Maury County's county seat and one of Middle Tennessee's fastest-growing cities — located 45 miles south of Nashville along I-65 — with nearly 6,000 new rooftops in the pipeline and Maury County's $1.50/sq ft Development Tax applying to every new residential permit.
Columbia is Maury County's county seat and one of the fastest-growing cities in Tennessee, located approximately 45 miles south of Nashville along the I-65 corridor. With a 2025 population estimated at ~50,000 residents and growing at over 3% annually, Columbia has transformed from a historic manufacturing center into a high-velocity residential growth market. The city is the anchor of Maury County — Tennessee's fastest-growing county — and sits at the intersection of Nashville commuter demand, strong manufacturing employment, and land costs significantly below those in Williamson County to the north. Nearly 6,000 new rooftops are expected in Columbia in the coming years, with builders like M/I Homes already active in new communities starting from the mid-$400s.
Columbia's economy has diversified rapidly with the arrival of major industrial anchors. The Ultium Cells EV battery plant — a $2.5 billion General Motors and LG Energy Solutions joint venture in nearby Spring Hill — and a pipeline of advanced manufacturing investments have brought thousands of new jobs to Maury County, directly driving housing demand in Columbia. The city's revitalized downtown arts district, Duck River Riverwalk, Columbia State Community College, and proximity to Maury Regional Medical Center anchor a quality-of-life profile that has accelerated in-migration from Middle Tennessee's more expensive northern suburbs.
On the fee side, every new residential permit in Columbia triggers a city building permit fee of $0.60/SF (covering all space under roof, inclusive of plumbing, gas, and mechanical), plus a 25% plan-checking fee on permits requiring plan review. Maury County's Development Tax of $1.50/SF — enacted November 1, 2024 under Resolution No. 08-24-38, replacing the prior $0.50/SF private-act AFT — stacks on every permit and is collected by the Maury County Building & Zoning Office. On a 2,000 SF home, total city and county fees reach approximately $4,200. Columbia does not currently levy a separate city-level impact fee.
This is an estimate only. Fees often change on an annual basis. Contact each municipality to confirm before finalizing your estimates. See an error? Report it here
Every Columbia building permit triggers Maury County's County Development Tax of $1.50 per square foot, enacted effective November 1, 2024 under Resolution No. 08-24-38. This replaced the prior private-act Adequate Facilities Tax of $0.50/SF — tripling the per-SF residential development charge countywide. The Development Tax is collected by the Maury County Building & Zoning Office and applies to all new residential development within the county, including within Columbia city limits.
Local reporting and public records covering Columbia's development landscape, housing market, and Maury County development fee policy.
Bristol Development Group announced plans for The Drake, a mixed-use development in downtown Columbia featuring residential units alongside bakeries, coffee shops, and retail. The developer cited Williamson County's substantial impact fees and increasingly restrictive zoning policies as a key driver pushing new development into Maury County and Columbia specifically.
Read Full ArticleThe Maury County Admin Committee voted to advance a resolution implementing the new Development Tax authorized by House Bill 2426, which allows qualifying high-growth counties to raise their adequate facilities tax to $1.50/SF. County Attorney Daniel Murphy flagged potential legal questions around the interaction with Maury's existing private act, but the board moved forward with scheduled Commission votes for August and September. The new $1.50/SF rate — up from $0.50/SF — took effect November 1, 2024.
Read Full ArticleMaury County Mayor Sheila Butt and Rutherford County commissioners were among the most visible advocates for the Property Taxpayer Protection Act, which sought to let counties impose new fees on residential development to cover infrastructure costs. Maury County leaders argued that new residential development consistently costs more in services than it generates in property tax revenue — a theme driving both the Development Tax adoption in 2024 and ongoing discussions about city-level impact fee authority in Columbia and surrounding communities.
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