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Zoning and (property) taxation can vary all over the country. Some places just don't zone property for tax-free uses. For example, Highland Park, Texas, does not have any churches. They are all in Dallas or University Park. Highland Park Methodist actually has its water and sewer hookup in University Park.
YMCA's often get flak from commercial health clubs, since they pay taxes and the YMCA often doesn't. Many times, the YMCA has to do extra community service stuff, to get permission to expand, remodel, etc.
It always helps to separate out the commercial part (like a church bookstore) from the non-commercial part. My college (Rensselaer) had a huge ice skating school, that ran as a tax-exempt for years, until the IRS made them pay income taxes, and the school pay the city for taxable use.
A lot of this stuff boils down to how good a lawyer you have. So, don't skimp. Many cities - Colorado Springs is an example - have lots of non-profit organizations, and the officers of those orgs get tax-free housing. There's about a thousand tax-free houses in Colorado Springs, and this is a serious hit on the city budget.
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