How the Rural Economy Benefits All of Loudoun

The farms and open space of Western Loudoun generate more tax revenues than they demand in services from county taxpayers. The rural economy is a net generator of income to the county treasury.

Preserving farmland and the rural character of Western Loudoun keeps taxes down for all the taxpayers of the county, in the east and west alike. By maintaining rural and agricultural lands, the county and its taxpayers save money.

Residential development costs the government more money in services than it makes from taxes.  Every new house that is built in Loudoun costs Loudoun taxpayers:

•  More than $15,000 in new school construction costs (one time cost)
•  More than $5,000/year to pay additional teachers’ salaries and related educational costs
•  More than $1,000/year to pay additional police and fire personnel costs
•  Many thousands more in road construction costs and other services (parks, recreation, libraries, mental health, senior services)
  ______________________
  TOTAL Taxpayer Cost per House: Over $6,000/year + $15,000 for school construction

For every three-acre piece of farmland that remains undeveloped in Western Loudoun, Loudoun's taxpayers are saving money. It also means fewer cars on the roads, less traffic congestion, and less need for multi-million dollar highway expansion projects.

Sources:
FY05 County of Loudoun Adopted Fiscal Plan, Loudoun County, Virginia; available at http://www.loudoun.gov/budget/fiscal05.htm.

2000 Census of the United States, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics, Loudoun County, Virginia; available at factfinder.census.gov.

Data based on:
School operating cost per pupil in FY05: $10,489
Capital costs for a new elementary school: $16.7 million; capacity 800 students = $20,962 per pupil
Capital costs for a new middle school: $30.65 million; capacity 1189 students* =
$25,778 per pupil
Capital costs for a new high school: $59.45 million; capacity 1600 students* =
$37,156 per pupil

* Please note that the School Board recently increased the size of middle schools to 1350 students and high schools to 1800.

Average family size in Loudoun County: 3.24
Percent of households with children under 18: 45.1
So each household has 0.56 children
[Note this is a significant underestimate, since purchasers of new homes are disproportionately families with children.]

Fire and rescue budget: $29,513,000
Sheriff's department budget: $43,628,000
Total: $301/person (Average household is 2.82 = $850 per household)