Visualizing Massachusetts property values with data - by Corey Woods

Data has become a big industry. But for the most part, data alone can’t tell you anything monumental. It’s not until someone like Arron Doucett, a geospatial analyst, takes that data and puts it to work. 

One of Doucett’s latest projects is a map of Massachusetts. The map color codes properties by value. Each color is a specific range of property value. This data had been around for quite some time, Doucett just gives us a unique way to graphically interpret it. The visually stunning map shows us 2.5 million data points. 

The data for these property values comes from the town assessor in which they determine the taxes on the property as opposed to the market value, which is usually a little higher. The map is interesting to study. It includes an overlay of the MBTA lines. They connect the more densely populated areas with lower property values to Boston.Then as you get closer to Boston values change color and become higher. It also perfectly illustrates how town borders can make the difference in property values almost to where you can see the shape of the town just based on the data points. You can find an updated 2.0 version of the map here.

Corey Woods, webmaster for New England Real Estate Journal, Norwell, Mass.