Developers usually encounter crime data through a simple product question: "Can we show neighborhood risk for this location?" The input might be a ZIP code, an address, a latitude and longitude, or a map viewport. A good crime score API should make those entry points predictable without forcing your team to reconcile inconsistent location records before building the experience.

CrimeScore's ZIP support is designed for that workflow. A ZIP code lookup gives you a broad area estimate when the user only has a 5-digit ZIP. A coordinate lookup gives you a more precise score for a point. The embedded map gives context when a user needs to inspect nearby block groups rather than read a single number.

Common integration pattern

  1. Accept a ZIP code for early search, lead forms, saved searches, or market pages.
  2. Use the ZIP code score response as a broad estimate and label it that way in the UI.
  3. When the user selects a property or exact point, call the coordinate endpoint for a block-group score.
  4. Add an embedded map where users benefit from seeing how nearby areas differ visually.

Response design

The API intentionally uses different identifiers for different lookup modes. Coordinate requests return a geoid because they resolve to a Census block group. ZIP requests return zcta because they resolve to a Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area estimate. That distinction helps generated clients and human readers avoid mixing precise coordinate scores with broader ZIP code estimates.

A simple rule for product copy: call coordinate results "location scores" and ZIP results "ZIP code estimates." Explain the underlying Census ZCTA once where technical precision matters.

Embeds and public previews

CrimeScore supports public map previews and authenticated production embeds. Production embeds use publishable keys configured in the dashboard for domain controls and plan-specific behavior.

Try it

Start with the public ZIP lookup page to see the no-account map experience. Then open the API playground to compare ZIP code and coordinate response shapes with your own API key. If you are evaluating alternatives, the comparison pages explain how CrimeScore differs from public map sites and raw crime data APIs.

Creating an account is free and does not require payment. When the free-evaluation policy is enabled, use the automatically provisioned default key to test its configured authenticated routes before subscribing. The seven-day monthly Starter trial provides the recurring Starter allowance and paid embed capabilities. Pro adds recent nearby incidents and unwatermarked embeds.