Resources To Research Homes, Areas & Living Costs

GPI takes no responsibility or liability for the reliability or accuracy of any of these sources of information or their contents. Please verify all information and use at your own risk.

AREA & NEIGHBORHOOD RESEARCH

TO GET TO KNOW YOUR NEW HOME, UNDERSTAND YOUR AREA BETTER OR RESEARCH AN AREA YOU ARE CONSIDERING MOVING TO, TRY:

City-Data

Deep data on demographics, housing, income, crime, and local statistics.
🔗 https://www.city-data.com

BestNeighborhood.org

Compare neighborhoods with rankings and breakdowns.
🔗 https://www.bestneighborhood.org

Neighborhood Profiles

Overview of local demographics and community characteristics.
🔗 https://www.neighborhoodprofiles.com

NeighborhoodScout

Crime heatmaps, school ratings, and property trends.
🔗 https://www.neighborhoodscout.com

BestPlaces / Sperling’s

Compare cities for cost of living, climate, and quality of life.
🔗 https://www.bestplaces.net

GreatSchools

Public school ratings across the U.S.
🔗 https://www.greatschools.org

Private School Review

Profiles of private schools nationwide.
🔗 https://www.privateschoolreview.com

CrimeGrade

Color-coded crime maps and safety insights.
🔗 https://crimegrade.org

CrimeMapping

Real-time police incident mapping.
🔗 https://www.crimemapping.com

SpotCrime

Local crime reports and alerts.
🔗 https://spotcrime.com

Rentometer

Check typical rental prices in any neighborhood.
🔗 https://www.rentometer.com

U.S. Census ACS Data

Income, housing, education, commuting, and more.
🔗 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/data.html

GENERAL HOUSING INFORMATION (AHS)

GRAPHICS THAT PROVIDE HOUSING VISUALIZATIONS FROM THE AHS

Government-sourced charts showing housing types, utilities, affordability, age trends, and more.
🔗 https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations.html?visual-list-25c4e0d683%3Apage=2#visual-list-25c4e0d683

EXTERNAL, LOCAL & ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

FEMA National Risk Index

Maps national risk levels for storms, flooding, earthquakes, and natural hazards.
🔗 https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map

FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Official FEMA flood zone information for any address.
🔗 https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

FEMA Flood Map (Non-Government)

An unofficial tool for exploring flood likelihood.
🔗 https://femafloodmap.com

Trailforks

Interactive maps for local and regional outdoor trails.
🔗 https://www.trailforks.com

Transit.com

Transit options and routing if you don’t have a car.
🔗 https://www.transit.com

HowLoud

Noise levels, flight paths, and traffic sound data.
🔗 https://www.howloud.com

WalkScore

Walkability, transit, and bike-friendliness ratings for neighborhoods.
🔗 https://www.walkscore.com

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones

Find out which plants grow best in your climate zone.
🔗 https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov

UTILITIES & LIVING COSTS

Forbes Cost of Living Calculator

Compare living costs between cities.
🔗 https://www.forbes.com/advisor/mortgages/real-estate/cost-of-living-calculator

LivingCost.org

Global cost-of-living comparisons, including rent and utilities.
🔗 https://livingcost.org

Energy Bill Cruncher

Explore energy-saving options and local rebates.
🔗 https://www.energybillcruncher.com

WattBuy

Find the best energy option and plan for your home
🔗 https://www.wattbuy.com

PVWatts Solar Calculator

Estimate the likely amount of solar energy to expect if considering installing solar energy system
🔗 https://www.pvwatts.nrel.gov.com

EPA Home Energy Yardstick

Compare your home’s energy efficiency to similar homes.
🔗 https://portfoliomanager.energystar.gov/pm/hey

ENERGY STAR

Learn how ENERGY STAR ratings and standards work.
🔗 https://www.energystar.gov/about/how-energy-star-works

HOA, BUILDING CODES & REGULATIONS

What to Know Before Buying in an HOA

Guidance on rules, restrictions, and expectations.
🔗 https://hoaresources.caionline.org/what-to-know-before-you-buy-in-an-hoa

CAI Public Policies

Condo and HOA guidelines and legal references.
🔗 https://www.caionline.org/advocacy/public-policies

State Building Codes (ICC)

Free access to state-specific building codes.
🔗 https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes/united-states

National I-Codes (2024)

Baseline national building codes used by most states. Overall US building code that most States adopt and edit to create their own specific codes
🔗 https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes/i-codes/2024-icodes

NACHI Home Inspector Resources

Inspection standards, home system basics, and repair guidelines.
🔗 https://www.nachi.org/sop.htm

BUILDING COMPONENTS & CONSTRUCTION INFO