Neighborhood Rating question/s?

[Roman Santos]

Hello everyone, 

Hope everyone is healthy and safe. I have a question about neighborhood ratings. Please forgive me for question/s that might seem common knowledge to most. I am trying to learn from everything and everyone. 

If you are in investing, moving, or buying from out of state and not familiar with the neighborhoods or towns, is there a benchmark website or guide that you guys use? . What would your neighborhood key points or markers be? How do you guys know if the area is good area or a bad area without driving or surveying it personally?

I am hoping I am asking the right questions here. Any suggestions would be very much welcomed. 

Thanks in advance.