Zillow Transaction and Assessment Database (ZTRAX), United States, 1940-2020 (ICPSR 39652)

Version Date: Jan 27, 2026

Cite this study |

Principal Investigator(s):
Zillow

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39652.v2

Version V2 ()

  • V2 [2026-01-27]
  • V1 [2026-01-26] unpublished
Slide tabs to view more

Summary

The Zillow Transaction and Assessment Database (ZTRAX) is the country's largest collection of real estate data. Zillow makes the data available in the interest of greater transparency in the real estate market.

ZTRAX's temporal coverage varies greatly by county. Some counties have digitized records extending back to the early 1990s, whereas other counties have only provided data to the mid-2000s. In Zillow's work analyzing these data to create home value indices, they have found sample sizes are sufficient for most areas going back to April 1996.

Zillow sources ZTRAX from a major large third-party provider and supplemented through an internal Zillow initiative called "County Direct." The data coverage gaps inherited through the third-party source are due to county recording procedures, as well as the data collection process of that third party. Changes to the collection process have occurred over time due to mergers and other organizational changes, as well as process improvements. Because of the gaps in coverage, Zillow instituted its County Direct program. This program prioritizes counties on a variety of characteristics and supplements the third-party coverage by collecting data directly from county assessor and recorder's offices.

These data include:

  • More than 400 million detailed public records across 2,750+ U.S. counties;
  • More than 20 years of deed transfers, mortgages, foreclosures, auctions, property tax delinquencies, and more, for both commercial and residential properties;
  • Property characteristics, geographic information, and prior valuations for approximately 150 million parcels in 3,100+ counties nationwide.
ZTRAX does not contain:
  • Zestimates
  • Rent data (such as rent prices)
  • Listing data (such as time on market)
  • User search data
The ZTrax data will be updated approximately twice per year.

These datasets are very large. Researchers wishing to use the data should plan to download subsets containing only the geographic areas in which they are specifically interested. ICPSR suggests going to the following resources for examples of code for utilizing the ZTRAX data. Please note that code will need to be updated based on local pathnames, files included, and the like: These data are now solely distributed through ICPSR. Users can begin the process of applying to access the data using the button on the study homepage.

Citation

Zillow. Zillow Transaction and Assessment Database (ZTRAX), United States, 1940-2020. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2026-01-27. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR39652.v2

Export Citation:

  • RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
  • EndNote

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Restrictions

To protect respondent privacy, the data are restricted from general dissemination. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete an Agreement for the Use of Confidential Data, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research.

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
Hide

Time Period(s)

1940 -- 2020

Data Collection Notes

  1. The following are inappropriate uses of ZTRAX data and will not be permitted:
    • Research based on personally identifiable data taken from the public records or any use of the data to contact or market to individuals.
    • Research that combines ZTRAX data with any third-party data source to identify any individual.
    • Research done for (or in conjunction with) a commercial enterprise.
    • Research not affiliated with a known educational institution, non-profit, government entity, or policy organization.
    • Use in any combination with any other databases without the correct attribution to ZTRAX.
Hide

Unit(s) of Observation

Individual Property Parcels: The core unit, with unique identifiers linking transaction data (e.g., sale price, date, mortgage) to assessment data (e.g., property features, location, land use).

Property Transactions: Specific events like deed transfers, foreclosures, or tax delinquencies on parcels.

Data Type(s)

Hide

Original Release Date

2026-01-26

Version History

2026-03-16 Improved the documentation to accurately reflect the available data tables available in the current data release.

2026-01-27 Corrected the release structure and type so that the application process works properly. No visible change to the data.

Hide

Notes