New 42-day free trial
Smarty

Geocoding update: Accuracy, census block and tract, PUID & more

Andrew Townsend
Andrew Townsend
 | 
August 4, 2023
Tags
Webinar Recap - Geocoding Update - Census Block, Tract, PUID, & More

Smarty™ has been creating top-notch address data tools since it's inception in 2011. A key part of providing the best location data and address data tools in the world is keeping those products at the cutting edge of the industry. We do this by adding new features, products, and solutions that our customers can use to improve their lives as often as we can.

In a recent webinar, our Chief Product Officer Berk Charlton outlined some of the newest features we've added to our US Rooftop Geocoding tool.

Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding

As of July 2023, Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding tool has a 97% rooftop/parcel accuracy. This means that when you search an address in the United States, we'll drop a pin on the actual rooftop of the building 97% of the time.

It's important to note that this includes sub-parcel accuracy, meaning if you have a single building with multiple addresses in it like apartment buildings or malls, we're able to drop a pin on the portion of the rooftop that belongs to that address.

Aside from this astounding accuracy, the remaining 3% of addresses can get down to a ZIP9 accuracy.

And we don't deliver false positives.

This means if we don't have an address, we tell you rather than pretend that we do. This is something to consider if you're dealing with large amounts of data in a geocoding tool.

New feature: Census block

In September of 2023, we'll be adding the 15-character 2020 Census Block to our US Master Address List. 

This information can be used to better understand the properties of the addresses in your database. For example, loan and mortgage compliance (CRA/HMDA) companies will need these codes in order to be compliant with federal lending practices. If you're working with Census demographics, this gives you the information you need all in one fell swoop. If you’re interested in learning how Smarty can help you, take a peek at our FFIEC Geocoding article.

If you're a current US Master Address List customer, you'll see these data points added in your next update.

New feature: SmartyKey™

We've added a persistent unique identifier to virtually every postal and non-postal address in the US. New SmartyKeys are added monthly for new addresses.

What is a persistent unique identifier you ask?

Persistent unique identifiers like SmartyKey are static and consistent identifiers that stick with an address making your database impervious to changes. For example, if the City name changes, the Street name changes, or if the ZIP Code changes.

If you're working with data blending—merging, appending, or deplucating—then having SmartyKey in your data makes everything much easier.

SmartyKey has already been added to our US datasets.

New product: Address Enrichment

Coming in the next several months, Smarty Address Enrichment will use the SmartyKey to link data from a variety of data sources including:

  • Property data attributes
  • Census block number
  • Political boundary attributes
  • Weather and climate data
  • P&C insurance risk attributes
  • More to come

This enriched data can turn your address database into a treasure trove of data.

If you're considering using geocoding tools, you may benefit from our ebook "8 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Geocoding API" that Berk mentioned during the session.

If you'd like to watch the full webinar recording, you can find that here.

Geocoding Feature Update: Accuracy, Census Block and Tract, Persistent Unique Identifier, and More Thumbnail

Subscribe to our blog!
Learn more about RSS feeds here.
rss feed icon
Subscribe Now
Read our recent posts
Smarty announces virtual user conference: Save the date for Pinpoint, by Smarty
Arrow Icon
OREM, UT, August 18, 2025—Smarty®, the leader in address data intelligence, is inviting developers, data decision-makers, and certified address nerds to join our first-ever 2-day virtual user conference: Pinpoint. This interactive online event will begin on November 11, 2025, and bring together a verifiably fun mix of industry experts, technical deep dives, and business-boosting insights. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of how address validation, geocoding, data enrichment, and autocomplete can solve their toughest data challenges—and maybe even score some sweet prizes while they’re at it.
How address data became Fabletics's (and others') secret sauce
Arrow Icon
Address data accuracy isn't just about getting mail delivered. Having quality address data will directly impact revenue, compliance, and customer experience. In a recent webinar, we explored real-world case studies showing how companies across industries leverage address verification and geocoding to solve expensive problems and unlock new opportunities. Healthcare data: Compliance and accuracy at scaleCuratus, a healthcare data provider, faced a critical challenge with provider directory accuracy.
Usage notifications | Get notified before hitting your lookup limit
Arrow Icon
Burning the end of a brisket can lead to some tasty results (we’re looking at you, burnt ends), but unexpectedly burning through your lookups? Not so appetizing. All users receive notifications when their API usage reaches 90% and 100%. To help users further leverage their lookups, Smarty’s cooked up a solution: the ability to get notification emails when usage reaches three additional intervals: 25%, 50%, and 70%. With these notifications working alongside usage by key and limit by key, you can manage your API usage better.

Ready to get started?