Quick orientation. The sections below describe product features and every metric the UI exposes.
- Load a market: In the sidebar, enter a ZIP, county, metro, or city and state (e.g. 77002, Harris County, TX, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, or Houston, TX), then press Enter. NYC borough names also work when you need borough-specific analysis. The map and data panel update together.
- Analysis vs Data: The right panel has three tabs: Analysis for cycle, momentum, and PDF brief; Data for tables, trends, and exports; and Notes for EDA methodology, evidence, and caveats from the assistant.
- Layers: Use the map's layer control (top-left) for choropleth, transit, tracts, permits, and other overlays (availability depends on market).
- EDA assistant: The bar at the bottom of the map opens the assistant for dataset analysis and explicit map controls.
- Saved & PDF: Open the Saved tab in the sidebar to manage ZIPs and areas you saved from the data panel; check two or more for comparison in the Market Report PDF when exported.
Capabilities
Available Features
Everything below is available in the command center and related pages; there are no scripted walkthroughs.
Map & search
Load a single ZIP, a county, a metro, or a city and state from the sidebar. Texas markets are the default MVP flow, so examples and demos favor Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, and Harris County. NYC boroughs still work when you need borough-specific analysis. The map shows the market footprint, optional ZIP outline, and context ZIPs where applicable. Choropleth fill can display rent (ZORI) or home value (ZHVI) when enabled in the layer panel.
Layer panel
Toggle vector layers: transit (routes and stops), Census tracts, block groups, flood zones, amenity heatmap, and optional client CSV pins when a session upload exists. NYC parcels and NYC building permits appear only when the active geography is in New York City.
Right data panel
Analysis: Market cycle explanation, momentum vs peers, and downloadable Market Report PDF.
Data: Pricing, demographics, metro velocity, economic indicators, Google Trends, transit counts, Save Site and area actions, and the full metrics table where exposed. Open the sidebar Saved tab for the full saved list.
EDA assistant
Docked at the bottom of the map: ask for dataset summaries, outliers, trend changes, metric explanations, and data-quality checks. When an uploaded dataset is active, Scout prioritizes that workspace automatically unless you ask explicitly about market metrics. Direct map controls still work for explicit prompts like search, layer toggles, or panel changes.
Client CSV
Use /upload or the sidebar Upload entry to import analyst CSVs. Map-ready files can render as client pins on the map, while non-mappable files stay usable in summary, chart, and raw-table fallbacks in the imported-data workspace.
Saved & PDF
Use Save Site for a ZIP or Save for a whole city / area from the data panel; open the sidebar Saved tab to see every row, edit labels and notes, and use comparison checkboxes. When two or more sites are selected, the Market Report PDF can include a comparison layout.
Map view
Optional 3D tilt from the data panel; floating stats summarize key metrics above the map. Site-level analysis from the agent can open detail in the right panel instead of a map popover.
Glossary
Metric Reference
Same definitions as in-app tooltips; source and typical update cadence for each field.
Market Pricing
Median Rent (ZORI)
Zillow Observed Rent Index - asking rents on new leases, not in-place rents.
- Source
- Zillow Research
- Updates
- Monthly Zillow Research release
Home Value (ZHVI)
Zillow Home Value Index - smoothed typical home value, mid-tier market.
- Source
- Zillow Research
- Updates
- Monthly Zillow Research release
1yr Forecast (ZHVF)
Zillow home value forecast - forward-looking modeled growth.
- Source
- Zillow Research
- Updates
- Monthly Zillow Research release
Days to pending
Metro mean days listings stay active before pending (Zillow).
- Source
- Zillow Research (metro)
- Updates
- Zillow metro velocity; monthly
Price cuts
Share of metro listings with a price cut (Zillow).
- Source
- Zillow Research (metro)
- Updates
- Zillow metro velocity; monthly
Active inventory
Metro for-sale listing count (Zillow).
- Source
- Zillow Research (metro)
- Updates
- Zillow metro velocity; monthly
Demographics
Population
Total population (ACS 5-year at ZIP).
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly
Median household income
ACS median household income.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly
Total housing units
ACS count of housing units in the ZIP.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly
Vacant units
ACS count of vacant housing units.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly
Vacancy rate
Share of housing units unoccupied and available (ACS 5-year; lags ~2 years).
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly, typically ~2-year lag vs today
Median Gross Rent
ACS median contract rent - in-place rents, not new-lease asking rents.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly, typically ~2-year lag
Migration (movers)
ACS estimate of people who moved from a different state in the past year.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- ACS 5-year estimate; new vintages yearly
Population growth (3yr)
Approximate 2019→2022 ACS population change - can reflect enrollment/noise in college towns.
- Source
- Census ACS
- Updates
- Derived from ACS population across vintages (see tooltip for caveats)
Fair Market Rent (FMR)
HUD benchmark rent for a modest unit by bedroom - affordability comparisons.
- Source
- HUD / Census ACS fallback
- Updates
- HUD Fair Market Rent annual; may fall back to ACS where noted
Economic Indicators
Unemployment rate
County unemployment rate from FRED (monthly).
- Source
- FRED
- Updates
- FRED county series; monthly
Employment rate
Employed ÷ civilian labor force (FRED county series when both match).
- Source
- FRED
- Updates
- FRED county series; monthly when both series align
Real GDP
County real GDP (annual FRED series).
- Source
- FRED
- Updates
- FRED county real GDP; annual
Building permits (units)
County residential units permitted (Census BPS) - leading supply ~18–24 months.
- Source
- Census BPS
- Updates
- Census BPS county annual; subject to revision
Permit buildings
Count of permitted structures in the county BPS extract.
- Source
- Census BPS
- Updates
- Census BPS county annual; subject to revision
Permit construction value
Reported construction value for permitted work (county BPS).
- Source
- Census BPS
- Updates
- Census BPS county annual; subject to revision
Transit stops
OpenStreetMap transit stops within the fetch radius.
- Source
- OSM / GTFS
- Updates
- Fetched when you load a market (OSM / GTFS context)
Google Trends score
Relative search interest (0–100) for apartment-related queries - leads some rent moves.
- Source
- Google Trends
- Updates
- Google Trends; weekly relative index (0–100)
Cycle Signals
Cycle position
Four-phase classification from rent, vacancy, permits, and employment signals.
- Source
- Scout
- Updates
- Computed when you load a market from cached rent, vacancy, permits, jobs signals
Recovery
Elevated but stabilizing vacancy; rents flat to slightly up; permits low; employment improving.
- Source
- Scout methodology
- Updates
- Same cadence as cycle position (classifier output)
Expansion
Falling vacancy, rising rents, permits picking up, strong employment.
- Source
- Scout methodology
- Updates
- Same cadence as cycle position (classifier output)
Hypersupply
Rent growth slowing, permits surging, vacancy starting to rise.
- Source
- Scout methodology
- Updates
- Same cadence as cycle position (classifier output)
Recession
Rising vacancy, falling rents, collapsing permits, weakening employment.
- Source
- Scout methodology
- Updates
- Same cadence as cycle position (classifier output)
Momentum score
0–100 peer-relative composite: labor (unemployment), rent level, permit volume.
- Source
- Scout
- Updates
- Computed when you expand Momentum (peers depend on market context)