Local market consumer intelligence across 83+ DMAs, now powering advanced audience segments in Nielsen ONE
Scarborough is a Nielsen consumer intelligence platform delivering in-depth local market data for media planners, local advertisers, and market researchers. Covering 83+ Designated Market Areas (DMAs) through 330,000+ annual surveys across 2,000+ product and service categories, Scarborough provides the local consumer data used to build audience strategies and justify media investments. In February 2026, Nielsen introduced 200+ new advanced audience segments via Scarborough data within the Nielsen ONE cross-platform planning suite.
Key Features
Local Market Consumer Intelligence
- 330,000+ annual surveys across 83+ DMAs and local US markets
- Consumer behavior, lifestyle, and media habit data at the local level
- Regional purchasing patterns and product category preferences
- Market-by-market comparison and indexing tools
- Data across 2,000+ consumer categories including automotive, banking, and retail
Advanced Audience Segments
- 200+ new advanced audience segments introduced in February 2026 via Nielsen ONE
- Segments covering automotive, retail, lifestyle, political, and media habits
- Audience data enriched with purchase behavior and brand preference signals
- Privacy-compliant survey-based data collection
Industry-Specific Reports
- Individual industry reports available for purchase at $395 each (reporting only)
- Categories include automotive, banking, insurance, healthcare, and retail
- Reports provide actionable audience insights for sector-specific campaigns
- No ad targeting access at the report tier; comprehensive access requires enterprise licensing
Nielsen ONE Integration
- Scarborough audience data feeds directly into Nielsen ONE for cross-media planning
- Advanced audience segments usable in multi-platform campaign planning
- Enables local audience insights to inform national cross-platform strategies
- Hundreds of additional segments planned for release in 2026
Media Planning Support
- Local audience profiling for TV, radio, digital, and print planning
- DMA-level reach and targeting guidance
- Competitive insights by local market
- Cross-media behavior analysis at the local and regional level
Business Impact
- Provides the foundational local audience data for markets across the US
- February 2026 integration with Nielsen ONE dramatically expands segment utility for planners
- Enables hyper-local media strategies backed by large-scale survey research
- Widely used by local broadcasters, regional advertisers, and national agencies buying local market media
Pricing
Scarborough pricing is enterprise-level with no publicly listed amounts for full access. Individual industry reports are available at $395 each (reporting only; does not include ad targeting capabilities). Comprehensive access — including advanced audience segments, full DMA coverage, and Nielsen ONE integration — requires custom enterprise licensing. Contact Nielsen sales for a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Scarborough cost? Individual Scarborough industry reports cost $395 each and provide data for research purposes only without ad targeting access. Full Scarborough platform access requires an enterprise license with custom pricing from Nielsen. Contact Nielsen sales for details.
Is there a free version of Scarborough? No. Scarborough does not offer a free tier. Individual reports start at $395; full platform access requires a custom enterprise contract.
How does Scarborough compare to MRI-Simmons? Both Scarborough and MRI-Simmons provide consumer research data for media planning, but they differ in focus. Scarborough emphasizes local market intelligence across 83+ DMAs with a strength in local broadcast and DMA-specific planning. MRI-Simmons focuses on national consumer psychographics and brand behavior with the Catalyst platform for audience activation. Many agencies use both for complementary research.
How does Scarborough integrate with Nielsen ONE? In February 2026, Nielsen introduced 200+ new advanced audience segments built from Scarborough data into the Nielsen ONE cross-platform planning suite. These segments can be used for planning and campaign targeting across multiple media platforms within the Nielsen ONE environment.
What markets does Scarborough cover? Scarborough covers 83+ Designated Market Areas (DMAs) across the United States, with 330,000+ annual surveys. It provides granular local market data for media buyers planning local TV, radio, digital, and print campaigns.
Is Scarborough useful for national advertisers? Yes. National advertisers use Scarborough to understand local market nuances when tailoring campaigns for specific DMAs. Its Nielsen ONE integration also makes Scarborough data accessible within national cross-platform planning workflows.
What product categories does Scarborough cover? Scarborough covers 2,000+ consumer categories including automotive, banking, retail, healthcare, insurance, media habits, lifestyle, and political behavior.
User Reviews & Social Proof
No specific G2 or Capterra reviews are available for Scarborough as a standalone product. Nielsen overall holds a 3.8/5 rating on G2 from 92 reviews. General Nielsen audience data feedback highlights the depth of data and segmentation capabilities.
“Deep audience data and segmentation capabilities allow us to build fine-grade segments.” — G2 reviewer, Nielsen Marketing Cloud
Scarborough is widely referenced in industry literature as the standard source for local market consumer data used by agencies planning local TV and radio buys.
Scarborough vs Alternatives
Scarborough vs MRI-Simmons
MRI-Simmons provides national consumer research with 60,000+ data elements covering psychographics, brand preferences, and media consumption through its Catalyst platform. Scarborough is stronger for DMA-level local planning and has deep coverage of local market consumer behavior across 83+ US markets. They are frequently used together.
Scarborough vs Telmar Helixa
Telmar Helixa is an AI-powered audience intelligence platform offering psychographic and behavioral profiling. Scarborough offers survey-based local market data with DMA-level granularity. Telmar Helixa’s AI analysis can complement Scarborough’s foundational data.
Scarborough vs Comscore
Comscore focuses on cross-platform campaign measurement and digital audience analytics. Scarborough focuses on consumer behavior, lifestyle, and local market data from surveys. Comscore is better for measuring campaign delivery; Scarborough is better for planning-stage consumer profiling.
Scarborough vs GWI
GWI provides global survey-based consumer research with behavioral and psychographic data. Scarborough focuses on local US market intelligence with DMA-level coverage. For US-only local market planning, Scarborough’s depth is unmatched; for global or international research, GWI is broader.
Recent Updates (2025–2026)
- February 2026: Nielsen introduced 200+ new advanced audience segments in Nielsen ONE built from Scarborough data, covering automotive, retail, lifestyle, political behavior, and media habits
- February 2026: Nielsen announced plans to release hundreds of additional Scarborough-powered segments within Nielsen ONE in the coming months
- Ongoing: Continued expansion of Scarborough’s coverage within the Nielsen ONE cross-platform planning environment
Explore More Media Planning Tools
- Halliard — Media planning platform with built-in audience reach and frequency tools across 18+ channels
- MRI-Simmons — National consumer intelligence with 60,000+ data elements and the Catalyst activation platform
- Comscore — Cross-platform campaign measurement and Proximic contextual targeting
- Nielsen Media Impact — Cross-media simulation and planning tool using Nielsen audience data
- Telmar Helixa — AI-powered audience intelligence and psychographic profiling
- GWI — Global consumer research platform with behavioral and lifestyle data