API Reference/MCP Server

MCP Server

Connect Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, or any Model Context Protocol compatible client directly to U.S. geographic data. 23 tools covering demographics, housing, mortgage lending, migration, employment, and spatial queries — no code required.

Hosted Endpoint

No installation required. Connect any MCP client directly to the hosted server. Each connection gets an isolated session and usage is tracked against your API key.

https://mcp.loc8n.com/sse?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY

Or pass the key as an Authorization: Bearer header.

Setup

Claude Desktop

Add to claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geographic-data": {
      "command": "mcp-geographic-data",
      "env": {
        "LOC8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires npm install -g @gener8v/mcp-geographic-data

Claude Code

Add to your project's .mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geographic-data": {
      "command": "mcp-geographic-data",
      "env": {
        "LOC8N_API_KEY": "your-api-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Requires npm install -g @gener8v/mcp-geographic-data

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP settings. Uses the hosted endpoint — no install needed.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geographic-data": {
      "url": "https://mcp.loc8n.com/sse?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "geographic-data": {
      "serverUrl": "https://mcp.loc8n.com/sse?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

Tools (23)

Each tool maps to one or more REST API endpoints. Tool access follows your API key's tier permissions.

Geographic Lookup

ToolDescription
lookup_zip_codeGet details for a ZIP code (city, county, state, coordinates)
search_zip_codes_by_cityFind ZIP codes for a city/state
find_zip_codes_in_radiusFind ZIP codes within a radius
calculate_zip_code_distanceDistance between two ZIP codes
search_areasSearch counties, states, or metro areas by name

Demographics

ToolDescription
get_demographicsFull demographic profile (population, income, education, etc.)
get_demographics_categorySingle demographic category in detail
get_demographics_trendYear-over-year demographic trends
compare_demographicsSide-by-side comparison of up to 10 areas

Housing & Market Data

ToolDescription
get_fair_market_rentHUD Fair Market Rent by bedroom count
get_fmr_trendFair Market Rent trends over time

Mortgage & Lending

ToolDescription
get_mortgage_summaryHMDA mortgage origination summary
get_mortgage_trendsMortgage lending trends over time
compare_mortgageSide-by-side mortgage comparison

Migration

ToolDescription
get_migration_summaryIRS SOI migration inflows/outflows
get_migration_flowsTop origin/destination flows
get_migration_trendsMigration trends across year pairs

Employment

ToolDescription
get_employmentLODES employment profile (jobs, sectors, wages)
get_employment_trendEmployment trends over time
compare_employmentSide-by-side employment comparison
get_commute_flowsTop commute origins/destinations

Geocoding

ToolDescription
geocode_addressConvert address to coordinates
reverse_geocodeConvert coordinates to address

Resources (7)

MCP resources provide metadata your client can read for context — available data years, tier permissions, and rate limits.

URIDescription
data://demographics/available-yearsAvailable years for ACS demographics data
data://fmr/available-yearsAvailable years for HUD Fair Market Rent data
data://mortgage/available-yearsAvailable years for HMDA mortgage data
data://migration/available-yearsAvailable year pairs for IRS migration data
data://employment/available-yearsAvailable years for LODES employment data
data://tiersSubscription tier definitions and permissions
data://auth/contextCurrent API key tier, permissions, and rate limits

Install via npm

For stdio-based clients or self-hosted deployments:

npm install -g @gener8v/mcp-geographic-data

CLI Options

mcp-geographic-data [options]

  --transport <stdio|sse>  Transport protocol (default: stdio)
  --port <number>          Port for SSE transport (default: 3100)
  --help, -h               Show help

Environment Variables

VariableRequiredDescription
LOC8N_API_KEYstdio onlyAPI key for the loc8n Geographic Data API. For SSE transport, clients pass their own key per connection.
LOC8N_API_BASE_URLNoAPI base URL (default: https://api.loc8n.com)

23 tools across 7 domains

All tools use your existing API key and tier permissions. Usage from MCP clients counts toward your plan's request quota.