Sources & limits

Every dataset this app uses for Syracuse, NY, the exact filters applied, how many rows are stored, how fresh the source is, and what it cannot tell you. All sources are public; nothing is sampled, invented or modelled. Entries marked "derived in this app" describe joins and rules this app applies on top of the sources.

Sources registered

Rows stored

447,966

Oldest source update

2021-12-09

Last import

2026-11-03

Phase 0 · Geography: which ZIPs make up the city

2020 ZCTA to Place Relationship File

U.S. Census Bureau

Dataset: tab20_zcta520_place20_natl
Rows stored: 14
Source last updated: 2021-12-09
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:42 UTC

Source

https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/relationship-files.2020.html

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "core_rule": "AREALAND_PART / AREALAND_ZCTA5_20 >= 0.4",
  "core_zctas": [
    "13202",
    "13203",
    "13204",
    "13205",
    "13206",
    "13207",
    "13208",
    "13210",
    "13224",
    "13244",
    "13290"
  ],
  "fringe_zctas": [
    "13214",
    "13215",
    "13219"
  ],
  "GEOID_PLACE_20": "3673000"
}

https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/rel2020/zcta520/tab20_zcta520_place20_natl.txt

Limits: ZCTAs are Census approximations of USPS ZIP Codes as of 2020; they are not identical to mailing ZIPs, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA. Several ZCTAs extend beyond the city limits; only ZCTAs with at least 40% of their land inside the city count toward city totals.

TIGERweb 2020 Census ZCTA and Place boundaries

U.S. Census Bureau

Dataset: TIGERweb Census 2020 vintage
Rows stored: 15
Source last updated: Not published by source
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:42 UTC

Source

https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "place_geoid": "3673000",
  "zcta_geoids": [
    "13202",
    "13203",
    "13204",
    "13205",
    "13206",
    "13207",
    "13208",
    "13210",
    "13224",
    "13244",
    "13290",
    "13214",
    "13215",
    "13219"
  ],
  "maxAllowableOffset_deg": 0.00002
}

https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/PUMA_TAD_TAZ_UGA_ZCTA/MapServer/11/query ; https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/25/query

Limits: Census 2020 vintage (January 1, 2020). Shapes are generalised to about 2 m for display; areas shown come from the relationship file, not from the shapes.

Phase 1 · Vehicles

DMV registration data dictionary (code descriptions) and make-code mapping

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (dictionary); mapping maintained in this app

Dataset: w4pv-hbkt attachment: NYSDMV_VehicleSnowmobileAndBoatRegistration_DataDictionary.pdf
Rows stored: 239
Source last updated: Not published by source
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:45 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/w4pv-hbkt

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "body_types": 60,
  "make_aliases": 91,
  "registration_classes": 88
}

config/sources/ny_dmv_codes.yml ; config/sources/ny_dmv_make_aliases.yml

Limits: Body-type and class descriptions are transcribed verbatim from the DMV data dictionary. Make names: DMV publishes only 5-letter make codes; this app maps 91 unambiguous codes to make names (covering about 99% of vehicles). Any other code is shown as the raw DMV code, not guessed.

DMV Registration Transactions: Two Year Window

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Dataset: s2dd-yksa
Rows stored: 164,427
Source last updated: 2026-11-01
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:45 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/s2dd-yksa

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "where": "zip_code in ('13202','13203','13204','13205','13206','13207','13208','13210','13214','13215','13219','13224','13244','13290')"
}

https://data.ny.gov/resource/s2dd-yksa.json

Limits: One row per registration transaction (original, renewal, re-registration, amendment, duplicate), not one row per vehicle. Registrant is only a type flag (individual vs organization). Its location field is the ZIP centroid, not an address. The app uses road vehicles only: it excludes trailer, boat and snowmobile classes and plate-only classes (dealer, transporter), and only months inside the window the source covers (first to last month of its processing dates; about 1% of rows have older effective dates and are left out). ORIGINAL = a vehicle newly registered to an owner in the ZIP, new or used, including vehicles moved in from elsewhere.

Vehicle, Snowmobile, and Boat Registrations

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Dataset: w4pv-hbkt
Rows stored: 114,236
Source last updated: 2026-11-03
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:43 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/w4pv-hbkt

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "where": "zip in ('13202','13203','13204','13205','13206','13207','13208','13210','13214','13215','13219','13224','13244','13290')",
  "app_uses": "record_type = 'VEH'",
  "record_types_stored": "all (VEH, TRL, BOAT, SNOW)"
}

https://data.ny.gov/resource/w4pv-hbkt.json

Limits: Snapshot of registrations. The source says registrations expired up to 2 years are included, but in practice almost none are (71 expired VEH rows of 105,388 on 2026-11-03); the app counts only unexpired ones, plus government (PSD) vehicles, which have no expiration date. 'Vehicles' = DMV record type VEH, which includes cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, ATVs and road machinery. Vehicles are counted at the registrant's mailing ZIP, which includes business fleets. Fuel type has no hybrid category (hybrids appear as GAS), so only electric (ELECTRIC) share is shown. Age is based on model year, not purchase date. ZIP codes registered to PO boxes or unique ZIPs without a Census ZIP area are not included.

Phase 2 · Real estate

NYS Tax Parcel Centroid Points

NYS Office of Information Technology Services (Geospatial Services), with ORPTS roll data

Dataset: NYS_Tax_Parcel_Centroid_Points layer 0
Rows stored: 41,260
Source last updated: 2026-05-01
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:47 UTC

Source

https://gisservices.its.ny.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NYS_Tax_Parcel_Centroid_Points/MapServer

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "where": "SWIS IN ('311500')",
  "roll_yr": 2025
}

https://gisservices.its.ny.gov/arcgis/rest/services/NYS_Tax_Parcel_Centroid_Points/MapServer/0/query

Limits: One mathematically derived point inside each tax parcel polygon (not a building location). Publication date is given by the publisher as a month only (May 2026). Used only for coordinates and ZIP; joined to the assessment roll on SWIS + print key. Provided "as is" by the State.

Parcel join, ZIP assignment and owner classification (derived in this app)

City Profile (from the two Phase 2 sources)

Dataset: parcels table
Rows stored: 41,575
Source last updated: 2026-04-24
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:47 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/7vem-aaz7

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "join": "swis_code + print_key_code = SWIS + PRINT_KEY",
  "matched": 41255,
  "unmatched": 320,
  "zip_method": "point in Census 2020 ZCTA polygon",
  "owner_kinds": {
    "unknown": 2081,
    "business": 7697,
    "government": 943,
    "individual": 30318,
    "institution": 536
  },
  "match_rate_pct": 99.23,
  "zip_agrees_with_centroid_LOC_ZIP_pct": 90.7
}

app/importers/parcels_builder.rb ; app/models/owner_classifier.rb

Limits: 99.2% of roll parcels have a centroid. Unmatched rows are mostly utility, railroad and special-franchise rows (roll sections 5-7) and parcels split or merged between the roll and the parcel map. ZIPs come from the Census ZIP shape the point falls in; this agrees with the ZIP printed on the centroid record for 90.7% of parcels. Owner rule: a person's name is never shown. An owner is a business only if there is no first name, the name has an entity word (LLC, Inc, Corp, Co, LP, LLP, Ltd, Partners, Holdings, Properties, Realty, Bank, Trust Co, ...) and no personal-trust/estate word (Revocable, Living, Estate of, Et al, Trustee, ...). Government and non-profit owners are counted, not named. "Owner mail at property" compares street number and street name only; it is a proxy for owner-occupied.

Property Assessment Data from Local Assessment Rolls

NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance, Office of Real Property Tax Services

Dataset: 7vem-aaz7
Rows stored: 41,575
Source last updated: 2026-04-24
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:46 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/7vem-aaz7

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "where": "swis_code in ('311500') AND roll_year=2025",
  "roll_year": 2025
}

https://data.ny.gov/resource/7vem-aaz7.json

Limits: Final 2025 assessment roll as submitted by the City of Syracuse; the state does not review it for inaccuracies before publication. Full market value is the assessor's published estimate of an arm's-length sale price, not an actual sale. Owner names are shown only for businesses and government bodies (rule on this page); individuals' names are never shown.

Phase 3 · Businesses

Active Corporations: Beginning 1800

NYS Department of State, Division of Corporations

Dataset: n9v6-gdp6
Rows stored: 21,604
Source last updated: 2026-11-03
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:48 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/n9v6-gdp6

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "sql": "(starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13202') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13203') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13204') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13205') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13206') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13207') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13208') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13210') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13214') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13215') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13219') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13224') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13244') OR starts_with(dos_process_zip,'13290')) OR (starts_with(location_zip,'13202') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13203') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13204') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13205') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13206') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13207') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13208') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13210') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13214') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13215') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13219') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13224') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13244') OR starts_with(location_zip,'13290'))",
  "where": "dos_process_zip or location_zip starts with one of the city's 14 ZIPs"
}

https://data.ny.gov/resource/n9v6-gdp6.json

Limits: Active entities only: dissolved or suspended entities are not in the data, so counts by formation year undercount older years. Only the service-of-process address is required; it may be a lawyer, accountant or registered agent rather than the business location. Location and CEO addresses exist only after the first biennial statement and are rarely given by LLCs. Entities whose process address is a commercial agent outside Syracuse (common for LLCs) are missed unless they report a Syracuse location. Assumed names (DBAs) are not included. Personal names in process, CEO and agent fields are never displayed.

Business addresses, geocoding and parcel matching (derived in this app)

City Profile, using the U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder (batch, Public_AR_Current)

Dataset: businesses, auto_facilities
Rows stored: 22,104
Source last updated: 2026-11-03
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:49 UTC

Source

https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "businesses": 21604,
  "facilities": 500,
  "zip_agrees": 18337,
  "geocode_Tie": 80,
  "geocode_Match": 19195,
  "zip_disagrees": 455,
  "basis_location": 202,
  "fac_geocode_Tie": 2,
  "geocode_missing": 1,
  "matched_parcels": 2641,
  "geocode_No_Match": 1874,
  "active_facilities": 340,
  "basis_dos_process": 21402,
  "fac_geocode_Match": 459,
  "matched_businesses": 1082,
  "matched_owner_names": 1082,
  "business_owner_names": 3587,
  "fac_geocode_No_Match": 39,
  "business_owned_parcels": 7697,
  "geocode_skipped_po_box": 454,
  "point_outside_city_zips": 403,
  "entity_geocode_match_rate_pct": 90.8
}

https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/locations/addressbatch

Limits: Each entity is placed by its service-of-process address when that ZIP is a city ZIP, otherwise by its location address. Addresses were geocoded with the free U.S. Census Bureau batch geocoder (street, city, state, ZIP only; no names sent). 90.8% of entity addresses and 91.8% of facility addresses matched; PO boxes are not geocoded. Unmatched entities keep the ZIP on their address. Entity points are not drawn on the map because a process address can be a home. Business-to-parcel matching is an exact match of normalized names between entity names and parcel owners classified as businesses; owners registered with a different spelling, or whose entity has no Syracuse address in DOS data, are not matched. DMV-published coordinates are not used (some are shared fallback points).

Facilities Licensed by the DMV

NYS Department of Motor Vehicles

Dataset: nhjr-rpi2
Rows stored: 827
Source last updated: 2026-11-02
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:48 UTC

Source

https://data.ny.gov/d/nhjr-rpi2

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "where": "starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13202') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13203') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13204') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13205') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13206') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13207') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13208') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13210') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13214') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13215') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13219') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13224') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13244') OR starts_with(facility_zip_code,'13290')"
}

https://data.ny.gov/resource/nhjr-rpi2.json

Limits: One row per facility per licence type. Includes licences expired up to six years; the app counts only licences whose expiration month has not passed. Addresses are supplied by the businesses and may be out of date. Owner names are never displayed (they can be individuals); facility names are shown.

Phase 4 · Census context

American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)

U.S. Census Bureau

Dataset: ACS 5-Year Detailed Tables 2024
Rows stored: 90
Source last updated: 2025-09-02
Imported: 2026-11-03 15:49 UTC

Source

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Filters, counts and endpoint

{
  "variables": {
    "B01003_001": "Total population",
    "B08201_001": "Households (household size by vehicles available table)",
    "B08201_002": "Households with no vehicle available",
    "B11001_001": "Households",
    "B19013_001": "Median household income in the past 12 months (2024 inflation-adjusted dollars)",
    "B25046_001": "Aggregate number of vehicles available (households)"
  },
  "geographies": {
    "zcta": [
      "13202",
      "13203",
      "13204",
      "13205",
      "13206",
      "13207",
      "13208",
      "13210",
      "13214",
      "13215",
      "13219",
      "13224",
      "13244",
      "13290"
    ],
    "place": "3673000"
  }
}

https://api.census.gov/data/2024/acs/acs5

Limits: This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau. Estimates are survey-based averages over 2020–2024, shown with margins of error (90%). ZIP areas are whole ZCTAs, including parts outside the city; city totals use the Census place for Syracuse city, not the sum of ZIPs. Per-resident and per-household figures are this app's calculations (local counts divided by ACS estimates), not Census figures, and are not shown where population is under 1000. Household vehicles (B25046) exclude business and government fleets.

General rules

Geography. Property data covers the City of Syracuse limits. Vehicles, businesses and Census data are published by ZIP; "city" totals for them use the 11 core ZIPs (≥ 40% of land inside the city), which also include some suburban areas.

Privacy. Vehicles appear only as ZIP totals; VINs are never shown. Property owner names are shown only for businesses. Names of people in business filings (process, CEO, agent) and DMV owner names are never shown. No dataset is joined to another at the level of a person. No personal data is sent to an AI model.

Small numbers. Rates are hidden for ZIPs with fewer than 100 vehicles, 20 commercial or residential parcels, 1,000 residents or 500 households.

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.