Apartments Near Transit Generate More Tax Revenue

A study from the Urban Land Institute shows developments near transit generate almost twice as many tax dollars per dollar spent.

1 minute read

February 9, 2017, 11:00 AM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Del Mar Station TOD

GTD Aquitaine / Wikimedia Commons

A survey of 10,000 developments found a significant difference in tax revenue between developments near transit and transit further from transit. "In the Washington region, apartments near train stops and bus routes bring in more tax money for cities and counties than apartments farther away from the same resources," Susan Balding writes in Greater Greater Washington. "If these apartments had been farther away from transportation, the study found, they would have generated less revenue—between $0.77 and $1.35 for every $1 spent," Balding writes.

Those who oppose transit oriented developments often cite the stress additional density would put on schools. Balding argues that the additional dollars would be more important to the schools than the savings they might reap from serving a smaller group.

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