New York Times Article comparing Birmingham and Nashville (Montgomery, Mobile: live in, statistics)

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

In order to make comparisons, we have to use the same method across the board. And in this case, it's Metropolitan Statistical Area population, as defined by the Census Bureau. You can argue for or against their methods, but that's where these numbers come from. They're not dreamt up, they're based on percentages of commuters from neighboring counties. In this case, the "Birmingham area" is made up of 7 counties. And those 7 counties add up to about 1.18 million people.

Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama

It's actually the OMB (Office of Management and Budget) that defines metropolitan statistical areas and combined statistical areas.

Here's the latest release from last year: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-conten...etin-23-01.pdf Birmingham's definition is on Page 45 - you have to scroll past all the micro areas. CSAs are after the metros.

[InlandWave]

Originally Posted by tacosman

Lol.....1.18 million? The only bham gets to those sort of numbers is defining areas that are not realistically part of the birmingham area. How far do you have to draw the circle to get that ridiculous number? I bet practically tuscaloosa lol (likewise greenville doesnt have near a million people either)

In reality the "birmingham area" in a meaningful sense probably has about 450k-475k people.

It goes beyond numbers though. Nashville is a destination city. They have music row and broadway and every women in the entire country knows thats where you go for bachelors parties. Birmingham is not any of those(and thats ok)......

Birmingham has far more in common with cities like Montgomery,Al and Columbus,Ga than freaking Nashville, Austin, etc.....even if birmingham is bigger than those places.

Louisville, New Orleans, Memphis.......these are all much more prominent cities than Birmingham as well(although not nashville). It goes to identity as well.

A good way to find out how a city is viewed is to ask others with no connection to the city what they think of it. I guarantee that random people in another state with no connection to birmingham would place it alongside cities like Montgomery, Jackson, Columbus(ga), Buffalo, grand rapids, etc vs some of those other cities. Well buffalo is a little tricky because they have the bills and everyone knows them for that, but apart from that it's the same vibe.

Note that I'm not bashing our city; I love it. I don't want to be charlotte or nashville. Most people think of birmingham as a "what if" city.....meaning maybe it could have taken more of an atlanta or nashville trajectory had things played out with logistics planning way way way back. But then traffic would suck and it would be worse imo.

But i'm guarantee you nobody in cities like Nashville are wondering how they compare to birmingham lol.
If you were going to put cities into tiers, there would be more than just a one tier difference between birmingham and nashville. (I could see just a 1 tier difference between memphis and birmingham.....btw memphis sucks lol)

There's is no way you typed this sober my guy

[tacosman]

Originally Posted by bfmx1

@tacosman you asked why Birmingham is being compared to cities like Nashville and Austin.... My theory .

Well first off.....who said birmingham is being compared to those cities? Outside of people *in* birmingham as in this case(and it's common for residents of a city to compare it to much more prominent/larger ones), I don't think anyone is comparing birmingham to cities like that.

[tacosman]

Originally Posted by InlandWave

There's is no way you typed this sober my guy

Since I was and am sober, you'll have to be a little more specific on what you disagree with.

I already said I think Buffalo is a good match for Birmingham.(taking out the recognition they get for the bills).....and one of the other posters mentioned them too.

[tacosman]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

In order to make comparisons, we have to use the same method across the board. And in this case, it's Metropolitan Statistical Area population, as defined by the Census Bureau. You can argue for or against their methods, but that's where these numbers come from. They're not dreamt up, they're based on percentages of commuters from neighboring counties. In this case, the "Birmingham area" is made up of 7 counties. And those 7 counties add up to about 1.18 million people.

Birmingham metropolitan area, Alabama

I don't care if king tut himself defines these things.......it's absolutely absurd on a common sense level to throw in a city like clanton into the birmingham area. It makes no sense at any level.

[preguntas]

Originally Posted by tacosman

I don't care if king tut himself defines these things.......it's absolutely absurd on a common sense level to throw in a city like clanton into the birmingham area. It makes no sense at any level.

At some point that seems reasonable. I have begun to think that ATL metro covering almost all of north Georgia is hard to believe. People driving from S.C. and Tenn. to work most days. I don't think so.

However, unlike you, the fact, or not does not impact my life enough to be here every night to involve myself.

[preguntas]

Originally Posted by tacosman

Going back to the start of the thread, I'm puzzled as to why any comparison of cities like nashville would ever be made with birmingham. We're talking about totally different sizes/density/populations/reaches/etc.......some people may prefer the hustle/bustle of a bigger area like nashville, and some people would prefer a smaller area like Bham.

I think better comparisons to Birmingham(and it's immediate areas like homewood, MB, hoover, vestavia) are cities like
Jackson,Ms and Greenville,Nc and Augusta, Ga and Chattanooga,tn. Yeah Birmingham may be a little bigger than some of those areas(I'd have to look at the numbers), but those are much more relevant comparisons than Birmingham to freaking nashville lol.......which despite being much bigger is also a tourist hub for the entire country in some ways(which Bham most definately is....and I like that)

TACOSMAN.

You suggested that this sort of comparison would only be made here and not in the other cities.

I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT ////////// YOU ////////////// BUMPED THIS THREAD UP FROM SEVEN 7 YEARS AGO. But for you, no one would be reading this thread this week. And certainly not thinking about it.

[preguntas]

Originally Posted by tacosman

I don't care if king tut himself defines these things.......it's absolutely absurd on a common sense level to throw in a city like clanton into the birmingham area. It makes no sense at any level.

Some of us know that you don't care. That is the one comfort I get from perusing your diatribes.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by tacosman

I don't care if king tut himself defines these things.......it's absolutely absurd on a common sense level to throw in a city like clanton into the birmingham area. It makes no sense at any level.

Have you ever driven south on I-65 around Clanton at 7 a.m.? It's a constant stream of commuters heading north.

[tacosman]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

Have you ever driven south on I-65 around Clanton at 7 a.m.? It's a constant stream of commuters heading north.

No, I have never driven around clanton around 7am. And if I ever did, that would represent a serious serious problem lol.....

Look, I don't doubt that a few people in Clanton drive in to Birmingham(or Montgomery, which as I said is a good bit closer) for work. That's probably a function of their being no jobs I assume in the clanton area. But I don't think that alone should make it "part of the birmingham area". Clanton feels more in the montgomery area to me(not that I would put it in the montgomery area either)