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2 | P a g e <br />Understanding Little Canada’s Local Economy <br />Executive Summary <br />This report provides a data-driven assessment of Little Canada’s regional economic role, land use <br />patterns, fiscal productivity, housing structure, and retail performance. It consolidates <br />employment, tax, zoning, and market data into a single reference document to inform long-term <br />planning, economic development strategy, and policy discussions. <br /> <br />The report does not advance a single policy recommendation; rather, it clarifies how land <br />allocation, development form, and tax structure shape the city’s fiscal and economic position. <br /> <br />Key Findings <br />1. Little Canada operates as a regional employment center with steady long-term job <br />growth. <br /> <br />2. The city is deeply integrated into the metropolitan labor market and functions as a net <br />importer of workers. <br /> <br />3. Commercial, industrial, and higher-density residential districts generate substantially <br />more tax revenue per acre than lower-density residential districts. <br /> <br />4. R-1 zoning occupies a disproportionate share of buildable land relative to its tax <br />contribution. <br /> <br />5. Smaller single-family lots generate substantially more tax revenue per acre than larger <br />lots. <br /> <br />6. Class 4A apartment properties generate more than double the tax revenue per acre and <br />approximately four times the tax revenue per unit compared to Class 4D properties. <br /> <br />7. The highest individual tax contributors are concentrated in higher-intensity residential, <br />industrial, and corridor-based commercial properties. <br /> <br />8. Retail sales exceed expectations overall, though leakage persists in key everyday <br />categories. <br /> <br />Next Steps <br />This report should inform: <br />• Economic Development Authority strategic goals <br />• Evaluation and sale of city-owned parcels