zipexplore-mcp

Returns the full prose of a specific ZipExplore research article. Use this for editing, fact-checking, detailed analysis, or when get_research summaries aren't enough. Valid slugs: disappearing-towns, hazard-premium, snap-economy, wealthy-retirees. Each article includes all body sections and methodology notes exactly as published.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "slug": {
      "title": "Slug",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "slug"
  ],
  "title": "get_articleArguments"
}

Returns server status and tool/resource counts. Use this to verify the ZipExplore MCP connection is live.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "title": "pingArguments"
}

Returns ZipExplore's data interpretation guide: reasoning guardrails (associations vs. causes, small-ZIP noise, averages hiding distributions, editorial score weights, drawing conclusions about people from geographic data), quality flag definitions, known data limitations, coverage gap explanations, and per-domain vintage summary. Call this when you have questions about data quality, what a quality_flag code means, why a ZIP has no data, or how to reason carefully about scores and correlations.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "title": "get_methodologyArguments"
}

Returns ZipExplore's published research articles — original data findings on topics including disaster risk vs. housing costs (the Hazard Premium), food insecurity in fully-employed communities (SNAP economy), economically declining towns vs. retirement communities, and income variation among America's oldest ZIP codes. Each entry includes the key finding, specific quantitative results, caveats, and a URL to the full article. Call this when a user asks about these topics or when published findings would add context to a live data lookup.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "title": "get_researchArguments"
}

Find ZIP codes matching one or more criteria. Returns a ranked list with scores. Use this first when the user wants recommendations (e.g. "find a low-crime suburb near Denver"). Call get_search_fields first if you're unsure what field names to use. criteria: list of {"field": str, "level": "low"|"medium"|"high"} area_types: "CITY" | "SUBURB" | "SMALL_TOWN" | "RURAL" regions: "northeast" | "southeast" | "midwest" | "southwest" | "west"

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "criteria": {
      "items": {
        "additionalProperties": true,
        "type": "object"
      },
      "title": "Criteria",
      "type": "array"
    },
    "limit": {
      "default": 10,
      "title": "Limit",
      "type": "integer"
    },
    "states": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          },
          "type": "array"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "default": null,
      "title": "States"
    },
    "regions": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          },
          "type": "array"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "default": null,
      "title": "Regions"
    },
    "area_types": {
      "anyOf": [
        {
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          },
          "type": "array"
        },
        {
          "type": "null"
        }
      ],
      "default": null,
      "title": "Area Types"
    },
    "minimum_completeness": {
      "default": 0.7,
      "title": "Minimum Completeness",
      "type": "number"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "criteria"
  ],
  "title": "search_zipsArguments"
}

Full location profile for one ZIP code across all 12 data domains: demographics, climate, tax, crime, cost of living, voting, education, healthcare, business, air quality, disaster risk, and transit. Use this to get detail on a ZIP after search, or when the user asks about a specific ZIP. For deeper data on one domain, use the domain-specific tools.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_zip_profileArguments"
}

Side-by-side full profiles for 2–5 ZIP codes. Use when the user has finalists and needs to choose between them. Returns the same profile shape as get_zip_profile for each ZIP.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zips": {
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "title": "Zips",
      "type": "array"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zips"
  ],
  "title": "compare_zipsArguments"
}

Lists every field name, type, and description available for search criteria. Call this when you're unsure what field names to pass to search_zips, or when the user asks what data ZipExplore has.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "title": "get_search_fieldsArguments"
}

Detailed Census / demographics data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's demographics section isn't sufficient depth. Includes population, housing, income distribution, education attainment, economic indicators, internet access, and public assistance rates.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_census_profileArguments"
}

Convert a latitude/longitude coordinate to a ZIP code. Use when the user provides an address or map coordinates rather than a ZIP code.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "lat": {
      "title": "Lat",
      "type": "number"
    },
    "lon": {
      "title": "Lon",
      "type": "number"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "lat",
    "lon"
  ],
  "title": "reverse_geocodeArguments"
}

Get the latitude/longitude centroid for one or more ZIP codes (max 200). Use when you need map coordinates for a set of ZIPs.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zips": {
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "title": "Zips",
      "type": "array"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zips"
  ],
  "title": "get_zip_centroidsArguments"
}

Detailed climate data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's climate section isn't sufficient depth. Includes annual/monthly temperature averages, precipitation, humidity, and nearest weather station info.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_weather_profileArguments"
}

Detailed tax data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's tax section isn't sufficient depth. Includes state income tax, sales tax, property tax effective rates, excise taxes, and IRS income statistics.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_tax_profileArguments"
}

Detailed crime data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's crime section isn't sufficient depth. Includes violent crime rate, property crime rate, and data quality flags (coverage level, Bayesian shrinkage).

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_crime_profileArguments"
}

Detailed cost of living data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's cost section isn't sufficient depth. Includes fair market rents, housing cost burden, regional price indices, and affordability metrics.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_cost_profileArguments"
}

Detailed voting and political data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's voting section isn't sufficient depth. Includes presidential election results, partisan lean, congressional and state legislative districts, and state officials.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_voting_profileArguments"
}

Detailed school data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's education section isn't sufficient depth. Includes school counts, student-teacher ratios, graduation rates, per-pupil spending, Title I percentage, and budget breakdown (instruction vs. admin vs. capital). May reflect data from the nearest ZIP if no schools are in this ZIP.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_education_profileArguments"
}

Detailed healthcare data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's healthcare section isn't sufficient depth. Includes hospital count and ratings, nursing homes, beds per capita, primary care and mental health shortage area designations, pharmacy count, and urgent care count.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_healthcare_profileArguments"
}

Detailed business and employment data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's business section isn't sufficient depth. Includes top industries, sector breakdowns, total establishments, employment, and annual payroll from Census BDS/CBP data.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_business_profileArguments"
}

Detailed air quality data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's air quality section isn't sufficient depth. Includes EPA AQS pollutant levels (PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO2, SO2, CO) and AQI summary.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_air_quality_profileArguments"
}

Detailed natural disaster risk data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's disaster risk section isn't sufficient depth. Includes FEMA NRI overall risk score, individual hazard scores (hurricane, tornado, earthquake, wildfire, flood, etc.), and expected annual loss estimates.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_disaster_risk_profileArguments"
}

Detailed public transit data for one ZIP code. Use when get_zip_profile's transit section isn't sufficient depth. Includes bus stop count, subway station count, rail station count, light rail count, ferry terminal count, total transit stops, transit commute percentage, and nearest subway/rail distances.

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "zip": {
      "title": "Zip",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "zip"
  ],
  "title": "get_transit_profileArguments"
}