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.