What Community Data Can and Cannot Tell You

Data on crime, schools, transit, and property values can narrow a search and flag things worth investigating further. It cannot make the decision for you, and it has specific, well-documented limitations.

Crime data

Police-reported crime statistics reflect incidents that were reported and recorded, not all incidents that occurred. Reporting rates vary by crime type and by community. Boundaries used to define a "community" for statistical purposes may not match how residents describe their own neighbourhood.

School data

School ratings, exam results, and inspection reports describe a school at a point in time, and inspection cycles can be several years apart. A school's catchment area can change, and living near a school does not always guarantee a place there, particularly where a school is oversubscribed.

Property data

Assessed values, sale price history, and median prices describe what has already happened in a market. They do not predict what will happen next. A rising trend can reverse, and a small number of high-value sales can distort a median for a small area.

A practical approach

• Use data to build a shortlist, not a final decision
• Visit an area at different times of day and different days of the week
• Speak to people who already live there, where possible
• Check the data source and its publication date before relying on a figure