01 Early Game — Survival Economics

At the start, every dollar matters. Zone small, keep services minimal. Your first priorities: electricity, water, sewage. Skip hospitals and police until citizen happiness drops.

Target: positive income within 5 minutes of gameplay.

02 Tax Rate Sweet Spots

• Residential: 10-12% — higher causes emigration
• Commercial: 10-13% — shops are more tax-tolerant
• Industrial: 12-15% — industry generates the most per tile

03 Service Timing — The Budget Killer

Schools, hospitals, fire stations — these are expensive. Only place them when demand icons appear over buildings. One elementary school covers a surprisingly large area.

04 Specialised Industry = Cash Flow

Farming, forestry, ore, and oil industries earn more than generic industry. Place specialised zones on matching resource tiles and connect them to cargo exports for maximum income.

05 Mid-Game to Late-Game

Once population exceeds 20k with stable income, the economy largely runs itself. Focus shifts to optimising service coverage and reducing redundancy. Two well-placed fire stations beat five poorly placed ones.