This section is from the book "Principles Of City Land Values", by Richard M. Hurd. Also available from Amazon: Principles of city land values.
City population. | Best business, per front ft. | Best residences, per front ft. |
25,000 | $300 to $400 | $25 to $40 |
50,000 | 600 to 1.000 | 40 to 75 |
100,000 | 1,200 to 2,000 | 75 to 150 |
150,000 | 1,500 to 2,500 | 100 to 200 |
200,000 | 1,800 to 3,000 | 100 to 300 |
300,000 | 2.500 to 4.500 | 200 to 500 |
600,000 | 4.000 to 7.000 | 500 to 1,000 |
1,000.000 | 7.000 to 10.000 | 700 to 1.500 |
2,000,000 | 9.000 to 16,000 | 1.000 to 2.000 |
3.500.000 | 18.000 to 35.000 | 4.000 to 9.000 |
The proportion between land values due to different utilities varies widely indifferent cities, evidencing the response of special sections to special forces. Thus the best business and the best residence land in the same city shows in New York, with $35,000 per front foot for business and $9,000 per front foot for residence land, a proportion of about 4 to 1; in Buffalo with $4,500 for business land and $500 for residence land a proportion of 9 to 1; in Minneapolis with $2,500 for business and $100 for residence land a proportion of 25 to 1; and in Seattle with $2,000 for business and $100 for residence, a proportion of 20 to 1. When we turn to southern cities, Richmond with $1,600 for business and $300 for residence shows a proportion of 5 to 1, and Atlanta with $2,000 for the best business and $200 for the best residence, a proportion of 10 to 1.
Minneapolis. Business section. Figures represent value of corners, for lot of average width and depth, in dollars per front foot.
As explaining this difference between western and southern cities, business is active and progressive in western cities, producing high business values,while residences are scattered by the trolley and are not held together by the old-establshed residence sections, whereas in southern cities the scale of business operations is less, partly owing to the diminished purchasing power of the negroes, resulting in low business values, while residence values are raised by the greater importance attached to social considerations and the greater age of the cities. The abnormally high values of residence property in New York testifies to its limited quantity and to the keen demand for it on the part of the many millionaires who make New York their home.
Heavy wholesale property responds but feebly to increased population, varying from $100 to $400 in value in cities of 300,-000 people or under. Where values run above these figures the property would include some retail feature. The proportion of value between the best retail land and the best wholesale is, therefore, one which increases with the size of the city, ranging from 4 to 1 in the smaller cities, up to 10 to 1 in the largest. As examples of the value of the best retail, best wholesale and best residence land in various cities, the following list of front foot values is submitted.
Population. | Best retail. | Best wholesale. | Best residence. | |
New York.......... | ,3,437,202 | $18,000 | $3,000 | $9,000 |
Financial land | .............. | 35,000 | • • • • • | • • • • • |
Chicago.......... | .1,698,575 | 15,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
Financial land | ................... | 8,000 | • • • • • | • • • |
Philadelphia.......... | .1 293,697 | 11,000 | ......... | 2,000 |
Washington........ | . 278,718 | 5,000 | • • • • • | 500 |
Louisville............. | 204,731 | 1,700 | 400 | 150 |
Minneapolis........... | 202,718 | 2,500 | 400 | 100 |
Indianapolis........... | 169,164 | 2,500 | 400 | 150 |
Kansas City............. | 163,752 | 2,500 | 450 | 150 |
St. Paul........... | . 163,065 | 1,800 | 400 | 150 |
Denver........... | , 133,859 | 1,800 | 250 | 100 |
Toledo.......... | , 131.822 | 2,000 | 300 | 150 |
Memphis...... | . 102,320 | 2,000 | 400 | 60 |
Portland, Ore.... | 90,426 | 1,600 | 300 | 70 |
Atlanta.......... | 89,872 | 2,000 | 400 | 200 |
Richmond.......... | 85,050 | 1,800 | 150 | 200 |
Seattle.............. | , 80,671 | 2,000 | 400 | 80 |
Des Moines...... | . 62,139 | 1,500 | 200 | 75 |
Salt Lake City... | 53,531 | 1,400 | 200 | 75 |
Duluth.............. | 52,969 | 1,000 | 300 | 65 |
Spokane........... | 36,848 | 800 | 200 | 60 |
 
Continue to: