Skip to main content
The Urban Signal Grid dataset contains ~454K H3 resolution-8 cells across 22 U.S. metros. Each cell is scored across eight signal groups that measure business vitality, population momentum, economic strength, and more. Use it for site selection, territory planning, and predictive analytics. Every record inherits the full APRS envelope (record_id, chunk_id, bitemporal fields, confidence_score, provenance) and carries the join keys documented below.

​
Dataset-specific fields

FieldTypeNullableDescription
h3_indexstringnoH3 resolution-8 cell (~0.74 km²). Primary key.
metro_slugstringnoMetro area identifier.
composite_scorenumeric [0,100]noWeighted aggregate of all eight signal groups.
score_lownumericnoLower bound of the 90% confidence interval.
score_highnumericnoUpper bound of the 90% confidence interval.
confidencefloat [0,1]noModel confidence in the composite score.
business_vitalitynumeric [0,100]noNew business formation, closure rates, and revenue signals.
population_momentumnumeric [0,100]noPopulation growth trends and migration inflows.
demographicsnumeric [0,100]noIncome distribution, education levels, age cohorts.
economic_strengthnumeric [0,100]noEmployment density, wage levels, and sector diversity.
development_pipelinenumeric [0,100]noActive permits, construction starts, and rezoning activity.
accessibilitynumeric [0,100]noTransit coverage, walkability, and commute times.
safety_environmentnumeric [0,100]noCrime rates, environmental hazard exposure, and code violations.
amenity_demandnumeric [0,100]noRetail density, restaurant activity, and consumer demand indicators.
pioneer_flagbooleannotrue when the cell contains POIs that opened in the last 12 months in a growth context.
scored_attimestamptznoTimestamp of the scoring run.
scoring_versionstringnoMethodology version (semver).

​
Signal groups

Each signal group is scored from 0 to 100 where higher values indicate stronger performance. The composite_score is a weighted combination of all eight groups.
Signal groupWhat it measures
business_vitalityNew business formation rate, closure rate, and revenue signals from POI and licensing data
population_momentumPopulation growth trends, net migration inflows, and Census ACS indicators
demographicsHousehold income distribution, educational attainment, and age-cohort diversity
economic_strengthEmployment density, median wage, and NAICS sector diversity from LEHD and BLS data
development_pipelineActive building permits, construction starts, and recent rezoning approvals
accessibilityTransit stop density, Walk Score, and average commute time from LEHD flows
safety_environmentReported crime rates, environmental hazards (EPA TRI), and code violation density
amenity_demandRetail and restaurant POI density, consumer foot-traffic proxies, and review velocity
The Urban Signal Grid is cell-based, not parcel-based. Each H3 resolution-8 cell covers approximately 0.74 km². For parcel-level analysis, join with Permit Signals or Civic Intelligence using h3_index.

​
Pioneer flag

The pioneer_flag field identifies cells where new points of interest opened in the last 12 months in a growth context — rising composite score, positive net migration, and nearby new construction permits. This flag helps detect early-stage neighborhood transformation before it shows up in traditional indicators.

​
Join keys

KeyPresenceNotes
record_idalwaysAPRS URN
chunk_idalwaysDeterministic from record_id
h3_indexalwaysPrimary spatial key — join with any H3-indexed dataset
metro_slugalwaysMetro area identifier

​
Example query

Find the top-scoring cells in a metro area and compare signal group breakdowns: 
SELECT
  h3_index,
  composite_score,
  business_vitality,
  population_momentum,
  development_pipeline,
  accessibility,
  pioneer_flag
FROM read_parquet('urban-signal-grid-2026-04.parquet')
WHERE metro_slug = 'philadelphia-pa'
  AND composite_score >= 75
ORDER BY composite_score DESC
LIMIT 20;

​
Known limitations

  • Coverage is limited to 22 U.S. metros. Cells outside covered metros are not scored.
  • The grid is cell-grained (H3 resolution 8). Sub-cell variation within a ~0.74 km² area is not captured.
  • pioneer_flag depends on POI Intelligence freshness — newly opened businesses may take up to 30 days to appear.
  • Signal group weights in the composite_score are methodology-version-dependent. Compare scores only within the same scoring_version.