November 17th, 2009

BusinessWeek’s Best Places to Raise Your Kids, 2010

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

Our second annual collaboration with BusinessWeek to find the best cities to raise kids is out today. The 2010 Best Places to Raise Your Kids list selected one town (and occasionally two runners up) from each of the 50 states for parents looking to give their kids a great education and strong community within modest financial means.

The methodology gave the greatest weight to affordability, safety, and school test scores. Towns with populations above 45,000 and median incomes between $40,000 and $125,000 were considered for the top cities list. BusinessWeek also considered the cultural grain of the communities when picking top towns – meaning diverse cities with lots of museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities were given high marks.

Our team created an index based on low crime, high test scores, diversity, population and cost of living thresholds to use as a screening method to help determine the 50 Best Places according to the additional BusinessWeek criteria.

The highest rated score was a town of 600,000 just outside of Chicago. Tinley Park, Illinois was touted by editors and residents alike for its affordability, access to Chicago, connectedness, and top notch schools.

“Most of the towns we chose are new to the list,” said real estate writer Prashant Gopal, noting a few returners to the Best Places list.

The strong reactions from readers last year prompted BusinessWeek to encourage online discussion in the story’s comment section. Have a look at the results and be sure to let us know how your state’s winner stacks up in your mind.

Tags: Best Places, Best Places to Raise Kids, BusinessWeek, community data, media services.

November 4th, 2009

Onboard Informatics’ Localized Real Estate Content Makes Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate iPhone Application ‘One-of-a-Kind’

By Stacey Ret, Director of Marketing

Licensing Deal Helps Real Estate Brand to Better Meet Home Buyers’ Needs

NEW YORK, November 4, 2009 — Onboard Informatics, the premier data services and technology company for top-tier organizations in real estate, media and technology, is the provider of robust community information for a new iPhone application, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Home Selection Assistant.

Onboard’s unique products and services help strengthen broker and consumer relationships, streamline the information gathering process, and better enable real estate buyers and sellers to make informed decisions.  As with many Onboard clients,  Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is using these highly regarded products to provide home buying consumers and real estate agents with the vital community and school information they desire  all from one source.

This new iPhone application ensures that homebuyers now have on-the-go access to  community populations, average income levels, housing trends, education and school information, crime statistics, localized weather, church locations, recreational amenities, recent home sales, nearby restaurants, and more.

Now, a buyer can stand on the sidewalk outside of any home and immediately figure out, not only if the schools are within walking distance, but also receive the closest locations of the grocery store, bank and park.

“Onboard is delighted to bring its services directly to the end consumer through this accessible and useful iPhone application,” said Marc Siden, CEO of Onboard. “Our content has consistently been a natural fit with the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand, which is focused on consumers’ lifestyles.  This new application is just one more step in our continuing effort to partner with clients and respond to specific consumer needs through carefully designed and flexible programs.”

The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate iPhone app exemplifies the versatility of Onboard’s products and opens up  new areas of potential growth for both companies.

“We sought to provide homebuyers across the country with an application that could seamlessly fit into their home buying process and provide them with the tools they need to make the research-to-purchase process simpler,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. “We are confident Onboard’s exclusive community information will help us to achieve this strategy.”

The Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate iPhone application, Home Selection Assistant, is available for free on www.bhgrealestate.com/iphone.

Below are a few screenshots of the iphone app

About Onboard Informatics

Since 2001, Onboard Informatics has provided comprehensive local, regional and national real estate data solutions, powerful web tools and web services to some of the most innovative companies in the real estate, media and technology industries.  Onboard combines its expertise in data aggregation, standardization, and integration with expert consulting, transforming the complexity of data into meaningful solutions to support their clients in achieving business objectives.  Privately held since its founding, Onboard is located in the heart of the world’s financial center in the Wall Street area of New York City.  For more information about Onboard Informatics, or to request a demo, visit http://onboardinformatics.com/.

About Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is a residential real estate company with a growing network of local brokerage offices.  Its real estate agents and brokers offer professional, knowledgeable advice and services for home buyers and sellers.  The company’s Web site offers real estate search, including MLS listings for selected locations.  You can also find in-depth articles about buying, selling and owning real estate at http://www.bhgrealestate.com/.

Tags: Better Homes and Gardens, community data, iphone, iPhone apps, Onboard Informatics, phone apps, Real Estate, school data.

October 5th, 2009

Conan O’Brien vs. Cory Booker: Our Winner

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

Last Tuesday, Conan O’Brien was banned from the Newark Airport. His offense? Badmouthing the city of Newark. Apparently to Mayor Cory Booker, talking smack on Newark ranks right up there with carting explosives into EWR. In case you missed it, here was the exchange that prompted Conan’s ban.

“The Mayor of Newark, NJ, wants to set up a citywide program to improve residents’ health,” Conan joked on the Tonight Show monologue last week. “The health care program would consist of a bus ticket out of Newark.”

Mayor Booker then took it to YouTube to release his anger:

Conan certainly isn’t the first to slam Brick City, and Booker took the typical politician gloves off for an entertaining spot. So who reigns victorious in this viral video war? Our Director of Data Operations, who shall to remain nameless to protect his identity and freedom to visit Newark Airport, dug in to our own community information databases to find out who really won this battle royal. Booker says:

“Conan, you fail to understand our city is one of the fastest growing cities in the Northeast. We  have strong neighborhoods, strong people, record reductions in violent crime. We have a city on the rise.”

Newark’s overall violent crime has not decreased as Mayor Booker suggests. Keep in mind the national average of violent crimes per 100,000 people is 195.

While the city has seen drops of crime within certain categories, such as the low murder rate in 2008, overall numbers are climbing. (No word yet for 2009; the most recent FBI data covers through 2008 only.)

As for a city on the rise, we need to know exactly what is rising besides the smoke from Mayor Booker’s ears following the late-night debacle. Between 2007 and last year, the number of households in Newark dropped 3%.

On the bright side, Newark is the home of Rutgers School of Law-Newark, a U.S. News & World Report top tier law school. Newark Downtown’s Prudential Center, built in 2007 on Booker’s watch, hosts the New Jersey Devils and over 200 events per year. Almost 5% of Newark is covered by parks; the two largest being Weequahic Park and Branch Brook Park. It is a good place to start a business, as some parts of its Urban Enterprise Zone enjoy a 3.5% tax rate as opposed to the statewide rate of 7%.

Unfortunately foreclosures in Essex County, in which Newark is by far the largest city, don’t help Mayor Booker’s sentiments. Onboard’s foreclosure index reported above-average foreclosures for Essex compared to both the U.S. and New Jersey averages.

With all of that said, the outcome of round one of this late-night fight? Conan-1, Mayor Booker-0. Rest assured: no bias went into this analysis, as the handling and mishandling of New Jersey is a sensitive subject in our office.

As for the next round of banter between Conan and Mayor Booker, well, we’ll let you judge that one for yourself.

Tags: community data, Conan O'Brien, Cory Booker, crime data, foreclosure data, New Jersey, Newark, population data.

September 29th, 2009

America’s Best Affordable Places to Retire

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

An astounding 93% of the growth in the U.S. labor force through 2016 will be among workers over 55, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. With more Americans delaying retirement, U.S. News & World Report chose to focus on affordable destinations in the third annual Best Places to Retire list.

The 2009 Best Affordable Places to Retire, powered by Onboard Informatics demographic and economic indicators, reflects the shifting expectations of retirees. Rather than focusing on popular (and pricey) retirement hubs, U.S. News selected affordable high-value spots with great amenities. In order to make the cut, cities needed high-quality healthcare and elder-care facilities and outstanding cultural and learning programs.

The analysis didn’t stop there. The U.S. News editorial team conducted interviews with residents in the top towns to get a true picture of each city.

Tucson offers great outdoor activities and affordable housing for retiring seniors.

Realizing that retirement goals are extremely personal, the new U.S. News package also includes an interactive search tool for retirees to find towns that conform to their lifestyle needs and preferences.

The Best Places to Retire search application weighs a user’s criteria against a database of 2,000 places with populations of at least 10,000 and crime equal to or below the national average. Complete methodology is found here.

Listed alphabetically, here are the top 10 places to retire:

• Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Asheville, North Carolina
• Aurora, Colorado
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Columbus, Ohio
• Eugene, Oregon
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Tucson, Arizona

The Best Affordable Places, featured in October’s U.S. News & World Report magazine, hit newsstands today.

Tags: Best Affordable Places to Retire, Best Places, community data, neighborhood data, relocation, US News.

September 18th, 2009

Top Cities for Political Junkies

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

If political involvement ranks high in your value system, you’re likely compelled to live in the company of like-minded peers to engage and organize with. In its latest community feature, U.S. News points its lens at the top 10 Cities for Political Junkies for all those who prefer C-SPAN and Gallup to ESPN and E!.

The list is based primarily on Onboard Informatics data measuring household involvement in current events and political affairs. U.S. News screened the index for cities and towns with populations of more than 50,000 and further filtered the towns using voter registration statistics. The list is hardly a relocation tool for the far ends of the political spectrum; what the editorial team uncovered in their search were patches of purple.

“Although polarization might be ubiquitous on television, in blogs, and on the radio, it does not follow that the most politically active and politically interested people live in polarized communities, interacting only with those who agree with them. When U.S. News looked for the places where residents have the greatest interest in political affairs, it wasn’t the heavily red or blue areas that popped up. Sure, there are plenty of political junkies in very liberal places like Portland, Ore., or very conservative places like small towns in Texas, but the places on our list are in more purple regions: Orange County, Calif., an area that is red relative to its deep-blue home state, or Fairfax County, Va., a county that traditionally elects Republicans but went heavily for Obama in the last presidential election.”

The slideshow feature details why places like San Ramon, CA and Brookline, MA are perfect for political gurus.

Tags: community data, relocation, US News.

July 24th, 2009

USA Weekend’s Top Places to Retire

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

USA Weekend Magazine, in collaboration with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation, released its Top Places to Retire based on Onboard Informatics data in its July 26 issue. The top cities list, aimed at young retirees, is based on recreation, weather, health resources, crime, and cost of living data provided by Onboard.

The article is based on an April Coldwell Banker study noting home purchase increases among retirees under 60 taking advantage of low home prices. The national study revealed a trend of 50-somethings leasing retirement homes early “until they are prepared to move permanently.”

USA Weekend’s top 5 markets to buy now, retire later are:

1) Helena, Montana (pop. 28,726)
2) Pensacola, Florida (pop. 54,283)
3) Creve Coeur, Missouri (pop. 16,933)
4) Traverse City, Michigan (pop. 14,339)
5) Butte-Silver Bow, Montana (pop. 31,967)

Be sure to pick up a copy of USA Weekend on newsstands this weekend.

Tags: community data, relocation, USA Weekend.

July 14th, 2009

CNN Money, Best Places to Live 2009, powered by Onboard

By Jackie Berg, Marketing Specialist

Which small towns in America have weathered the economic storm and continued to provide residents with affordable living, great educations, low crime and more? CNN Money has outlined the top 100 in the 2009 Best Places to Live list powered by Onboard Informatics data.

The top 100 list accompanies a set of interactive community features to show readers the best places to find rich singles, six-figure towns, the most affordable towns and more. Onboard’s employment-related data powered special content for financially-minded readers, a special focus of this year’s Best Places list.

World class trails, weekly street fairs, and great weather helped Louisville, CO claim this year's #1 spot.

Our data team worked closely with CNN to provide housing, financial, quality of life and other data for the filters they selected to produce the most concise and accurate information possible. The piece also included data from our exclusive partner GreatSchools, the leading provider of school information and reviews.

Be sure to check out some of the other additions to the basic functions of the features and top 100 list for 2009:

• Expanded interactivity beyond the typical comment section with an integrated Facebook application for residents to share thoughts and become fans of their favorite towns.
• The “Find Your Best Places” applications, allowing users to factor in lifestyle preferences into a customized list of suitable small towns to consider packing up to. Even if relocation is not in your near future, it can’t hurt to take a look at which towns fit the bill. (I just may be headed to Cambridge, MA for a long weekend!)

Onboard works closely with each of our media clients to develop custom solutions that drive readership. For more information on our media solutions, please contact us at 646.747.4273 or info@onboardinformatics.com.

Tags: Best Places to Live, CNN Money, community data, relocation.

June 23rd, 2009

Seattle East: A Comparison of New York City and Seattle

By John Paul Murphy, Content Services Manager

If you haven’t noticed, there is a new trend in New York and it’s not being set by hipsters. If you’re not too sure what it is, the puddles outside your apartment that have become permanent reservoirs are a dead give away.

However, if you’re still unclear, the new trend is rain. This new trend began to make me wonder: are we becoming Seattle? We have more coffee shops than employed people, I’ve been noticing more flannel then normal, and New Yorkers’ tans have subsided to a fine milky paste (although it seems to still be very sunny in Staten Island).

If we are becoming Seattle East, what are some other similarities we have to our soon-to-be conjoined twin Seattle?

Seattle, Washington

• Area: 83.87
• Population Density:  6,941
• Air Pollution Index: 108
• Violent Crime Index: 130
• Median Home Sale Value, Q1 2009: $359,825
• 2009 Fair Market Rent: $844 (1 bedroom)
• Median Household Income: $54,978
• Cost of Living Index: 104.9

New York City, New York

• Area: 303.31
• Population Density: 27,290
• Air Pollution Index: 112
• Violent Crime Index: 176
• Median Home Sale Value, Q1 2009: $446,808
• 2009 Fair Market Rent: $1,216 (1 bedroom)
• Median Household Income: $47,525
• Cost of Living Index: 149.2

New York, put down the coffee and return the flannel because it’s safe to say that New York is not becoming Seattle East. With their higher income, lower cost of living, better air, and less crowded city, they can only hope to be New York City.  But until summer weather actually decides to descend upon us, chase those rainy blues away with a good ole movie night; I suggest a classic,  ”When Harry Met Sally” cause everyone one knows “Sleepless in Seattle” will not stand the test of time.

Tags: community data, content, data, data comparison, Onboard Informatics.

June 19th, 2009

Most troubled states: where will they be in 2013?

By John Paul Murphy, Content Services Manager

Today on CNNMoney.com an article was released which identified the five states with the highest unemployment rates in the month of May.  Those hardest hit states were Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and California. 

So long as you haven’t been residing in a cave or under a rock somewhere, you know the country is struggling with joblessness; more importantly looking forward, will these states be in shambles in the future? With this thought in mind and out of sheer curiosity, investigating the employment situation in those states seemed like a good idea.

The following data points were cherry picked from the Onboard databases to help paint a picture of the employment situation in 2013:

• 2013 State  Employment projections, highest and lowest within the state
• 2013 County  Employment projections, highest and lowest within the state
• 2013 Place Employment projections, highest and lowest within the state

All projection data is proprietary information from Onboard Informatics.

Michigan

• State 2013 Employment Projection: 4,731,843
• County with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Keweenaw County, 828
• County with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Wayne County, 803,976
• Place with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Vandalia, Mi (Cass County), 24
• Place with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Detroit, Mi (Wayne County), 294,230

Oregon

• State 2013 Employment Projection: 1,950,118
• County with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Wheeler County, 522
• County with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Wayne County, 364,400
• Place with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Greenhorn, Or (Baker County), 24
• Place with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Portland, Or (Clackamas County), 294,230

South Carolina

• State 2013 Employment Projection: 2,148,003
• County with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Allendale County, 3,180
• County with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Greenville County, 221,147
• Place with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Lockhart, SC (Union County), 13
• Place with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Charleston, SC (Berkeley County), 52,164

Rhode Island

• State 2013 Employment Projection: 545,575
• County with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Bristol County, 28,166
• County with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Providence County, 311,167
• Place with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Melville, RI (Newport County), 624
• Place with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Providence, RI (Providence County), 76,423

California

• State 2013 Employment Projection: 18,419,297
• County with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Alpine County, 606
• County with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Los Angeles County, 4,905,858
• Place with the Lowest 2013 Employment Projection: Storrie, Ca (Plumas County), 2
• Place with the Highest 2013 Employment Projection: Los Angeles, Ca (Los Angeles County), 1,866,663

The employment numbers represent the projected number of people working within a specified geography level (state/county/place). It does not reflect the number of people that live and work within the specified geography level (i.e. people living and working in different counties).  If you have any questions, please contact us.

Tags: CNNMoney, community data, community information, content, data, employment, news, onboard, Onboard Informatics, unemployment rate.

March 5th, 2009

Community 2009 CoPilot and Navigator Release

By Colleen Staunton, Product Manager

Today we released the Community 2009 data into our CoPilot and Neighborhood Navigator products. As we communicated last week the changes will add new reports to both.

Fair Market Rents was added to both CoPilot and Navigator and Smoking Ban was added to Navigator. To see the full details please refer to the following post: http://blog.onboardinformatics.com/2009/02/changes-navigator-and-copilot-community-overview-2009/.

If you do not want to display either of these reports on your Navigator please contact our Product Support team at support@onboardinformatics.com.

Tags: community data, community information, copilot, data updates, neighborhood navigator.