Limestone County’s residential and business base has boomed over the last 10 years and there is seemingly no end in sight.

Portions of the county that aren’t annexed continue to be eyed by Athens, Huntsville, Madison and Decatur for possible development hot spots. Fertile fields that were once home to rows of cotton, corn and soybeans are now being gobbled up by developers of two-story homes with all the modern amenities.

The most recent U.S. Census data shows the city of Huntsville added more than 10,000 residents between 2010 and 2015. The city of Madison added 4,000. Both cities have added significant revenue to Limestone County’s coffers through annexation and development.

It’s part of the reason for an ongoing lawsuit between school systems here and Madison City Schools over school tax funding. That lawsuit is now in mediation as all parties work toward an amicable solution.

What’s the draw?

A big reason why Limestone County’s property taxes are on the rise is because of the county’s seemingly strong economy, overall affordability and low tax rates.

Housing developers like unincorporated parts of the county because strict inspection guidelines that exist in Madison, Huntsville and Athens don’t apply there. Similarly, those who want to do what they want with their property have complete freedom if they live outside a municipality and aren’t bound by homeowner’s association regulations.

There are plenty of other attractive qualities about Limestone County, however. For starters, there are only a handful of counties in the state with a lower unemployment rate. Limestone’s December jobless rate was 5.2 percent, which represented 2,180 unemployed persons.

The housing market is also strong, represented by a low foreclosure rate and a low housing volume.

According to HUD.com, there were 88 Limestone County homes or tracts of land on the market in pre-foreclosure or foreclosure as of early February. That’s compared to more than 800 for the Huntsville and Madison County market and 137 for the Decatur and Morgan County market.

In terms of available housing, supply is down in Limestone County. According to the University of Alabama’s Alabama Center for Real Estate, or ACRE, there were 129 homes sold in December 2016 as compared to 78 in December 2015.

Comparatively speaking, there were 108 homes sold in the Decatur market (88 in 2015) and 494 in the Huntsville and Madison County market (475 in December 2015). Limestone County’s year-over-year ratio was substantially better than neighboring markets at 65 percent.

Affordability of houses and land

One reason why Limestone County is attractive to buyers is overall housing affordability. The median value of an owner-occupied house from 2011-2015 was $142,100 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which is just slightly higher than median statewide values. The median rent was $616 per month during the same time.

According to ACRE, Alabama’s median home prices experienced a 6 percent rise in 2016 to $141,442, compared to $133,991 during 2015. In December, the group reported the median sales price for a home in Limestone County was $177,900, an increase of 1.1 percent from the previous December. It was a 3.1 percent increase from November.

Those who would rather purchase a tract of land to build the home of their dreams are also in luck. In 2015, Limestone County was the cheapest place in Alabama to purchase land, according to findthehome.com.

The average price per square foot was 38 cents with the average lot size being 79,120 square feet. The average sale price per lot, the website said, was $20,499.

Insuring your home is also relatively inexpensive in Limestone County compared to other parts of the state. According to valuepenguin.com, the average annual cost of homeowner’s insurance in Athens is $2,021, compared to $1,963 in Huntsville, $2,020 in Decatur and $2,040 in Madison. The cheapest is $1,881 in Vestavia Hills while the most expensive is $4,609 in Fairhope.

The average in Alabama is $2,327. Fairhope and Mobile’s rates are higher because they are located on water.

Other factors

In a 2016 survey by Niche.com, Limestone County was voted the third-best county in Alabama to raise a family and third-best county to purchase a home. Niche ranked Athens 14th in the state as the best place to raise a family, eighth as the best place to retire and 18th as the best place to buy a house.

In terms of crime and safety, Niche awarded Limestone County a grade of A+.

Website bestplaces.net broke down a number of other factors that work in Limestone County’s favor:

• Cost of living: Compared to the rest of the country, Limestone County’s cost of living is 8 percent lower than average;

• Transportation: The average commute time is 23 minutes. The national average is 26 minutes.

Statewide appeal

Alabama as a whole consistently ranks in the top five out of all 50 states in terms of a low cost of living. National polling groups have also ranked Athens and Limestone County high in terms of its school system and public safety.

A 2016 CNBC poll ranked Alabama fourth among all states in the category of cost of living, which was six slots higher than a similar survey conducted in 2015. These costs were factored into the overall poll standing:

• Half gallon of milk: $2.46

• T-bone steak: $10.88

• Monthly energy bill: $181.58

• Doctor visit: $78.67

The same poll also ranked Alabama 17th for cost of doing business, up two slots from prior year.