Carolina Redesign · Research Series
Not all land pays its own way. Using the Strong Towns / Urban3 per-acre framework applied to real SC parcel data, we measure whether the way our cities are built can actually afford itself — and who is being asked to make up the difference.
The Framework
Per-acre tax productivity
Annual property tax revenue divided by total city polygon acres. Measures whether the built environment is generating enough revenue to sustain itself.
Assessment equity
Effective assessment ratio = county assessed value ÷ arm's-length sale price. Reveals whether the tax burden falls proportionally across price tiers and geographies.
Ownership structure
Corporate, absentee, institutional, and civic classifications on every parcel. Tracks whether residential real estate is shifting from homes to assets.
Data sources
SCDOT statewide parcel service (all 46 SC counties), Census TIGER boundaries, ACS demographics, and arm's-length sales records from county GIS.
Cities Analyzed
Each city analysis produces a written report, an interactive dashboard, and — where data permits — assessment equity and investor ownership breakdowns. All analyses use the same pipeline and methodology, making cities directly comparable on a per-acre basis.