County records vs national property data providers
County records are the original source: free, dated and precise, but spread across many offices and formats. National providers combine them into one search with wide coverage, sometimes weeks behind. LeadCounty works from each county's own offices, refreshed weekly, and covers 99 counties.
What county records give you
- The source of every fact: you know the office.
- Fresh dates, since you read the same file the county updates.
- Free or cheap files.
- The work: every county has different offices, formats and IDs.
What national providers give you
- One search across the country.
- Extra data such as skip tracing, estimated values and mortgage balances.
- Less detail about where each field came from, and delays while the provider refreshes.
When to use which
- You invest in one to a few counties: county data, fresher and more specific.
- You invest in many states: a national tool saves time.
- Many investors use both: a national tool for breadth and county data for the counties they work.
How we compare
We say plainly what a rival does better on each compare page. Our edge is the county source, the weekly refresh and a limited number of investors per county. Our limit is coverage: 99 counties, not the whole country.
Official sources and further reading
- USA.gov: find local government offices
- National Association of Counties
- International Association of Assessing Officers
Outside sites are run by their owners. General information, not legal or financial advice.
Questions
Is county data more accurate than national data?
It is the source, so it is accurate to what the county publishes. National providers can add value, but also delay or guess.
Are national lists shared with many investors?
Yes, usually. LeadCounty limits each county to a small number of investors.
Does LeadCounty cover every county?
No. It covers 99 counties. The county list shows which.
Which is cheaper?
Prices change. See each compare page for prices checked monthly.
How we make these guides
Written by the LeadCounty editorial and data team from official county, court and state sources and our own weekly counts. We name the office behind every number, say what we cannot see, and fix mistakes when you tell us. See our editorial standards and methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice. Refreshed weekly.
Find the owners behind these records.
Official county records, scored with reasons, refreshed weekly. 7-day free trial.
- 7 days free
- Explore: no card
- Full access: cancel before day 7, pay nothing
- Max 10 investors per county
