Land Parcels | Texas Geographic Information Office

Land parcels are boundaries that have associated information such as property owner, land use, value, and location attributes. This property information is recorded and maintained at the county level in Texas at local appraisal districts. It is then used by public entities to make informed decisions on community planning, development, or emergency preparation and response.

In collaboration with stakeholders from across Texas, TxGIO created a statewide standardized GIS land parcel schema. This format of land parcel data consists of the most commonly utilized information as determined by the land parcel committee. The data contributed from county appraisal districts or their service providers were translated into this common schema and are now available on the TxGIO DataHub.

In August 2019, an extension of the statewide parcel study was published to evaluate the existence of GIS parcel data and barriers to conversion. The report found that nearly all Texas appraisal districts now maintain a GIS parcel layer or are in the process of converting. It includes recommendations of 1) how TxGIO can facilitate local GIS conversion and 2) how to continue success of the land parcel program.

parcel-data-report

Texas Statewide Parcel Data Report

Statewide parcel data are the most requested data set based on our GIO Report. This report breaks down the strategy for meeting this need.

Full Report

Supplement

Program Flow

This iterative program flow will occur throughout the year. At no one time will there be a completed or final version of data as each data source has varying update schedules. Please check each county for the most recent version of data.

Program flow

Agency Parcel Uses

Texas State Agencies make extensive use of Land Parcel data for all types of operations and applications.

General Land Office (GLO)

Management of state landscoastal land permitting
Community development/revitalization
Veteran’s benefits issue management

Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM)

Mitigate emergency situations by accurately modeling and mapping areas to predict flooding along high-risk areas
Planning and early evacuation procedure

Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT)

Right of Way management for private or state-owned lands
Transportation planning

Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

Determine structures in the path or vicinity of disease outbreak
Analyze economic conditions for services

Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)

Determine if structures will be affected by flood conditions for early evacuation
Determine properties that will be affected with the build of a new dam.

Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC)

Locate farms, ranches, feedlots, etc in the event of animal disease outbreak

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

Air permitting and air quality monitoring/analysis
Determining water rights for landowners
Water quality planning based on growth.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Land ownership notification
Property transactions, planning, and management
Emergency management and response.

Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC)

Statewide emergency communications.

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Emergency management and response.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is a geographic land parcel?

A geographic land parcel is a spatial reference to tabular information of a property regarding ownership, land use, legal description, ownership, etc. from the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) software of an appraisal district.

What format and files are provided?

The land parcels are in shapefile and geodatabase format and require a geographic information system (GIS) software for viewing. Software to view this data is not provided by TxGIO. Other files provided include metadata and conversion file.

What schema are the data provided?

The data were transformed into the TxGIO land parcel schema. TxGIO facilitated a land parcel committee to discuss the data needs of stakeholders across Texas. Land parcels have a large quantity of data stored in Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) and a lowest common denominator of details were agreed upon for the TxGIO land parcel schema.

Why are some of the attributes missing or null?

TxGIO received the data from the appraisal districts or their vendors “as-is.” If data are missing, the data were not shared with the request for information. Over time, we hope to get as many of the TxGIO land parcel schema attributes as possible. If additional information is needed, please contact the appraisal district. A directory of appraisal districts is located on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

Who created these geographic land parcels?

These geographic land parcel data are created by county appraisal districts or their third party vendor. TxGIO compiles and transforms these data for statewide distribution and does not edit the geometry of this data. A directory of appraisal districts is located on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

What is the purpose of these geographic land parcels?

TxGIO collects these data to allow end users to acquire statewide land parcel data in one location at no cost. These geographic land parcel data are created by appraisal districts or their third party vendor to supplement the appraisal process with a visual representation of property. They are not survey grade and should not be used for legal purposes.

How frequently does TxGIO acquire geographic land parcel data?

TxGIO will attempt to refresh annually from each appraisal district or their third party vendor. The refresh rate will vary across the state. Some counties may refresh multiple times within one year. The year and month of the land parcel dataset is included in the file name as YYYYMM.

Is this data available at other locations?

The purpose of this initiative is to provide statewide land parcel data in one location at no cost. Yes, this data may sometimes be acquired through appraisal districts, their 3rd party vendor, or commercial vendors. More current data and greater volume of information may be available from them as compared to the no cost TxGIO statewide version. A directory of appraisal districts is located on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

How many appraisal districts exist in Texas?

There are 254 counties and 253 appraisal districts in Texas (Potter and Randall counties have a joint office).

Why does each land parcel file have different attributes, codes, and definitions?

There is no state mandate for a standardized land parcel schema in Texas. Therefore, the individual appraisal district attributes are dictated by their business needs or based on their third party standards.

How do I report a “problem” with the land parcel data?

These geographic land parcel data are created by county appraisal districts or their third party vendor. TxGIO compiles these data for statewide distribution and does not edit the geometry of this data. A directory of appraisal districts is located on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

What if the county land parcel dataset that I need is not available for download?

Not all counties are available for download from TxGIO. We continue to work with appraisal districts to provide as many county land parcel datasets as possible. As they are available, they will be posted online for download and the availability map updated. A directory of appraisal districts is located on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website.

Contact TxGIO with any further questions regarding this program and someone from StratMap will get in touch with you.