<p><strong>Why Zillow ?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><em>More timely.</em> The BLS only releases rent data on a quarterly basis, while Zillow releases rent data on a monthly basis. This means that Zillow data can be used to track rent changes more closely.</li>
<li><em>More Granular.</em> The BLS only releases rent data for the United States as a whole, while Zillow releases rent data for individual cities and neighborhoods. This means that Zillow data can be used to track rent changes in specific areas.</li>
<li><em>More comprehensive</em>. The BLS only collects data on rent prices, while Zillow also collects data on other factors that can affect rent prices, such as the number of available units and the demand for housing. This means that Zillow data can be used to get a more complete picture of the rental market.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Why BLS ?</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Not as accurate</em> as BLS data. Based on self-reported data, which means that it is not as accurate as data that is collected directly from landlords and tenants.</li>
<li><em>Not as representative</em> as BLS data. Only based on data from a subset of the rental market, which means that it may not be representative of the entire rental market.</li>
</ul>
<p>Sources :</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zillow.com/research/data/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Zillow</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/zillow-and-census-bureau-data-show-pandemics-impact-on-housing-market.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Census</a></p>
<p><a href="https://brrikings" rel="nofollow noreferrer">brookings.edu</a></p>
<p><a href="https://outwittrade.com/how-accurate-is-zillow/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">outwittrade.com</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-18T19:48:07.673Z
Really Helpful. Any academic or policy papers that touch on this?
cel
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-19T02:39:19.427Z
Updated the answer with sources - there are a lot more .  These are just the  glaring ones. show appreciation by  casting  your vote  ✔ - for whatever it took to write it  !
user1874594
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-06-18T01:20:07.097Z
2023-06-19T02:33:12.177Z
2023-06-19T02:33:12.177Z
user1874594
<p>Housing/Shelter costs constitute around a third of inflation. I've noticed though in many reports people cite official BLS rent inflation data <em>as well as</em> rent data from Zillow and other such sources.</p>
<p>Does anyone know the particular benefits of Zillow data? Is it more representative, is it more timely, of a higher frequency, more accurate than official sources?</p>

<inflation><housing><data><rent>
Why use Zillow data rather than just BLS rental data?
cel
# Why use Zillow data rather than just BLS rental data?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-06-17)

Housing/Shelter costs constitute around a third of inflation. I've noticed though in many reports people cite official BLS rent inflation data *as well as* rent data from Zillow and other such sources.

Does anyone know the particular benefits of Zillow data? Is it more representative, is it more timely, of a higher frequency, more accurate than official sources?

**Tags:** inflation, housing, data, rent


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-06-18. Score: 1

**Why Zillow ?**

* *More timely.* The BLS only releases rent data on a quarterly basis, while Zillow releases rent data on a monthly basis. This means that Zillow data can be used to track rent changes more closely.
* *More Granular.* The BLS only releases rent data for the United States as a whole, while Zillow releases rent data for individual cities and neighborhoods. This means that Zillow data can be used to track rent changes in specific areas.
* *More comprehensive*. The BLS only collects data on rent prices, while Zillow also collects data on other factors that can affect rent prices, such as the number of available units and the demand for housing. This means that Zillow data can be used to get a more complete picture of the rental market.

**Why BLS ?**

* *Not as accurate* as BLS data. Based on self-reported data, which means that it is not as accurate as data that is collected directly from landlords and tenants.
* *Not as representative* as BLS data. Only based on data from a subset of the rental market, which means that it may not be representative of the entire rental market.

Sources :

[Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/research/data/)

[Census](https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/10/zillow-and-census-bureau-data-show-pandemics-impact-on-housing-market.html)

[brookings.edu](https://brrikings)

[outwittrade.com](https://outwittrade.com/how-accurate-is-zillow/)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Really Helpful. Any academic or policy papers that touch on this?  
> **username_1**: Updated the answer with sources - there are a lot more .  These are just the  glaring ones. show appreciation by  casting  your vote  ✔ - for whatever it took to write it  !  

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