Data Sources & Methodology
We publish only verified data from two authoritative sources. Below is exactly what we use, how current it is, and what our data-quality gate excludes.
What we publish — and what we don't
Verified data only: Demographics and income come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2018-2022 5-year estimates). Home values come from the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI). Every figure is shown with its source and as-of date.
No estimated or modeled fields. We do not publish crime, weather, school, or “livability” scores. We previously experimented with modeled estimates for those categories and have removed them entirely rather than present figures we cannot verify.
U.S. Census Bureau
Demographic, income, and housing figures are sourced from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. ACS 5-year estimates pool five years of responses to produce reliable figures for small areas like ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs).
Data Points Included:
- Population totals and median age
- Age distribution
- Race and ethnicity breakdown
- Educational attainment levels
- Median household income and per capita income
- Poverty rate
- Median home value and median rent
- Housing units, occupancy, and tenure (owner/renter)
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI)
Where available, we show Zillow's Home Value Index for a ZIP code alongside Census housing figures. ZHVI reflects the typical home value and its trend over time. When we display a Zillow value, it takes precedence over the older Census median home value and is clearly attributed to Zillow with its as-of date.
Data Points Included:
- Typical (ZHVI) home value for the ZIP code
- Monthly home value history / trend
- As-of month for every figure shown
Our Data-Quality Gate
Not every ZIP code in our database has complete, trustworthy Census data. Before a ZIP code is published as a full profile, it must pass a quality gate. ZIP codes that fail are shown as clearly labeled limited-data profiles (and are excluded from search-engine indexing) rather than presented as if complete.
Placeholder detection: profiles whose values match a known synthetic/placeholder pattern are excluded.
Population floor: ZIP codes with zero, missing, or very low population (under 100) are excluded.
Required fields: a profile must have city, state, demographics, and housing data to be published in full.
Coverage
Of roughly 42,700 ZIP codes in our database, about 31,000 currently pass the quality gate and are published as full, indexable profiles. The remainder are available as limited-data pages. See our methodology for details.
About Accuracy & Limitations
ZIP Code vs. ZCTA: The Census Bureau reports on ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), statistical approximations of USPS ZIP codes. Our Census figures use ZCTAs.
Data vintage: ACS 5-year estimates cover 2018-2022 and carry a natural publication lag. They describe the survey period, not this month.
Estimates have margins of error: ACS figures are survey estimates, not exact counts. Treat them as reliable indicators rather than precise values.
For critical decisions: always confirm current figures with primary sources before relocation or real-estate investment. See our corrections page to report an issue.
Citing Our Data
If you use data from ZipCode-Data.com, please cite both our website and the original source. For example: “Data sourced from ZipCode-Data.com, compiled from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2018-2022) and the Zillow Home Value Index.”
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