Gone are the days of cruising through prospective neighborhoods, hoping to feel an overwhelming connection—and, sitting at the end of the block, the perfect home. Today’s soon-to-be suburbanite has infinite tools at their fingertips, from user forums to comprehensive research tools that help paint a picture you can’t get by quickly scoping the scene. In tandem with Suburban Jungle, prospective buyers can truly dive into the true vibe of a community, and make the most informed move for their families. Here’s where to start:
Nielsen PRIZM
Nielsen’s lifestyle segmentation defines every single household in America by a host of distinct lifestyle types. Together, these segments paint a picture of who lives in the community and what they’re like. The tool was created for marketers to enable more targeted outreach to key consumers—but, today, it’s completely free and used by tons of prospective buyers and real estate pros to get an unparalleled snapshot. Just enter a zip code and find out what household makeups look like, plus age and overarching characteristics—in other words, if you’ll be living within a “Bohemian Mix,” with “The Cosmopolitans,” “Young Digerati,” “Money & Brains” or something else.
StreetAdvisor
See what locals say about your prospective neighborhood—right down to the street—with . Users can search by neighborhood, plus drill down on personality type, things to do and more.
Neighborhood Scout
Looking for the true nitty gritty? Neighborhood Scout’s got it. The site has everything, from home values and type of real estate to school rating, demographics and more. With a paid premium subscription, prospective residents can even dig into crime rates and home appreciation rates.
Just understand, that no matter how much research you do online, or how much data you sift through, there is nothing that can replace a true understanding of a town—which is why Suburban Jungle exists. There are many things that you need to think about that your online searches will not cover, that a local real estate agent will not show you or think to ask.