Property tax rates by county

Millage rate (mill levy)

Property tax rate expressed as dollars of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. 1 mill = $1 per $1,000.

Homestead exemption

State-law tax break reducing property tax on a primary residence — varies wildly state-by-state.

Cap rate (capitalization rate)

Investment-property valuation metric: net operating income ÷ purchase price. Lower cap rate = higher price relative to income.

Lead and Copper Rule 2024 — the federal lead-pipe inventory mandate

The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) require every US community water system to inventory and report lead service lines. Plain-English guide.

Property tax millage — what 'mill' means and how your bill is computed

Plain-English guide to property tax millage rates, assessment ratios, and homestead exemptions. How county assessors compute your annual property tax bill.

School district boundaries — how to confirm yours and why it matters

How school district boundaries work, where to find them, and why the same street can split between two districts.

Deed records — what they show and what they don't

Plain-English guide to county deed records: what gets filed, how to look up a property's history, and why zipradar aggregates only counts (never owner names).

Zoning codes — what R-1, C-2, M-1, MU mean and why your house is one

Plain-English guide to common US zoning codes: R-1 / R-2 / C-1 / C-2 / M-1 / MU. Why zoning matters for your home, your neighbors, and what you can build.

Homestead exemption — state-by-state property tax savings

Every US state offers a homestead exemption that reduces property tax for owner-occupied homes. State-by-state amounts and how to file.

Wildfire insurance in 2026 — why premiums spiked and what to do

California, Oregon, Colorado, and other Western states have seen wildfire insurance premiums double or homeowners drop entirely. Plain-English guide to the 2026 market.

NCES Common Core of Data — what district boundaries actually mean for buyers

How NCES district boundaries, school ratings, and student-teacher ratios feed real-estate decisions — and what the data does NOT tell you.

FEMA flood zones — AE vs. X vs. VE in plain English

FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer maps every US property's flood-zone designation. Here's what AE, X, VE, and AO actually mean for your insurance bill.

County assessor data — how millage rates and assessments actually combine

Property tax = assessment × millage rate, but the math has caveats. Here's how zipradar pulls + normalizes county assessor data across the top 50 metros.

Deed activity by ZIP — what aggregated transfers tell you about market trends

County recorders log every deed transfer. Aggregated to ZIP-level counts, the data reveals turnover, foreclosure pressure, and market temperature — without exposing PII.

Buying a house — the 12-dimension data checklist before you sign

Twelve federated public-records dimensions every US homebuyer should check before closing. Synthesized from EPA, FEMA, FBI, NCES, county assessors + recorders.

County recorder vs. county assessor — they sound the same, they're not

The recorder publishes deeds and mortgages. The assessor publishes valuations and tax bills. Different offices, different data, different mistakes — here's how to read both.

Property tax escrow — why your monthly payment changes after you close

When you buy a home, your monthly mortgage payment includes a property-tax escrow estimate based on the prior owner's bill. Here's why it almost always changes — usually upward.

Title insurance — what it actually covers, why it's a one-time premium, and why you can't skip it

Title insurance protects against ownership claims that surface after closing. One-time premium ($1,000-3,000). Lender's vs owner's policy. Here's the reality.

Closing day — what actually happens + the documents you'll sign

First-time buyer closing-day reality. The 30+ documents, the wire-fraud risk, the final walk-through, and what to bring. 1-3 hours typical.

Mello-Roos + special tax districts — the property-tax extras you didn't see

Mello-Roos (CA), CDDs (FL), MUDs (TX), PIDs — special-district taxes that add to your tax bill on top of the millage rate. How to find them before you buy.

First-time homebuyer programs — federal + state + local stack

Plain-English guide to FHA, VA, USDA federal loans + state DPA programs + local first-time-buyer incentives. Eligibility, caps, and how to stack them.

Abandoned property + tax sales — buying via county auction

How county tax-lien and tax-deed sales work, redemption rights, due-diligence pitfalls, and the differences between tax-lien states and tax-deed states.

Fixed-rate vs ARM — which mortgage type fits when

Plain-English guide to 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs). When each makes sense, what hybrid 5/1, 7/1, 10/1 ARMs actually mean, and how 2026 rates change the math.

Closing costs explained — what the buyer typically pays

Itemized buyer closing-cost breakdown for a typical US home purchase. Lender fees, third-party fees, prepaids, and escrow setup — what each line item means and what's negotiable.

FHA vs conventional — when each loan makes sense in 2026

FHA loans (3.5% down, 580+ FICO, MIP for life of loan) vs conventional loans (3-20% down, 620+ FICO, PMI removable at 80% LTV). Eligibility, costs, and which scenario favors which.