Strategic Markets.
Smarter Expansion.
Greater Opportunity.

ARC’s 2026 estimate places the 11-county region at about 5.34 million residents, adding roughly 53,690 people in one year.

The region issued 24,015 residential building permits in 2025.

There is no single Atlanta Metro zoning code. Density, dwelling size, setbacks and entitlements must be checked city-by-city and parcel-by-parcel.

Property-tax burden varies by city, county and school district. Georgia generally assesses real property at 40% of fair market value before local millage rates are applied.

Water, sewer, stormwater and tap fees vary by provider and candidate parcel.

Canton has cottage-home regulations, compact-housing initiatives and pre-approved ADU plans from 304 to 807 sq. ft.

The City of Canton kept its 2026 millage rate at 5.250 mills; county, school and other assessments are separate.

FY2026 lists a ¾-inch water connection at $1,500. A published residential sewer schedule lists $4,500 per detached home; verify the current sewer figure before underwriting.

FY2026 residential plan review begins at $100. Certificate of Occupancy is listed at $175 per building.

Engineering reviews subdivision plans, stormwater, utilities, right-of-way work and land-disturbance permits.

Dallas requires careful product matching. Standard R-1/R-2/R-3 one-story detached homes show a 1,500-sq.-ft. minimum in the researched table.

The City’s property-tax page lists a 6.5-mill city rate for 2025; verify the adopted 2026 city rate before underwriting.

Inside-city residential tap pricing lists $1,500 for water and $4,100 for sewer, plus the meter/MXU fee.

The 2026 building-permit schedule starts at a $100 minimum and then uses valuation-based fees; trade permits are additional.

Exact zoning, subdivision standards and land-use approvals must be confirmed before land control.

Statesboro’s 2025 UDC amendment defines a tiny home as 400–749 sq. ft.

Larger tiny-home developments can be pursued in medium- and high-density multifamily districts through a Special Use Permit.

The UDC includes cottage-court standards for multiple small dwellings around common open space.

The City published a tentative 2026 millage proposal of 9.600 mills; confirm the adopted rate before final underwriting.

Statesboro operates municipal water and sewer systems and publishes rate-and-fee schedules.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Ocala at 71,753 residents in 2025, up 12.7% from the April 2020 estimates base.

Ocala allows residential uses across multiple zoning districts, but there is no automatic citywide approval for a compact detached-home community. The exact parcel, unit type, density, setbacks and zoning path must be confirmed.

City code requires site-plan approval before construction of a new building or structure. Site plans address zoning, adjacent uses, density or intensity, building coverage and other development requirements.

The B-3C Community Redevelopment Area Mixed Use 2 district allows single-family, two-family and multifamily residential uses, with multifamily development up to 50 dwelling units per acre. This is a density signal, not automatic approval for the Smart Tech concept.

Ocala operates municipal water and wastewater systems. The city has an adopted water-and-sewer impact-fee schedule, and residential water/sewer rates are scheduled to increase 5% effective October 1, 2026.

Ocala held its final FY 2026/27 budget and millage hearing on September 15, 2026. The adopted city millage should be verified directly from the final resolution before underwriting a specific site.

Building and development review is handled through Ocala Growth Management, with electronic plan and permit submission available through the city’s ePlans/eTrackit process.

Ocala stays on the research list, but the strongest path is to screen parcels for zoning flexibility, utility capacity, subdivision/site-plan requirements, impact fees and compatibility with the final Smart Tech home sizes.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Zephyrhills at 22,447 residents in 2025, up 30.5% from the April 2020 estimates base.

Zephyrhills has multiple residential zoning districts with different density and lot standards. The City specifically recommends obtaining zoning verification before relying on the Land Development Code for a property purchase decision.

The City’s Planned Development district is intended to allow more creative and imaginative design than conventional zoning, subject to approval of site and use plans and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.

The City operates its own water and wastewater systems. The water system includes more than 14,000 meters and more than 300 miles of distribution piping.

The City publishes residential connection and impact fees. Its current fee page lists $2,400 sewer plus $1,140 water connection for townhomes/residential homes, along with separate park, public-safety, school and transportation impact fees.

The current FY 2025–2026 city millage rate is 6.25 mills. The FY 2026–2027 rate was still moving through the September 2026 budget process, so the final adopted rate should be verified before underwriting.

New development is subject to City planning and building review, and site-plan approval is part of the development process. Stormwater, utilities, subdivision status and other site-specific requirements must be evaluated.

Zephyrhills is worth retaining for deeper screening because of rapid population growth and the availability of a planned-development framework, but a Smart Tech compact-home community would still require the right parcel and an approved development path.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place San Marcos at 77,830 residents in 2025, up 14.9% from the April 2020 estimates base. The City’s own January 1, 2026 planning estimate is 91,082.

Texas State University reported a preliminary Fall 2026 enrollment of 47,513 students across its locations and programs, reinforcing San Marcos as a university-connected housing market.

San Marcos adopted a major update to its Land Development Code and Design Manual on June 16, 2026. Parcel screening should use the new 2026 code rather than older zoning assumptions.

Planning cases may involve zoning, subdivision, conditional use, alternative compliance, variances, site permits, watershed protection plans or public-improvement construction plans. The City recommends a pre-development meeting when requirements are uncertain.

The adopted FY2026 City property-tax rate is $0.6515 per $100 of taxable value. For FY2027, the City currently lists a proposed rate of $0.651500 per $100, so the final adopted FY2027 rate should be confirmed before underwriting.

San Marcos provides municipal water and wastewater service. Current inside-city utility rates are published by the City, and new development can also be subject to one-time water and wastewater impact fees.

San Marcos completed a 2026 water and wastewater impact-fee update process. The City states that the amended impact-fee ordinance was approved in September 2026, so the current adopted fee schedule should be used for project underwriting.

San Marcos is worth retaining for deeper site screening because of population growth, university demand and established development infrastructure, but compact-home feasibility must be confirmed against the 2026 code and exact parcel conditions.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Huntsville at 233,627 residents in 2025, up 8.7% from the April 2020 estimates base.

The City’s 2025 Development Review reports nearly 5,000 new housing units coming online in 2025 and 1,892 single-family lots approved by the Planning Commission, the highest number of such approvals since 2007.

Huntsville’s zoning ordinance was updated April 9, 2026. Rezoning requests require City review and approval through the established planning process.

The City’s Planned Development-Housing (PD-H) district can include detached, semi-detached, attached and multifamily dwellings. Residential density is established when the district is created.

The City states that its subdivision process takes about 120 days from start to finish when there are no major obstacles. Review addresses streets, drainage, sewerage, fire protection and availability of existing services.

Residential projects requiring plan approval move through Huntsville’s development-review system, with review depending on the project and site conditions.

Huntsville Utilities provides drinking-water service, while the City handles sanitary sewer access and permitting. The current City sewer-access schedule lists a $1,000 access fee for a 3/4-inch water-meter size.

Property taxes should be verified by parcel because Huntsville extends across more than one county and applicable county, school and municipal tax districts can vary.

Huntsville is worth retaining because population growth, housing demand and its PD-H framework create a credible path for deeper site screening. The strongest parcels will be those with compatible zoning, infrastructure capacity and a practical subdivision or planned-development route.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Bowie at 58,383 residents in 2025, essentially flat from the April 2020 estimates base (+0.1%).

Most development review is handled by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Prince George’s County Council. Bowie’s role is generally advisory, with limited delegated authority for certain variances, departures and plan revisions.

New homes and most major improvements require both Prince George’s County and City of Bowie permits. The County permit and approved plans are prerequisites for the City permit.

For FY2027, Bowie’s city property-tax rate is $0.5800 per $100 of assessed value. The City states the combined state, county and city rate for a Bowie resident is $1.8900 per $100.

Bowie has two service systems: some established neighborhoods use the City system, while most other areas use WSSC. The City notes that its own water system generally does not expand into newly developing areas.

City engineering review may apply to public rights-of-way, utility connections, stormwater management and sediment control. Disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more can trigger stormwater and sediment-control review.

Bowie offers strong regional positioning near Washington, D.C., but the approval path is layered and compact-home feasibility must be checked against Prince George’s County zoning and the exact parcel.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Charles County at 176,593 residents in 2025, up 6.0% from the April 2020 estimates base.

Median household income for 2020–2024 is listed at $122,816 in 2024 dollars, supporting continued screening for attainable and move-down housing demand.

Charles County’s 2025 Affordable Housing Report specifically identifies tiny-home communities as a housing concept for further study and notes that zoning changes may be needed to enable multiple tiny homes or reduce minimum residential square footage.

A 2026 zoning text amendment expanded and modernized accessory dwelling regulations for attached and detached housing types; the change became effective August 21, 2026.

Planning and Growth Management oversees zoning, subdivision, grading, site development, stormwater, utilities and building permits. Major residential and planned-development applications require a pre-submittal conference.

For FY2027, Charles County maintained a real-property tax rate of $1.141 per $100 of assessed value plus $0.064 for Fire and Rescue.

FY2027 adopted connection fees list $7,376 for a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch water connection and $13,799 for a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch sewer connection. These are important early underwriting costs.

Charles County is worth keeping on the Maryland shortlist because of recent population growth and its explicit policy interest in tiny-home communities, but the current zoning path for a full Smart Tech community still requires parcel-specific confirmation.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates place Anderson at 31,323 residents in 2025, up 6.3% from the April 2020 estimates base. Anderson County is also growing.

The Census Bureau lists Anderson’s 2020–2024 median owner-occupied home value at about $218,200, providing a more attainable housing-cost signal than higher-priced Upstate markets such as Greenville.

Anderson includes conventional residential districts, including an R-5 district with a 5,000-square-foot minimum lot. Exact housing type, setbacks and dimensional standards must be verified by parcel.

The City’s Planned Residential Development framework begins at 5 acres and allows applicants to propose elements such as density, lot size, minimum living floor area, open space and recreation as part of the development plan, subject to approval.

The City publishes residential utility connection fees, including a $1,500 residential 3/4-inch water tap and a $2,000 sewer tap, plus separate capacity fees that should be included in early underwriting.

Anderson is the strongest South Carolina first-wave screening city because it combines growth, a relatively attainable housing-cost signal and a planned-development path that may support a customized compact-home community.

Spartanburg County reached an estimated 380,857 residents in 2025, up 16.1% from the April 2020 estimates base, making the broader market one of the stronger growth stories in the Upstate.

Spartanburg city’s 2020–2024 median owner-occupied home value is about $203,700, supporting continued screening for attainable-housing and compact-community opportunities.

Development feasibility is highly parcel-specific because zoning, density, subdivision requirements, utilities and approval jurisdiction can differ between the City of Spartanburg and surrounding Spartanburg County.

Water, sewer and development fees must be confirmed for the exact service area and utility provider before underwriting a site.

Spartanburg is worth retaining as a secondary South Carolina market because of strong countywide growth and an attainable housing-cost signal, but it should be screened parcel-by-parcel rather than treated as an automatic compact-home fit.