Accessing parcel data through an online geographic information system (GIS) empowers residents, businesses, and researchers in a specific geographic area to retrieve detailed information about land and property ownership. This typically includes data such as ownership details, legal descriptions, assessed values, parcel boundaries, tax information, building characteristics, and often aerial imagery. Such systems enhance transparency in local governance and offer a convenient, self-service approach to property research.
Open access to this type of data streamlines real estate transactions, facilitates property research for historical and genealogical purposes, enables informed decision-making for potential investors, and supports community planning and development initiatives. Historically, obtaining such information required in-person visits to government offices and laborious manual searches. Modern, web-based platforms have revolutionized this process, providing instant access to comprehensive data, often 24/7.