In an earlier blog, we confirmed that the number of new homes added to Hillsborough County’s tax rolls is more than sufficient to accommodate new families moving into the area. In this blog, we analyze 590 subdivision phases to determine the median acreage allocated to residential units.

What is a subdivision?

A subdivision is a parcel of land that has been surveyed and divided into lots for individual sale. Each parcel in the parcel feature class includes a subdivision phase attribute (e.g., “SUB”). For example, in 2016, 24 parcels were developed in the Lucaya Lake Club 1C subdivision phase, while in 2019, 120 parcels were developed in the Lucaya Lake Club Ph 3 subdivision phase. For this analysis, each subdivision phase is treated as a separate entity.

Key Takeaways

1. Residential Acreage Allocation: On average, 51.50% of subdivision acreage is allocated to residential use, but this varies significantly across jurisdictions, reflecting differing land use priorities and environmental constraints.
2. Unincorporated Hillsborough County Dominance: Nearly 90% of the studied subdivisions were in unincorporated Hillsborough County, showcasing its role as the primary driver of residential development in the area.
3. Nonresidential Acreage Importance: Nonresidential acreage, such as wetlands, retention ponds, and amenities, plays a crucial role in making subdivisions sustainable and desirable, even when it reduces the residential share.
4. Subdivision Size Differences: Plant City’s subdivisions tend to have larger phases (67.10 acres on average), while Temple Terrace’s are smaller (12.41 acres), reflecting distinct development patterns.
5. Environmental Considerations: Subdivisions with low residential shares often allocate land to critical nonresidential uses, like flood control and open spaces, ensuring long-term community viability.

Subdivision Phase Selection Criteria

The sample consists of 590 subdivision phases that meet the following criteria:

1. Primarily single-family homes
2. Earliest construction year is 2015
3. At least 10 residences built

Parcel Counts and Acreage

As shown in Table 1 and Figure 1, 89% of the subdivision phases were built in unincorporated Hillsborough County. On average, there were 84 parcels per subdivision phase. Figure 1 illustrates that Plant City had the highest average parcel count per subdivision phase (148 parcels), while Temple Terrace had the lowest (45 parcels).

Table 1 – Parcel Counts for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Subdivisions	Percent	Parcel Counts	Percent	Residential Parcels	Percent	Nonresidential Parcels	Percent	Residential Share	Nonresidential Share	Average Parcels per Subdivision Phase
Plant City	11	1.86%	1,623	3.28%	1,605	3.31%	18	1.89%	98.89%	1.11%	148
Tampa	48	8.14%	2,169	4.38%	2,094	4.31%	75	7.89%	96.54%	3.46%	45
Temple Terrace	4	0.68%	252	0.51%	247	0.51%	5	0.53%	98.02%	1.98%	63
Unincorporated Hillsborough County	527	89.32%	45,447	91.83%	44,594	91.87%	853	89.70%	98.12%	1.88%	86
Total	590	100.00%	49,491	100.00%	48,540	100.00%	951	100.00%	98.08%	1.92%	84

Figure 1.  Average Parcel Counts for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Table 2 and Figures 2a and 2b show that the average acreage for a subdivision phase is 26.04 acres, excluding roads. Plant City had the largest average acreage per subdivision phase (67.10 acres), while Temple Terrace had the smallest (12.41 acres). Residential acreage accounted for 51.50% of the total acreage in subdivision phases. This allocation ranged from 34.77% in Plant City to 67.57% in Temple Terrace. Nonresidential acreage, which supports homes (e.g., clubhouses, sports facilities, open space, retention ponds), is essential for enhancing the desirability and functionality of these subdivision phases.

Table 2 – Parcel Acreage for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Subdivisions	Percent	Acreage	Percent	Residential Acreage	Percent	Nonresidential Acreage	Percent	Residential Share	Nonresidential Share	Average Acreage per Subdivision Phase
Plant City	11	1.86%	738.08	4.80%	256.65	3.44%	481.44	6.09%	34.77%	65.23%	67.10
Tampa	48	8.14%	884.92	5.76%	284.43	3.82%	600.50	7.59%	32.14%	67.86%	18.44
Temple Terrace	4	0.68%	49.63	0.32%	33.54	0.45%	16.10	0.20%	67.57%	32.43%	12.41
Unincorporated Hillsborough County	527	89.32%	13,688.61	89.11%	6,875.63	92.29%	6,812.98	86.12%	50.23%	49.77%	25.97
Total	590	100.00%	15,361.25	100.00%	7,450.23	100.00%	7,911.01	100.00%	48.50%	51.50%	26.04

Figure 2a.  Average Acres for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Figure 2b.  Residential and Nonresidential Acreage for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Residential Units

Since 2015, 45,966 residential units have been built across these subdivision phases. Most of these units (42,650) were built in unincorporated Hillsborough County, averaging 81 units per subdivision phase. Plant City had the highest average residential units per subdivision phase (96 units), while Temple Terrace had the lowest (42 units). Table 3 and Figure 3 provide a detailed breakdown of residential unit statistics by jurisdiction.

Table 3 – Residential Unit Statistics for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Subdivisions Phases	Percent	2023 Residential Units	Percent	Average 2023 Residential Units	Minimum	First Quartile	Median	Third Quartile	Maximum
Plant City	11	1.86%	1,060	2.31%	96	14	23	116	139	261
Tampa	48	8.14%	2,090	4.55%	44	10	14	35	64	126
Temple Terrace	4	0.68%	166	0.36%	42	10	12	36	69	96
Unincorporated Hillsborough County	527	89.32%	42,650	92.79%	81	10	38	63	103	557
Total	590	100.00%	45,966	100.00%	78	10	36	60	100	557

Figure 3.  Residential and Nonresidential Acreage for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Residential Acreage Share

The average share of subdivision phase acreage allocated to residential units is 58.41%, ranging from 6% to 100%. Plant City had the lowest average share (51.80%), while Temple Terrace had the highest (68.41%). These differences reflect varying land use priorities and environmental constraints. See Table 4 and Figures 4a and 4b.

Table 4 – Statistics for Residential Share of Subdivision Phase Acreage

Jurisdiction	Average	Minimum	First Quartile	Median	Third Quartile	Maximum
Plant City	51.80%	18%	31%	44%	69%	98%
Tampa	54.46%	11%	36%	59%	70%	100%
Temple Terrace	68.41%	51%	55%	67%	80%	88%
Unincorporated Hillsborough County	58.83%	6%	42%	59%	73%	100%
Total	58.41%	6%	42%	59%	73%	100%

Figure 4a.  Residential and Nonresidential Acreage for Sample Subdivision Phases by Jurisdiction

Figure 4b.  590 Subdivision Phases with Residential Units Built Since 2015 by Residential Share of Acreage

Insights from Subdivisions with Low Residential Shares

We inspected the subdivision phases with the lowest residential shares to understand their land use patterns:

1. North Park Isle Phase 2a (Plant City)**: 18.43% residential share, with significant land dedicated to flood control and open space. (Figure 5a)
2. K Bar Ranch Parcel C (Tampa)**: 11.26% residential share, largely occupied by wetlands. (Figure 5b)
3. Sagebrook (Temple Terrace)**: 51.49% residential share, with nonresidential acreage allocated to open space. (Figure 5c)
4. Laurel Lakes (Seffner)**: 5.91% residential share, townhomes were placed on the highest strip of land.  The rest of the subdivision phase is  dominated by low-lying wetlands and retention ponds. (See Figure 5d).

Figure 5a.  North Park Isle Phase 2A (D0E)

Figure 5b.  K Bar Ranch Parcel C (A9S)

Figure 5c.  Sagebrook (B77)

Figure 5b.  Laurel Lakes (C74)

Conclusion

This analysis of 590 subdivision phases highlights significant variations in residential and nonresidential land use. Plant City’s subdivision phases had the lowest residential acreage share (51.80%), while Temple Terrace had the highest (68.41%). The nonresidential acreage in many subdivisions serves critical roles, such as flood control and providing amenities, underscoring its importance for sustainable and attractive residential development.