What city could become Georgia's second major metro? (Atlanta, Augusta-Richmond County: college, living)

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by Big_Dave_Jones

Columbus guys love attempting to place it alongside Savannah and Augusta. Sorry, but Savannah and Augusta are on a different tier than Columbus and Macon. Columbus and Macon lie on a tier below Savannah-Augusta and above Athens-Albany. The only reasonable debate now would be between Augusta and Savannah.

I would go a step further and say Athens is closer to being in the category equal with Macon and Columbus. Valdosta won't be far behind.

Albany will just continue to flounder.

Indeed, the toss up is between Augusta and Savannah. My vote goes to Savannah, but I'm biased.

BTW, haven't we already had a thread almost identical in title to this one??

[Sportsfanatiq]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

I would go a step further and say Athens is closer to being in the category equal with Macon and Columbus. Valdosta won't be far behind. Albany will just continue to flounder. Indeed, the toss up is between Augusta and Savannah. My vote goes to Savannah, but I'm biased. BTW, haven't we already had a thread almost identical in title to this one??

Touche' on Savannah. Places like Athens and Valdosta are no where near Macon and Columbus though. Consider that the CSA's of Macon and Columbus contain secondary MSA's that are larger than Athens MSA and Valdosta MSA themselves. Warner Robins MSA and Auburn-Opelika MSA.

[NewtownMacon478]

Macon georgia!!!!

[-StarBright-]

Its definitely between Augusta and Savannah. It really depends on which has the most growth.
2012(sorry if they don't show)


2050


Since Augusta is already larger than Savannah...it has an advantage. Augusta's metro population is estimated to be 580,898 as of 2012. Savannah has a metro population of 347,611. Augusta city limits has a population of
200,872 as of 2012. Savannah city limits has a population of 143,022 as of 2012.Savannah saw an 18.9 percent jump in population from 2000-2010,while Augusta saw 11.8 percent. Reports say that Columbia county is expected to outpace Georgia's growth. Pooler is expect to do the same. Savannah and Augusta are both expected to see significant growth in the coming years,with an 24.74789... percent growth for Savannah and 31.12344... for Augusta between 2013-2020. Augusta most likely has a better chance since it's already a larger city,but I definitely wouldn't count Savannah out. As for Columbus...it would be a miracle.

[-StarBright-]

Originally Posted by -StarBright-

Its definitely between Augusta and Savannah. It really depends on which has the most growth.
2012(sorry if they don't show)


2050


Since Augusta is already larger than Savannah...it has an advantage. Augusta's metro population is estimated to be 580,898 as of 2012. Savannah has a metro population of 347,611. Augusta city limits has a population of
200,872 as of 2012. Savannah city limits has a population of 143,022 as of 2012.Savannah saw an 18.9 percent jump in population from 2000-2010,while Augusta saw 11.8 percent. Reports say that Columbia county is expected to outpace Georgia's growth. Pooler is expect to do the same. Savannah and Augusta are both expected to see significant growth in the coming years,with an 24.74789... percent growth for Savannah and 31.12344... for Augusta between 2013-2020. Augusta most likely has a better chance since it's already a larger city,but I definitely wouldn't count Savannah out. As for Columbus...it would be a miracle.

I forgot to add that Savannah's population grew at a much faster pace than Augusta's between 2000-2010. Savannah's growth was at 9.0 percent, while Augusta was at 1.4.

[Columbuskidd92]

[-StarBright-]

Why did you need to post another map?

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by WanderingImport

BTW, haven't we already had a thread almost identical in title to this one??

Yes, the Official Georgia Second-Tier Peeing Games have begun, brought to you by City-Data every four to six months.

To recap our progress since 2006:

Augusta is the largest 2nd-tier GA metro in population, and by a sizable margin. Savannah and Columbus and especially Macon won't catch up anytime soon.
Savannah is the only well-known (Mutiny says "prestigious") Georgia city other than Atlanta. Ask anyone from Palm Springs to Bangor and they will confirm this, but don't bother asking Augusta/Columbus/Macon boosters on this thread, who seem to believe that their city is more famous than Savannah as well as Paris, Venice and Florence (the Italian one) combined.
The Columbus MSA has been growing faster than both Augusta and Savannah over the last 2 years (mostly fallout from BRAC), but this rate of growth is unsustainable over the long haul; Columbus cannot overtake Augusta and Savannah in metro population unless it continues its growth spurt till the cows come home and Minnie Pearl takes the Grand Ole Opry stage once again. I wouldn't bet on either.

[cdw1084]

Metro Augusta 575,000
Metro Savannah 361,000
Metro Columbus 310,000
Metro Macon 232,000
Metro Athens 196,000
Metro W.R. 185,000
Metro Gainesville 185,000

How is Savannah and Augusta in the same tier? Augusta is the only 2nd tier metro in the state with a population of 500,000 or more which would put it in a tier alone.

Savannah and Columbus would be in the 300,000-500,000 tier

Macon would be in the 200,000-300,000 tier.

Athens, W.R, and Gainesville could join that soon but until then I would put them in a tier below Macon....and maybe even Albany.

Overall, I would say metro Augusta has the best chance to turn into a major metro.

[Columbuskidd92]

BRAC been over since 2011.

The Columbus MSA, which includes a county in Alabama, reached nearly 294,000 residents in the 2010 Census. However, state population forecasters are expecting the area to add more than twice as many new residents by 2015 as it did during the entire decade of the 2000s. If those growth prognostications materialize, the Columbus MSA will surge 9.3 percent to more than 320,000 residents.