Introducing 11 New Attributes for Melissa’s Global Address Database (GAD)

Melissa’s Global Address Database (GAD) provides reliable, detailed address information for the U.S. (211 million), Canada (30 million), and other countries around the world. The 11 new attributes give you the ability to refine your work—whether you’re improving delivery routes, analyzing community trends, or making quicker, more informed business decisions.

Here’s a closer look at what’s new and how these attributes can make your job easier:

1. Census Key Decennial

• • Definition: A 15-character key collected during the Decennial Census which occurs every 10 years (e.g., 2010, 2020) that uniquely identifies geographic locations based on the U.S. Census data, which updates every 10 years. The key represents: State (2 characters), County (3 characters), Tract (6 characters) and Block Group (4 characters).
  • How It’s Useful: This key provides a standardized reference for geographic boundaries in the U.S. and is ideal for demographic analysis, public policy planning or any application requiring precise census data.

2. National Lower District ID (Congressional District)

• • Definition: The United States Representative district ID, identifying the lower house of Congress.
  • How It’s Useful: Identifies political boundaries for lower house legislative representation. It’s valuable for demographic studies, public policy and targeted outreach programs.

3. National Upper District ID

• • Definition: The United States Senator district ID, identifying the upper house of Congress.
  • How It’s Useful: Similar to the National Lower District ID, this attribute helps map U.S. Senatorial districts, which is essential for political analysis, campaign targeting and understanding federal representation for specific addresses.

4. State Lower District ID

• • Definition: The state assembly or delegates district ID.
  • How It’s Useful: Link an address to a specific district within a state’s legislative body. It’s crucial for businesses, non-profits and government entities seeking to understand local legislative boundaries and influence policy at the state level.

5. State Upper District ID

• • Definition: The state senator district ID.
  • How It’s Useful: Similar to the State Lower District ID, this attribute identifies the state senator district and is useful for political campaigns, advocacy groups or research in state governance.

6. Apartment Name

• • Definition: The name of an apartment complex.
  • How It’s Useful: Pinpoint apartment complexes with specific names, making it easier to manage or analyze data related to multi-unit buildings. Property managers, real estate professionals or logistics companies delivering to residential complexes can greatly benefit.

7. Neighborhood Name

• • Definition: The name of the neighborhood where an address is located.
  • How It’s Useful: From targeted marketing and urban planning to real estate analysis, knowing the neighborhood name helps businesses and organizations provide services that align with local characteristics.

8. Carrier Route

• • Definition: The carrier route for the location address as assigned by the USPS.
  • How It’s Useful: Optimize delivery routes and logistics with detailed information on how USPS routes mail to specific addresses, which can be invaluable for businesses or services focused on mailing or delivery.

9. DropInd

• • Definition: Indicates that mail is delivered to a single receptacle at a site (e.g., a mail slot or group mailbox).
  • How It’s Useful: Understand the mail delivery system for a given address, which is helpful for determining whether mail needs to be delivered to an individual unit or shared receptacle.

10. Door Not Accessible

• • Definition: Indicates that the USPS cannot knock on a door to deliver mail due to access issues.
  • How It’s Useful: This is valuable for delivery companies, emergency services or anyone managing a logistics operation by identifying addresses where special arrangements need to be made for delivery.

11. Vacant

• • Definition: Indicates whether an address is vacant or occupied.
  • How It’s Useful: Essential for real estate professionals, property managers and anyone tracking vacant properties to help assess real estate markets, streamline property management, and improve targeting for sales, marketing or service delivery.

Why These Attributes Matter

These new attributes add more depth to GAD, making it an even more powerful tool for people in all types of industries. Whether you’re managing deliveries, researching demographics, or handling emergency responses, these updates give you the most relevant data at your fingertips.

Melissa’s Global Address Database is regularly updated, offering the most accurate and detailed address information out there. Explore all the features GAD has to offer and see how these new attributes can enhance your business today!