As a business reporter, I often consult public records to learn exactly where a property is located, how large it is or what its recent sale price was. The easiest way to do this is usually through a locality’s online geographic information system, or GIS.
GIS websites allow the public to look up properties and see a variety of information. Features vary from one locality’s site to another, but GIS sites often can tell you a property’s owner, size, tax value, and how it’s zoned, such as for residential, agricultural or commercial use.
Examples include the GIS websites for Roanoke, Lynchburg, Floyd County and Wise County. If you’re unsure whether your city, county or town offers a GIS website, contact your local government administration (or just do an online search for your locality’s name plus “GIS”).
Check out our other Sunshine Week features
- Track the spread of broadband in Virginia with these tools
- 990s shine a light on nonprofit finances
- Track political spending with VPAP
- Look up your doctor’s credentials with this tool
- Check up on your favorite eatery with restaurant inspection reports
- Use this site to learn how much money the state’s casinos are bringing in
Some sites provide a relatively basic set of information. Others go further, with links to a property’s relevant building permits or the ability to display map layers such as neighborhood boundaries, school zones and voting districts. I recently learned that Lynchburg’s GIS can show aerial photos going back to 1941!
While the number of features on GIS sites can seem daunting at first, it’s fairly easy to dive into the basics. Look for a search function (sometimes identified by a magnifying glass icon) and enter an address. Click around on the map and the various menus and buttons. If you get lost, look for a “Help” link. You may be surprised and fascinated by how much public information is available on your neighborhood.
