Ever wonder how much your house is actually worth? Or more curiously, your neighbor’s?
Enter: The City of Madison’s property lookup tool.
This online tool allows local residents, potential investors, and even nosy neighbors retrieve an excess of information about commercial + residential properties all over the 608. (Think: cost, taxes, sqft.)
Let’s break down how to use this city resource.
📍 Search by address + range
This is by far the easiest way to do your research — or snoop around. Using information like a house number, street name, and unit number, the property lookup tool will generate a list of possible matching records.
👤 Search by last name
Unless you want to sift through the 300+ homeowners with the surname of Smith, we recommend steering clear of this less-refined search parameter.
🔢 Search by parcel number
A parcel number is an identification code used for tax, title, deed + property line information.
Pro tip: You can find a property’s parcel number using the address lookup tool, or at the top of your tax bill.
🔎 And what exactly are we looking at?
There is a sea of information on this City portal, here are some of the most useful data points.
- See property owner’s details like full name and primary address.
- Find basic information like living area descriptions, listed amenities, and date of construction.
- Watch properties’ value compound over time + find actual land value in addition to improvement costs.
- Review the history of purchase prices and see previous granters/grantees.
- Learn about local schools, aldermanic districts, and more voting + civic information.
