Baton Rouge 17th Fastest-Growing City in U.S.

[holloway1010]

Metropolitan Baton Rouge is officially made up of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Ascension, Pointe Coupee, and Iberville Parishes and the population estimate for this area in 2006 was about 760,000.

[imaterry78259]

The New Orleans and Baton Rouge MSA could merge and become a powerhouse in the South

[Caa]

In my opinion, Baton Rouge us just about back to what it once was, a nice town with friendly people. The only thing I notice is that most unkind people tend to be the ones from NO area. Maybe they are bitter etc about losing their home, but it is not nice to bring rudeness to a town like this one. I moved here 5 months before the storm and loved it. Now I am a bit disappointed in the people that are not as nice, but I am living with it. I heard that Baton Rouge population took in about 25,000 people but that the other parishes took in more which means that more people work in Baton Rouge which makes the trafffic bad during the week, but unbusy during the weekend, in my opinion. I wish that the hurricane never happened for many reasons, but those of us who were here before the storm, just ahve to make the best of BR and make it even better.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by holloway1010

Metropolitan Baton Rouge is officially made up of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, East Feliciana, St. Helena, Livingston, Ascension, Pointe Coupee, and Iberville Parishes and the population estimate for this area in 2006 was about 760,000.

I disagree on the inclusion of East Feliciana, Iberville, St. Helena, and Pointe Coupee as "Metropolitan", but then again, I think of a metropolitan area as a place whose people work in BR and drive in from various suburbs.

I would agree, however that these parishes are in the BR media market.

[Ronald120]

Originally Posted by BRMan

I disagree on the inclusion of East Feliciana, Iberville, St. Helena, and Pointe Coupee as "Metropolitan", but then again, I think of a metropolitan area as a place whose people work in BR and drive in from various suburbs.

I would agree, however that these parishes are in the BR media market.

Well, East Feliciana, Iberville, and St. Helena all touch the borders of East Baton Rouge Parish (Iberville from the south along Nicholson, East Feliciana from the north, and St. Helena from the northeast near Greenwell Springs Road) so I don't see why those parishes shouldn't be considered within the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. It's just that those areas are highly rural; likewise, there's sizable amount of rural area within East Baton Rouge Parish itself (Central, Pride, Port Hudson, Milldale, etc.). ****, you can just cross the Mississippi River and see the abrupt contrast between the rural and urban areas.

[studentdaze]

Does anyone have any good sources of data for 2007 population for metroploitan BR, US census only provides estimates as far as 06. Failing that Parish data around BR so that I can construct the MSA

thanks

[darylwi]

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, until the next census, all population estimates will be just that, estimates. (And even the census isn't perfect)
And estimates will always be scewed to relate what the operator of the estimate wants to see. I remember working with the local transporation planning organization and there were contractors who were able to manipulate some natural birth rate numbers, increases at area school enrollments and traffic counts on I-10 from before the storm and after the storm to estimate that Baton Rouge had a population influx of more than 140,000 over a year after the storm. At the request of people who were looking for high estimates, I was actually able to take raw vehicle registration numbers and inspection sticker counts within the BTR area (since we have a different vehicle inspection program) to estimate that we had a net increase of 88K.
The last time I heard (since I am no longer with these organizations), there may be a net increase in population of between 12K-18K, but I can't prove or disprove those numbers.
Numbers can be manipulated anyway you want if you look at certain aspects of some trends and ignore others.

[holloway1010]

Originally Posted by BRMan

I disagree on the inclusion of East Feliciana, Iberville, St. Helena, and Pointe Coupee as "Metropolitan", but then again, I think of a metropolitan area as a place whose people work in BR and drive in from various suburbs.

I would agree, however that these parishes are in the BR media market.

Just telling everyone the census bureau's definition of Metro Baton Rouge.

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by holloway1010

Just telling everyone the census bureau's definition of Metro Baton Rouge.

And see, the official Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for Baton Rouge defined by the federal regs and used for transportation and air quality planning includes:
EBR, WBR, Iberville, Ascension & Livingston. Pointe Coupee was included until sometime around 1990.

[holloway1010]

Originally Posted by darylwi

And see, the official Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for Baton Rouge defined by the federal regs and used for transportation and air quality planning includes:
EBR, WBR, Iberville, Ascension & Livingston. Pointe Coupee was included until sometime around 1990.

Thanks for that. I think I'll stick with the United States Census Bureau's definition.