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Parcel Mapping in Vermont

Data Availability | Overview | Helpful Resources

DATA AVAILABILITY

GIS parcel data is publicly available for more than two-thirds of Vermont towns and cities. For many years, it could only be acquired directly from individual towns, the towns' mapping contractors, or the Regional Planning Commissions. Starting now (December, 2009), VCGI is making much of these data available for dowload via the VGIS Data Warehouse. Please see the Overview below for more information about how VCGI is acquiring this data.

Here is some important information to keep in mind if you plan to download VT parcel data from the VGIS Warehouse:

VT Parcel Data is available on a town by town basis, not as a seamless statewide or county layer. Most towns create and manage the data as well as the land records. There are no county land or deed registries in Vermont.
VT Parcel Data varies a great deal from town to town in terms of age and accuracy; please read the Metadata (information about the data) associated with each town's file (it will download with the map data).
Neither the town nor VCGI make any claims regarding the data's usefulness or accuracy - please read the VCGI Warranty and Copyright Notice.
VT Parcel Data does not include owners' names, owners' mailling address, or the value of the property

How to Get Parcel Data?

Click here to download VT parcel data. If the town you are interested in is not available for download, contact the relevant Regional Planning Commission to see if the data is available there.

OVERVIEW

History

In 1988, Vermont's five-year GIS plan identified municipal parcel boundaries as a fundamental database to support local planning and development; from 1989 to 1991 the State of Vermont supported conversion of many towns' hard copy maps into GIS or digital parcel databases. Since that time, towns have pursued a variety of strategies related to their parcel maps. Some have had the maps and the digital data updated on a regular basis, while some have only updated the paper maps since they did not perceive a need for the digital data within the town. Regional Planning Commissions have many uses for parcel data so they became the default archive for their towns' data in many cases. There are still a few towns in the state that don't have parcel maps of any kind, a few more that don't have access to digital parcel data of any kind, and a fair number that have digital parcel data that hails from the early 1990s.

Current VT Parcel Data Compilation Effort

VCGI is working with the state's Regional Planning Commissions to collect all available GIS parcel data in order to make it more conveniently available to the public. Most towns were notified about the project by the GIS/Mapping specialist at their RPC. These same specialists have agreed to make the metadata necessary to properly inform data users of the age, accuracy, and creator of that particular town's data

Important things to keep in mind about this effort:

VCGI will not sell this data - it is public data and is being made available for free
If any community indicates that it does not wish to participate in this effort, VCGI will not make the data available (or will remove it from our data warehouse).
The idea behind making public mapping data available is the efficient use of such data results in informed decision-making and a variety of users such as foresters, surveyors and state officials can better serve Vermonters.

Why Parcel Data is Important

Parcel data is the most important local government information asset. Although GIS parcel data cannot replace detailed ground surveys, the data does assist municipal officials to assure a more accurate property tax assessment. Towns can link their maps to their Grand Lists and display local information, allowing voter consideration of actions which can affect their lands. Officials can show tax-payers how proposed development or changes in municipal services and regulations will affect them and their neighbors. In many towns, parcel data also helps to provide public notices, plan bus routes, and other municipal services.

More reasons outlined by TRORC...ParcelWhyDo6.pdf - File Size: 23KB

Costs Involved with Development

Towns without parcel maps must hire qualified contractors to analyze deed records and draft parcel lines using orthophotos as a backdrop. Mapping can cost communities in the tens of thousands of dollars, contingent upon the town's area and number of parcels. Regional Planning Commissions can assist towns with proper information to meet VGIS mapping standards and advise on the expenses of parcel mapping. Estimated expenses generally include;