Finding the best places to invest in properties out-of-state

[Glenn Gillen]

I'm interested in doing some research on the US real estate market and I'm having trouble getting an action plan together. I'm thinking about using the following features for my data analysis:

1) US census ACS 5-year survey: Population growth, Unemployment, Vacancy Rates, Housing Starts/Building Permits @ the county level if possible 

2) Crime Information by county (taken from county websites)

The goal is to map out the real estate market by US counties to determine the areas that have the greatest growth potential and have relatively low crime rates. 

I'm not sure if this is the right course of action or if I'm missing any other information. I currently live in the Bay Area and I'm looking to invest in other places, but I'd like to do some research on other markets to make a more informed choice regarding which markets are better for investing than others w/o relying on real estate website suggestions alone. Looking for a second opinion on this topic, thanks!