Location - up north it usually is, as the frost line is a lot deeper into the ground - down south where the possibility of in ground freezing is much less (I live in NC) it is by the road. I have some meters that have over 100 feet of pipe on the customer side.

Many residential meters just have digits - and typically you will see after them a (000) which indicates a multiplier. Digit movement would usually take so much water... An easier way, if your meter has them, is see if you have a sweep hand on the meter - any movement at all when everything is off and there is water…