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To be honest it depends on what happens to CLT when the merger of AA/US starts taking shape. If a sizable percentage of flights get eliminated then good luck on economic growth at a substantial rate.
Companies will locate to a region that has nonstop services domestically and internationally. Charlotte is a large enough metro to maintain flights to most major cities but globally it will take a hit.
Metro Richmond hasn't struggled in 70 years. Growth rate may have been lower than its neighbors' but income, economic output, education attainment and GDP per capita have never suffered (higher than any of the other cities listed so far). The city of Richmond did decline then stagnate for most of the last 30 years. Set boundaries (in a city that was pretty much built out, if not up) and white flight really did a number. For the past few years the city has enjoyed a growth rate of 5%.
Raleigh's colleges are certainly better and Raleigh definitely did a better job of retaining the graduating students. That, as has been mentioned, is the biggest difference. Attitudes have changed around here though and more graduates are staying in Richmond (and children in the suburbs are being raised VCU fans thanks to a high profile basketball program). I never expected to see anyone wear VCU clothing (not even the students) much less tweens shuffling around the mall.
Speaking of kids, the median age in Richmond is pretty high (38 compared to Raleigh's 31 for example). Families are pretty small and large families aren't interested in what Richmond is selling. There is a pretty small Hispanic population too (their historically large families are shrinking too though). When a person or couple moves here, they don't bring a bunch of kids which effects the growth rate.
Now Nashville...nope. It isn't on any higher level. The metro is basically poor, unhealthy and uneducated (compared to places like Raleigh and Richmond) with some millionaires and flashy buildings making things appear better than they are.
Back to the point, from the list I'd bet on Jacksonville.
Jacksonville does have many built-in advantages, but it could do a lot better when it comes to being an attractive destination for tourists. There's nothing really there to lure tourists; most would rather head north to Savannah or south to Orlando. There's untapped potential there and I hope the city takes advantage of it. They can start with a state-of-the-art convention center, which for some reason they are slow to build.
Most people tend to compare Charlotte and Nashville to Atlanta and not vice versa, if you see what I mean.
I see what you mean, but I was referring to their regional proximity, not size. The same goes for Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.
Now Nashville...nope. It isn't on any higher level. The metro is basically poor, unhealthy and uneducated (compared to places like Raleigh and Richmond) with some millionaires and flashy buildings making things appear better than they are.
Lol, if Nashville is poor, unhealthy, and uneducated, then so is Richmond.
We have a bit more than "some millionaires and flashy buildings," but hey, if you want to continue to live in the past, go right ahead. That's exactly what has kept Richmond where it is.
Not to sure Charlotte or Nashville should be placed with Atl especially when the Texas cities aren't.......also if those cities are grouped there I think places like Raleigh/Durham should be there as well while neither is as strong a central city as those 2 as a true metro area they are more then comparable with Nashville and Charlotte.
From a CSA perspective The Triangle (Raleigh/Durham) is already larger than Nashville, growing more rapidly and arguably more impactful from an economic perspective. When the Triangle was split into two MSA's 12 years ago, its visibility going forward was statistically diminished.
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