After you search for a property, open the Neighborhood tab and choose Demographics Analysis. The feature shows population and demographic details for 1, 3, and 5 mile radii around the selected property, and provides past, present, and future outlooks in five year intervals. Data are built from the Census American Community Survey (ACS). ACS reports demographic data for Census Block Group in aggregate over five years; WDSuite aggregates block groups within a radius surrounding the property to display the Demographic Analysis metrics.
Forecasting Methodology
What is forecasted: the model directly projects a small set of core drivers 5 years into the future (households, families, average household size, household income, tenure mix, rent and home value, housing stock and occupancy, and key education and employment indicators).
How totals are formed: the forecasted population is rebuilt from the forecasted households and forecasted average household size so population moves in step with household formation.
Stability guardrails: anchors (households, families, household size) are capped within bands around the most recent year's data to avoid unrealistic swings from noisy data; the approach favors smooth trends.
Model methodology: forecasts use the Holt AR model, chosen because it delivers smooth trend lines that match user expectations rather than chasing maximal historical fit.
Data source note & FAQ
Data source: all demographic analysis metrics come from the Census ACS five-year aggregate block group data; WDSuite aggregates nearby block groups to produce 1, 3, and 5 mile views.
Why don’t I see data for the current year? ACS publishes block group data annually, aggregating 5-year demographic data for the period ending 1 year prior. WDSuite releases data updates monthly, so there may be a slight lag following an ACS release.