About Syracuse Data Desk
Who runs Syracuse Data Desk, how the Syracuse data is collected, and what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
Syracuse Data Desk is an independent data desk covering Syracuse, NY. We take the records the city already publishes — vacant-property registrations, code-enforcement cases and building permits — and turn them into pages residents can actually use.
What we do
- Pull the city's open data every week and reconcile it against the previous release.
- Publish counts by ZIP, neighborhood and type, so a number can be checked against a place.
- Link every figure back to the record it came from, and keep the caveats visible.
What we don't do
- We don't call anyone a slumlord. Records list addresses and parties as filed, not findings of fault.
- We don't republish allegations as facts. A complaint is a complaint.
- We don't take money from anyone with an interest in how a building looks in this data.
Where the data comes from
- City of Syracuse Open Data — Vacant Properties (1,524 records), Code Violations (152,990 records), Permit Requests (47,902 records).
- Coverage of the violation file runs August 27, 2012 to October 6, 2026.
- Full method and caveats: methodology.
Corrections
If a record we published is wrong, it is almost always wrong at the source. Tell us which page and which address at hello@syracusedatadesk.com and we will note the correction and, where relevant, explain how to dispute the record with the city.
Independence
Syracuse Data Desk is not affiliated with the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, or any landlord, developer or advocacy group. The desk is funded by nothing but time at the moment.
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We publish the raw numbers behind every story. Read the method.