is 50/50 ent res really the best? for instance, a theo techer has a population bonus as it is so what if i went heavier with ent than res and had a significantly higher per capita

You are correct. Mathematically, 11:10 building ratio is better, but this assumes that your bus/res techs are equal.

Your PCI obviously is higher, because PCI is calculated from your ent buildings and bus tech.

You population however, goes down, since you have less res buildings. The thing is you want to maximize your (PCI * Population * tax rate), and everyone knows that the maximum area of a quadrilateral with a fixed perimeter is basically a square.

Food upkeep is the only factor that shifts it slightly off-square.

i mean, i know the formula and all that im just curious as to preference or what is the most efficient way.

Just told you, roughly 11:10 building ratio.

Fair enough, thanks for the tips.