What data does AreaOps use to compute targeting scores?

All scoring signals come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. Signals include homeownership rate, median household income, median home value, median home year built (used to derive housing age), single-family-detached housing share, and population and household counts. Business density data comes from the Census ZIP Business Patterns dataset.

How often is the data updated?

The underlying Census ACS data is updated annually when the Census Bureau releases a new 5-Year Estimate vintage. AreaOps ingests the new vintage and recomputes all scores within 30 days of the release.

Why is the score different across verticals for the same ZIP code?

Signal weights differ by vertical. A ZIP with very old housing stock (pre-1980) scores high for roofing — older roofs need replacement sooner — but that same signal is less relevant for HVAC or landscaping, which weight homeownership and income more heavily. The additive model adjusts each signal's contribution based on the vertical's profile.

What does a score of 50 mean?

Every ZIP starts at 50. Signals with above-average values for the vertical push the score higher; below-average values push it lower. A score near 50 means the ZIP is roughly average across all relevant signals for that vertical — not a strong target, but not actively weak either.

Can I customize the weights?

Yes. In Settings → Targeting, operators can toggle plain-language emphasis settings ('Focus on older homes', 'Focus on higher-income areas', etc.) that apply a multiplier to the relevant signals without exposing raw numbers. Advanced users can also override per-signal weights directly.

Are scores available for every ZIP code in the US?

Scores are computed for all residential and mixed-use ZIP codes where Census ACS data is available. PO Box-only, military, and purely commercial ZIP codes are flagged and excluded from primary targeting recommendations.

Targeting Score Methodology — AreaOps

AreaOps

Targeting Score Methodology

How AreaOps scores every ZIP code

Name: AreaOps ZIP Code Targeting Scores
Creator: AreaOps

The AreaOps targeting score is a 0–100 index that ranks every US ZIP code for demand fit within a specific home-services vertical. It is computed entirely from publicly available US Census Bureau data, with no proprietary black-box signals.

Data source: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates · Last updated: 2025-06-01

The scoring model

Every ZIP code starts at a baseline score of 50 — representing "average" for the vertical. Named demographic signals then nudge the score up or down based on how the ZIP compares to national norms for that signal.

The model is additive: each signal contributes independently. The final score is the baseline plus the sum of all signal contributions, clamped to the 0–100 range. No single signal can dominate the score on its own.

Each signal contribution is computed as:

contribution = base_value × vertical_weight

Where base_value is derived from the ZIP's Census metric relative to the national distribution for that metric, and vertical_weight is a per-vertical constant that reflects how much that signal matters for the industry. Weights can be positive or negative — for example, high commercial density is a positive signal for B2B verticals but negative for residential trades.

The reasons behind each score — the specific signals that raised or lowered it — are stored alongside the score and surfaced in plain language inside the AreaOps UI. Operators can see exactly why a ZIP scored 78 vs 42.

Data sources

Source	What we use	Update cadence
Census ACS 5-Year Estimates	Homeownership, income, home value, housing age, housing type	Annual (Census release)
Census ZIP Business Patterns	Establishment count, employee count, payroll per ZIP	Annual
Census TIGER/Line	ZIP code boundary geometries for map display	Annual

All data is sourced directly from the US Census Bureau API. No third-party data vendors or estimated/modeled datasets are used in the scoring model.

Scoring signals

Each signal below adjusts the ZIP's baseline score. The weight (and direction) of each signal varies by vertical — see the per-vertical table below.

Signal	Census table	Typical direction
Homeownership rate Renters don't own the roof, HVAC system, or plumbing — homeowners do. Higher homeownership rate = more decision-makers for residential services.	Census ACS B25003	Positive for all residential verticals
Median household income Higher income correlates with willingness to pay for professional services vs DIY. Strong positive for premium verticals; lighter weight for commoditized services.	Census ACS B19013	Positive (moderate)
Median home value Owners of higher-value homes are more likely to protect their investment with professional maintenance and repair.	Census ACS B25077	Positive
Housing age (median year built) Older housing stock is a strong positive for roofing (roofs wear out), HVAC replacement, and windows & siding. Neutral for landscaping and pest control.	Census ACS B25035	Vertical-dependent
Single-family detached housing share Apartments and condos are typically maintained by property managers under contract, not individual homeowners. Higher single-family share = more accessible residential customers.	Census ACS B25024	Positive for most residential trades
Business density (establishments/ZIP) Dense commercial ZIP codes are strong targets for commercial HVAC, pest control, and landscaping. For roofing and windows, high commercial density signals fewer residential decision-makers.	Census ZIP Business Patterns	Positive for B2B verticals; negative for residential trades

Per-vertical signal emphasis

The same ZIP code can score differently across verticals because the signals that predict demand vary by industry. The table below shows which signals are most heavily weighted for each supported vertical.

Vertical	Top-weighted signals
Roofing	Housing age, homeownership, home value
HVAC	Housing age, homeownership, income
Plumbing	Homeownership, housing age, income
Electrical	Homeownership, income, housing age
Landscaping	Homeownership, home value, income
Pest Control	Homeownership, income, single-family share
Windows & Siding	Housing age, homeownership, home value
Gutters	Housing age, homeownership, income
Solar	Homeownership, home value, income
Pool & Spa	Home value, income, homeownership

Exact weights are available to AreaOps subscribers and can be inspected via the Settings → Targeting screen. Operators can apply plain-language emphasis toggles ("Focus on older homes", "Focus on higher-income areas") that multiply the relevant signal weights without exposing raw numbers.

Frequently asked questions

What data does AreaOps use to compute targeting scores?: All scoring signals come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. Signals include homeownership rate, median household income, median home value, median home year built (used to derive housing age), single-family-detached housing share, and population and household counts. Business density data comes from the Census ZIP Business Patterns dataset.
How often is the data updated?: The underlying Census ACS data is updated annually when the Census Bureau releases a new 5-Year Estimate vintage. AreaOps ingests the new vintage and recomputes all scores within 30 days of the release.
Why is the score different across verticals for the same ZIP code?: Signal weights differ by vertical. A ZIP with very old housing stock (pre-1980) scores high for roofing — older roofs need replacement sooner — but that same signal is less relevant for HVAC or landscaping, which weight homeownership and income more heavily. The additive model adjusts each signal's contribution based on the vertical's profile.
What does a score of 50 mean?: Every ZIP starts at 50. Signals with above-average values for the vertical push the score higher; below-average values push it lower. A score near 50 means the ZIP is roughly average across all relevant signals for that vertical — not a strong target, but not actively weak either.
Can I customize the weights?: Yes. In Settings → Targeting, operators can toggle plain-language emphasis settings ('Focus on older homes', 'Focus on higher-income areas', etc.) that apply a multiplier to the relevant signals without exposing raw numbers. Advanced users can also override per-signal weights directly.
Are scores available for every ZIP code in the US?: Scores are computed for all residential and mixed-use ZIP codes where Census ACS data is available. PO Box-only, military, and purely commercial ZIP codes are flagged and excluded from primary targeting recommendations.

See the scores for your market

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Apply this methodology to your vertical

See how the scoring model applies — and what thresholds matter most — across home-services verticals:

Or see the full national scoring dataset: ZIP Code Scores for Home Services →