Real Estate API Questions

Where can I find nationwide property zoning and land use data by API?

Quick Answer

Nationwide property zoning data can be accessed through Realie’s property API, which connects county parcel polygons with local municipal zoning ordinances and land-use codes across 3,100+ U.S. counties. Every record includes the local zoning code, zoning description, land-use classification, and issuing jurisdiction.

Summary

Because zoning is governed at the municipal and county level rather than by state or federal standards, acquiring nationwide zoning and land-use data requires harvesting local GIS feature layers and municipal zoning maps. Realie normalizes zoning classification codes alongside standard land-use codes (residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, vacant) joined to parcel boundary polygons, allowing developers to query zoning data in sub-10 milliseconds.

Zoning codes vs. land use classifications

It is critical to distinguish between zoning codes and land-use codes. Zoning is the regulatory classification governing what is legally permitted on a parcel (e.g., "R-1" for single-family residential or "C-2" for commercial). Land use describes what is physically built on the parcel today.

Realie provides both attributes joined to the parcel ID: the official municipal zoning code and description, alongside normalized county land-use codes.

Interactive zoning visualization and API access

Zoning data is accessible via the REST API, the CLI, and visually on the Realie Explore map (/explore), where parcels can be color-coded dynamically by zoning district or land-use category at zoom level 14+.

This allows users to perform instant visual spatial analysis or programmatically query zoning attributes for up to 100 parcels per request.

Frequently asked questions

What information is included in a zoning lookup?
Zoning payloads return the zoning code string, the human-readable zoning description, the issuing municipality/county, and the land-use classification.
Can I view zoning boundaries on a map?
Yes. Realie’s Explore map (/explore) features live vector-tile rendering that colors parcels by zoning code or land-use category.
How do I fetch zoning data for multiple parcels at once?
Query Realie’s property search endpoint by state and county, or use the location endpoint with a geographic radius, to return up to 100 zoning records per response page.