Method for analyzing demographic data

1. A computer-implemented method of displaying a plurality of geographic locations having a greatest similarity to at least one user identified characteristic, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating a numeric value that represents a relative measure at which at least one characteristic exists in each geographic location of a plurality of geographic locations in a database, whereby a plurality of numeric values are calculated, and associating the plurality of numeric values with the plurality of geographic locations within the database;

allowing a user to select at least one user identified characteristic associated with the plurality of geographic locations within the database;

automatically comparing the numeric value associated with each of the plurality of geographic locations in the database to determine overall dissimilarities or similarities between each of the numeric values based on the at least one user identified characteristic;

automatically generating an ordered list of geographic locations from greatest to least similarity in the at least one user identified characteristic based on the smallest determined dissimilarities or greatest determined similarities of the overall dissimilarities or similarities in the plurality of numeric values; and

providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying the plurality of geographic locations having a greatest similarity to the at least one user identified characteristic;

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics is based on where a geographic location is located and describes features and characteristics of locations in terms of one or more of demographics, crime, schools, geographical information, or housing; and

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics defines characteristics of geographic locations without requiring the user to specify numeric values.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically comparing the numeric value associated with each of the plurality of geographic locations in the database comprises generating a plurality of rank percent scores.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically comparing the numeric value associated with each of the plurality of geographic locations in the database comprises generating a rank percent score for each of the plurality of geographic locations for each of the at least one user identified characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of automatically comparing the numeric value associated with each of the plurality of geographic locations in the database comprises:

for each of the plurality of geographic locations:

generating an actual rank percent score for each user identified characteristic of the at least one user identified characteristic; and

for each user identified characteristic of the at least one user identified characteristic, generating an absolute average difference between a best possible rank percent score for the user identified characteristic and the actual rank percent score for the user identified characteristic.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising allowing the user to choose a search area to which the ordered list of geographic locations will be limited.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying, the ordered list of geographic locations from greatest to least similarity in the at least one user identified characteristic.

7. A computer-implemented method of identifying a plurality of geographic locations that have the greatest similarity to a user selected geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating a numeric value that represents a relative measure at which at least one user identified characteristic exists in each of a plurality of geographic locations in a database, whereby a plurality of numeric values are calculated, and associating the plurality of numeric values with of the plurality of geographic locations within a database;

allowing a user to select a first geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations in the database;

allowing the user to modify one of the at least one user identified characteristic associated with the first geographic location;

automatically recalculating the numeric value of the one of the at least one user identified characteristic modified by the user;

automatically comparing the recalculated numeric value with the numeric values of the plurality of numeric values that are associated in the database with geographic locations of the plurality of geographic locations that are not the first geographic location to determine overall dissimilarities or similarities;

automatically generating an ordered list of geographic locations that are most similar to the first geographic location as modified by the user based on the smallest determined dissimilarities or greatest determined similarities of the overall dissimilarities or similarities; and

providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying the plurality of geographic locations having a greatest similarity to the at least one user identified characteristic;

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics is based on where a geographic location is located and describes features and characteristics of locations in terms of one or more of demographics, crime, schools, geographical information, or housing; and

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics defines characteristics of geographic locations without requiring the user to specify numeric values.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the steps of automatically comparing the recalculated numeric value with the numeric values of the plurality of numeric values that are associated in the database with regional geographic locations of the plurality of geographic locations that are not the first geographic location and automatically generating an ordered list of the geographic locations that are most similar to the first geographic location as modified by the user further comprises:

automatically generating a dissimilarity matrix in which an overall dissimilarity value of a plurality of dissimilarity values is assigned to each of the geographic locations that are not the first geographic location relative to the numeric value of the at least one user identified characteristic of the first geographic location as modified by the user through selection of keyword descriptors, and generating the ordered list based on a smallest of the plurality of dissimilarity values between the first geographic location as modified by the user and the geographic locations within the database that are not the first geographic location.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying the ordered list of geographic locations that are most similar to the user selected geographic location as modified by the user based on the smallest dissimilarities or the greatest similarities in the numeric values.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the overall dissimilarities or similarities between each of the numeric values based on the user identified characteristic are represented by a dissimilarity value.

11. A computer-implemented method of identifying a plurality of locations that have a greatest similarity in at least one user identified characteristic to a user selected geographic location, the method comprising:

calculating a numeric value that represents a quantitative representation at which the at least one user identified characteristic exists in each of a plurality of geographic locations, whereby a plurality of numeric values are calculated, and associating the plurality of numeric values with the plurality of geographic locations;

providing a database containing the plurality of geographic locations and the plurality of numeric values associated therewith;

allowing a user to select a first geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations;

for each user identified characteristic of the at least one user identified characteristic, comparing the numeric value associated with the first location with the numeric value associated with each geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations that is not the first geographic location to determine overall dissimilarities or similarities in the plurality of geographic locations;

generating an ordered list of geographic locations that are most similar to the first geographic location based on the determined smallest dissimilarities or greatest determined similarities of the determined overall dissimilarities or similarities; and

providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying the plurality of geographic locations having a greatest similarity to the at least one user identified characteristic;

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics is based on where a geographic location is located and describes features and characteristics of locations in terms of one or more of demographics, crime, schools, geographical information, or housing; and

wherein each of the at least one user identified characteristics defines characteristics of geographic locations without requiring the user to specify numeric values.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of, for each user identified characteristic of the at least one user identified characteristic, comparing the numeric value associated with the first geographic location with the numeric value associated with each geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations that is not the first geographic location further comprises generating a dissimilarity matrix in which an overall dissimilarity value is assigned to each of the plurality of locations that is not the first geographic location, the overall dissimilarity value being relative to the first geographic location.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of generating a dissimilarity matrix further comprises:

applying an extraction method to raw data, the extraction method including a factor analysis to extract factors from the database; and

applying a squared Euclidian distance measure to the extracted factors.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of, for each user identified characteristic of the at least one user identified characteristic, comparing the numeric value associated with the first geographic location with the numeric value associated with each geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations that is not the first geographic location further comprises:

for each particular geographic location of the plurality of geographic locations that is not the first geographic location:

calculating, for each of the at least one user identified characteristic, a squared difference between the numeric value associated with the first geographic location and the particular geographic location that is not the first geographic location, whereby a plurality of squared differences are calculated for the particular geographic location that is not the first geographic location; and

summing the plurality of squared differences to create a cumulative dissimilarity value between the first geographic location and the particular geographic location that is not the first geographic location.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing, for display on a user's device, data identifying the ordered list of geographic locations that are most similar to the user selected geographic location as modified by the user based on the smallest dissimilarities or greatest similarities in the numeric values.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the overall dissimilarities or similarities between each of the numeric values based on the user selected user identified characteristic are represented by a dissimilarity value.