Get Smart Now – PolicyMap Update for December 2012

New! Fully self-service data loader, roof-top geocoding and new subscription pricing

As announced last week, we’ve enhanced PolicyMap just in time for the New Year! The release of our self-service data loader gives users the ability to upload an unlimited number of address level files and leverage them against our trusted data – all, as a part of a standard subscription. We’ve also increased the number of users that can share a standard subscription, making PolicyMap the most comprehensive and affordable online mapping tool on the market. Read more or contact us for additional information.

PolicyMap is truly a 'plug and play' solution,” said Mary Tingerthal, Commissioner of Minnesota Housing. “Using their interface we are able to share crucial geographic information with our customers. It is the simplest and most cost effective location-based system we’ve ever worked with.

Remember, you can also license our data for use in your own mapping application with our Data API. Or, using our simple widgets, you can turn on a set of interactive maps from PolicyMap right to your website. Check out our new Products page to learn more about all of our offerings.


Updated: Lending Data (from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act)

Turn to PolicyMap for the latest lending data from HMDA. As one of the first indicators we began providing our users, this update now allows you to explore how markets have changed between 2004 and 2011 – or any time period in between. Keep track of trends in refinancing, government insured loans and more. Data is available down to the census tract giving you a good, on-the-ground picture of the markets in which you work. (Users will note that all high-cost and prime loans for 2011 reflect reporting rule changes implemented in the fourth quarter of 2009. For more detail, check out our Data Directory.) This public data is located under the Lending Activity tab in the Add Data Layer menu.


Updated: Religion in the U.S.

Located at the bottom of the Demographics tab under “Religion”, PolicyMap users can now find the results of the 2010 Religious Congregations and Membership Study. Conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB), the most recent iteration of this decennial study included 236 religious groups who together reported more than 150 million adherents, representing close to 50% of the U.S. population. View 2010 adherence rates across the country or see how rates changed between 2000 and 2010. Read more.


New – FEMA Disaster Areas for Superstorm Sandy

Counties that have been declared disaster areas by FEMA as a result of Superstorm Sandy (since October 28, 2012) can be found in PolicyMap under the Federal Guidelines tab in the Add Data Layer menu.

New – IRS Tax Data from the Brookings Institution

Learn not just how many people filed a return in 2010, but what percent claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit, the education credit, the child tax credit and more. This data from the Brookings Institution comes originally from the IRS and is available for 2009 and 2010 at the zip code, county and state levels. This is public data that can be found in the Add Data Layer menu under the Money & Income tab.

New – Indian Areas

You can now layer Indian Areas onto your map in PolicyMap. You’ll find these geographies from the U.S. Census under Map Options along the bottom of the map.


Updated: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

We’ve added this data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2011 so you can now see all years between 2000 and 2011. Check out how wages in different industries have changed since the economic crisis or how employment in a given industry in any area of the country is trending. You can find this data under the Jobs and Economy tab. Read more.

Updated: Free and Reduced Price Lunch

The number of students receiving free or reduced price lunches for school districts across the country is now available on PolicyMap for 2011. Data is available annually from 2000 through 2011 allowing you to analyze trends by school district over the past 11 years. This data from the National Center for Education Statistics is public and can be found under the Money & Income tab.

Updated: HUD Multifamily and Public Housing Locations

We’ve updated HUD Multifamily and Public Housing sites with the latest data available from HUD’s Multifamily and Section 8 Contracts database, and their REAC database. You can layer these sites onto your map to see where HUD multifamily and public housing properties are located in your area of interest and click on any point to learn the name of the owner, number of units, occupancy rate and more. This is a public dataset and you can find it under Federal Housing in the Add Sites menu.


More! Every month we update unemployment statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These statistics allow you to track how unemployment rates and numbers are changing in counties across the country. PolicyMap houses unemployment data from January 2000 through October 2012. This public data can be found under the Jobs and Economy tab.

To learn more about any of the datasets available in PolicyMap, visit our Data Directory or stay connected through our blog. Need something you don’t see? Just let us know!