How to identify the right level of geocoding

Geocoding can unlock valuable business intelligence that is hiding in your address data. But how do you know what level of geocoding you would benefit from the most? Do you need rooftop data? Or maybe you just need parcel data? What about ZIP 9 geocodes?

These are the questions Adam Charlton, one of Smarty's genius geocoding developers, set out to answer in his recent webinar.

What is geocoding?

Geocoding most typically means appending a latitude and longitude to a named location like an address. For example:

Smarty Headquarters 2335 S State St, Provo, UT 84606 Latitude: 40.202643 Longitude: -111.621959

How accurate is my geocode?

Much like a database, your geocode will only be as accurate as the data—or address—you give it. Many geocoding tools also validate your addresses to ensure that you have the most accurate geocoding possible. However, depending on the level or quality of the geocoding tool your coordinates may be on different points of the property.

Levels of geocodes

There are many different levels of geocodes, but in his webinar, Adam went over six of them:

1. Rooftop
2. Parcel or property
3. Streetfront
4. Interpolated streetfront
5. ZIP9, ZIP+4, or street segment
6. Various area-level geocoding

These are listed in decreasing order of accuracy.

Want to try rooftop geocoding?

The most accurate, and therefore useful—level of geocoding is rooftop accuracy. Smarty offers rooftop geocoding combined with the #1 address validation tool in the world. You can try US Rooftop Geocoding for free here.

View the webinar recording