And How Zors Stands Apart With Transparency and Timely Updates
Have you ever mapped out a territory using one toolāonly to see dramatically different population or demographic numbers from another platform using the same exact boundaries?
If so, youāre not alone. Franchisors, consultants, and FranDev teams often face this confusion. But thereās a solid reason behind itāand knowing how it works can actually give you a strategic edge.
Letās pull back the curtain.
Most modern territory mapping platforms rely on population and demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, specifically the American Community Survey (ACS). What many people donāt realize is that the ACS doesnāt just offer one static datasetāit produces two different types of estimates, and each has its own pros and cons.
Based on responses collected over a single calendar year
Reflects the most current snapshot of population and demographics
Available only for larger geographies (areas with populations of 65,000 or more)
Less reliable due to smaller sample size and year-to-year variability
Aggregates responses over five continuous years
Provides a much more statistically reliable picture, especially for smaller areas
Covers every geography, including census tracts and block groups (as small as 600 people)
Less current, since it reflects an average across five years
ā Zors lets you see which estimate youāre usingāso youāre never guessing.
Even after the ACS collects its data, thereās a built-in lag between collection and release.
For example, data collected in 2024 wonāt be publicly released until late 2025 or early 2026.
Why? Because data must be validated, cleaned, and processed before itās released.
This means that when you're using the most recent data available on any mapping platform, you're still looking at information that reflects conditions from up to a year earlier.
Once the Census Bureau publishes new data, mapping platforms must ingest and implement those updatesāa manual process that can vary widely.
Some platforms:
Update within a few weeks
Others may take 6 months or more
Some may only refresh once every few years
This alone can create a wide range of data discrepanciesāeven between trusted tools.
At Zors, we believe you deserve to know where your data comes from and how recent it is*.*
Thatās why weāve built our platform around two key principles:
Each data point in Zorsāwhether it's population count, median income, or household sizeāincludes a source tag. Youāll see:
What dataset it came from (e.g., ACS 2020ā2024 5-Year Estimate)
When the data was released
What level of geography was used (e.g., territory level or county level)
This makes it easier to defend your numbers to franchise buyers, executives, or regulatorsāand to understand their limitations.
We donāt sit on new releases. Zors monitors the ACS release calendar and begins updating our datasets as soon as the files are published.
For example:
1-Year Estimates released in September? Zors updates within weeks.
5-Year Estimates released in December? Youāll see them implemented on Zors shortly thereafter.
No more wondering if your data is stale or outdatedāweāll always tell you whatās live and when it was refreshed.
Letās say you map a 3-mile radius around a potential franchise site.
Tool A uses 2019ā2022 5-Year Estimates, last updated in December 2024
Tool B uses 2023 1-Year Estimates, last updated in October 2024
Even though the physical boundary is identical, these tools may show:
Population differences of hundreds or even thousands
Variations in income, household size, or age brackets
Diverging market potential indicators
š” That doesnāt mean one tool is wrong. It means you need to know whatās underneath the hood.
As a franchisor, data isnāt just dataāit drives decisions, disclosures, and deals. Poor-quality or unclear data can lead to:
Confusion in franchisee discussions
Unintentional territory overlap
Legal exposure if you disclose faulty numbers
Loss of credibility with investors or candidates
By choosing a platform like Zors, you gain not just better numbers, but data confidence.
At Zors, we know the power of territory mapping in franchise developmentāand weāre committed to delivering it with accuracy, clarity, and transparency.
We donāt just show you numbers. We show you:
Where they came from
When they were last updated
And what you can trust them to tell you
Thatās how Zors franchise intelligence platform supports smart growth for modern franchise brands.
š Ready to see the difference data transparency makes? Book a Zors demo today.
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