurers, and municipalities for flood insurance requirements. sfha: true indicates a Special Flood Hazard Area — properties in these zones are subject to mandatory flood insurance requirements for federally-backed mortgages.
Fire Risk
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Burn probability | USDA Forest Service — Wildfire Risk to Communities |
| Risk classification | USDA National Risk Index methodology |
The USDA fire risk data represents the annual probability of a wildfire burning through a given location, derived from fire simulation modeling across fuel, weather, and topographic data. Values are available for the contiguous United States.
Storm Surge
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Storm surge zones | NOAA SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model |
| Hurricane category bands | National Hurricane Center SLOSH Basin data |
NOAA's SLOSH model simulates storm surge flooding from hurricane category 1–5 scenarios. Coverage is limited to coastal areas at risk from Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. Areas without storm surge data return in_surge_zone: false.
Census Data
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Demographic variables | U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates |
| Available years | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Geographic levels | Block group, census tract, county subdivision, county |
ACS 5-year estimates aggregate survey responses over a 5-year period to produce statistically reliable estimates at small geographies (block group, tract). The trade-off is that the data represents a rolling 5-year average, not a single-point-in-time snapshot.
Crime Data
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Crime incidents | FBI NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System) |
| Offense classification | NIBRS offense codes and categories |
| Severity classification | PadStats severity mapping over NIBRS offense types |
NIBRS is the FBI's primary crime data collection program. Not all law enforcement agencies participate in NIBRS — coverage varies by jurisdiction. Absence of crime data for a location may indicate limited agency reporting rather than absence of crime.
Socioeconomic Indices
| Component | Source |
|---|---|
| Underlying variables | ACS census data (same as Census Data endpoint) |
| Index construction | PadStats composite scoring methodology |
| Comparison baselines | Local (county subdivision), county, state, national |
Socioeconomic indices are composite scores computed from ACS variables using a weighted methodology that accounts for the relative importance and variance of each input variable. Scores are normalized (0–100) relative to the selected comparison basis.