Data Sources
ValiFit aggregates data from 28 data sources across federal agencies, health departments, real estate platforms, and infrastructure databases to deliver comprehensive housing intelligence for all 50 states.
Federal Government
15 sources
ACS 5-Year Demographics
U.S. Census Bureau
census_demographics_zctaPopulation, income, education, housing, and commute data for every ZIP Code Tabulation Area nationwide.
TIGER/Line Boundaries
U.S. Census Bureau
place_boundariesGeographic boundary polygons for municipalities, counties, school districts, and ZIP codes.
Census Places
U.S. Census Bureau
census_placesOfficial place definitions including cities, towns, CDPs, and consolidated city-counties with populations.
Common Core of Data (Schools)
NCES
national_schoolsEvery public school in America: location, enrollment, grade span, Title I status, and school type.
F-33 School Finance
NCES
school_district_financePer-pupil expenditure and revenue data for every school district. Powers the Education ROI composite.
School Performance
NCES
school_performanceAchievement data, graduation rates, and student-teacher ratios across all 50 states.
NIBRS Crime Data (2024)
FBI
crime_data_nibrs_2024National Incident-Based Reporting System crime statistics by agency. Powers the Safety Infrastructure composite.
Law Enforcement Officers (LEE)
FBI
fbi_lee_2024Sworn officer counts and civilian staff per agency. Used for police-per-capita safety scoring.
Fair Market Rents
HUD
hud_fair_market_rentsFMR and Small Area FMR rent estimates by bedroom count for every metropolitan and non-metro area.
FHA Loan Limits
HUD
fha_loan_limitsMaximum FHA-insured mortgage amounts by county. Used in Budget composite affordability checks.
National Flood Hazard Layer
FEMA
fema_flood_zonesFlood zone designations for every mapped area in the U.S. Powers the Environmental Safety composite.
Superfund + Brownfield Sites
EPA
epa_sitesActive and archived contamination sites including NPL Superfund and brownfield redevelopment locations.
Underground Storage Tanks
EPA
underground_storage_tanksRegistered underground storage tanks with leak status and cleanup records. Environmental hazard layer.
Smart Location Walkability Index
EPA
walkability_scoresBlock-group-level walkability, transit access, and land-use mix scores. Powers the Livability composite.
Department of Health
4 sources
Fire Stations
HIFLD
fire_stationsEvery fire station in the United States with location and jurisdiction. Safety Infrastructure composite.
EMS / Ambulance Stations
HIFLD
ems_stationsEmergency medical services and ambulance station locations with service type and coverage area.
National Provider Registry (NPI)
CMS
health_providersEvery licensed healthcare provider in the country: physicians, dentists, therapists, specialists.
Infrastructure
2 sources
Hospitals
HIFLD
health_hospitalsHospital locations, bed counts, trauma center designations, and ownership type for all U.S. hospitals.
Real Estate & Property
4 sources
National Parcel Data
Regrid
Parcel boundaries, addresses, and property characteristics for virtually every property in the U.S.
Market Data Center
Redfin
redfin_market_dataMedian sale prices, days on market, sale-to-list ratios, and appreciation trends by region.
Building Permits
State DCA / County Records
building_permitsResidential and commercial building permit filings with project type, value, and status. Currently covers NJ with more states being added.
Other
3 sources
Google Places API
Points of interest, local businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, and lifestyle amenities.
Town Gallery Photos
Wikimedia Commons
town_galleryCurated landmark and cityscape photography for town pages, verified by alt-text matching.
Fair Housing Act Compliant Algorithm
Designed to prevent steering and discriminatory outcomes
ValiFit's scoring algorithm is architected from the ground up to comply with the Fair Housing Act and applicable state anti-discrimination laws. Every scored metric measures government investment efficiency— how effectively tax dollars become public services — not demographics. No score uses race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, familial status, disability, or any protected class.
Scored & Compared (Enters Composites)
Government investment efficiency metrics — tax dollars in, public services out:
Display Only (Not Scored)
Shown on town and property pages for context, never used in rankings:
Why this matters:Every scored metric measures a government service outcome — how many officers per capita, how much a district spends per student, whether flood infrastructure exists. Crime rates enter the Safety Infrastructure composite as a measure of public safety outcomes (a government service), not as a proxy for demographics. School test scores, demographics, and income are shown for context but never enter rankings. This design prevents the system from steering users toward or away from neighborhoods based on characteristics that correlate with protected classes.
Data Accuracy & Updates
All data is sourced directly from official government agencies and is updated regularly to ensure accuracy. Data refresh frequency varies by source, typically ranging from monthly to annually depending on the agency's publication schedule.
Attribution & Legal
Market data provided by Redfin. Property data via ATTOM. Local amenities powered by Google. Town images from Wikimedia Commons. Government data from U.S. Census Bureau, FEMA, FBI, HUD, EPA, NCES, HIFLD, CMS, HRSA, and the Federal Reserve.