How we score a location
Last updated November 2026
Four signals are scored today (flood and green-cover scores are coming soon). Every scored signal runs from 0 to 100 (higher is better). The overall score is a weighted average that depends on what you're looking for — the lens.
Signals
Air
Current and 7-day average air quality on India's CPCB National AQI scale. Scored with absolute bands: Good, Satisfactory, Moderate, Poor, Very poor, Severe.
Source: Google Air Quality API (current conditions + hourly history). The optional air map uses Air Quality heatmap tiles; the pollen line uses the Google Pollen API where Google covers the area. Neither is scored.
Confidence: Measured when a week of readings exists; Sparse otherwise.
Water
Flood and monsoon waterlogging exposure. Until it is scored, the card shows a measured fact: whether the spot is low-lying — more than 2 m below the median elevation of 8 points on a 500 m ring around it.
Source: Score: coming soon — precomputed satellite flood grid. Low-lying check: Google Elevation API.
Confidence: Score not available yet; the elevation fact is measured.
Heat
How hot it feels now and the hottest day in the next week. A short-term stand-in for long-term heat exposure.
Source: Google Weather API (current conditions + 7-day forecast). The Travelling lens also shows a 5-day forecast strip from the same data.
Confidence: Sparse — a forecast is only a proxy.
Green & change
Vegetation cover around the location and how it has changed over five years.
Source: Coming soon — satellite vegetation index grid.
Confidence: Not scored yet.
Access
Weekday peak-hour travel time (9am and 6pm) to the places you add, using the faster of driving with traffic and public transit. Without places: 60% the weekday 9am drive (or walk, if faster) to the nearest metro or railway station, 40% how many stations are within 2 km.
Source: Google Routes API (drive and walk). Nearest station: Google Places (New) nearby search. Station count: Google Places Aggregate.
Confidence: Measured.
Amenities
Count of grocery stores, pharmacies, schools and parks within 1 km, and hospitals within 3 km.
Source: Google Places Aggregate API (fallback: Places Nearby Search, capped at 20 results). Nearest hospital and pharmacy: Google Places (New) nearby search.
Confidence: Measured; Sparse when the fallback is used.
Other facts on the report (not scored)
- About this area — Google's AI area summary from Places (New), labelled "Summary by Google", where Google has one.
- Street photo — Google Street View Static API, shown only when Google confirms imagery exists near the spot.
- Rooftop solar (Buying lens) — Google Solar API building insights: maximum panels, yearly energy and sunshine hours for the nearest mapped building.
- 5-day forecast (Travelling lens) — Google Weather API.
Any of these is hidden when Google has no data for the location.
Confidence badges
- Measured — from live sensors or map data for this spot.
- Modelled — estimated from models or sample data.
- Sparse — limited data; treat with caution.
Lens weights
Published weights per lens. While Water and Green & change are coming soon, their weight is shared proportionally across the other four signals (shown in brackets).
| Lens | Air | Water | Heat | Green & change | Access | Amenities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renting | 20% (27%) | 15% (0%) | 10% (13%) | 10% (0%) | 30% (40%) | 15% (20%) |
| Buying | 20% (36%) | 25% (0%) | 10% (18%) | 20% (0%) | 10% (18%) | 15% (27%) |
| For my parents | 25% (31%) | 10% (0%) | 20% (25%) | 10% (0%) | 5% (6%) | 30% (38%) |
| Travelling | 30% (38%) | 15% (0%) | 20% (25%) | 5% (0%) | 20% (25%) | 10% (13%) |
Dealbreaker cap
If Air or Water falls in the worst band (below 20), the overall score is capped at 60, however good everything else is. Severe air pollution or regular flooding outweighs a short commute.