What city could become Georgia's second major metro? (Atlanta, Augusta-Richmond County: sales, 2013)

[Columbuskidd92]

Originally Posted by River_Dawg

Columbus has a midsize city population with a small town infrastructure.

That's a lie. I can really tell you haven't been to Columbus.

[cdw1084]

Originally Posted by River_Dawg

Columbus has a midsize city population with a small town infrastructure.

Even if this was true...That doesn't mean it's in the same tier as Athens. The metro has 50,000 less than Savannah and 78,000 more than Macon.....Once again, being "urban" has nothing to do with a tier....Many people would argue that Savannah is more urban than Jacksonville FL and I agree but are the metros in the same tier?...Absolutely not..

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by -StarBright-

Richmond county ALONE has more people that commute in than all of Savannah's metro area. The numbers don't lie. 41,224 workers commute into RICHMOND COUNTY, while only 10,097 come into SAVANNAH'S METRO AREA. The total for Augusta metro is 70,662 workers commuting in. Savannah doesn't seem to be on the same tier now. That's 60,565 worker difference coming into metro areas. Savannah doesn't seem to be on the same tier now does it?
Where Americans go to work - The Washington Post

HUH?! That map you provided shows over 30,000 people commute to jobs in Chatham County alone from just THESE 5 counties:

Effingham: 13,142
Bryan: 7,171
Liberty: 4,113
Bulloch: 3,620
Jasper SC: 1,040
Beaufort SC: 1,608

TOTAL: 30,694

Another 1,708 workers commute INTO CHATHAM COUNTY from these Georgia counties: McIntosh, Wayne, Long, Evans and Screven

Further, only 6 percent of Chatham County residents commute OUT of the county for work, while 21 percent of Richmond County residents do. According to the Census, Chatham County's "private non-farm employment" was 117,852 in 2011; Richmond County's was 82,835 -- a WHOPPING difference of 35,000+ jobs! Chatham County has more jobs than Richmond and Columbia counties COMBINED!

Obviously, Savannah / Chatham County is a bigger employment center than Augusta / Richmond County. And why shouldn't it be? Chatham County has 75,000 more people than Richmond County!

And thanks for posting that map: With more than 3,000 workers commuting INTO Chatham County everyday from Jasper and Beaufort Counties, SC, and 1,373 workers commuting from Savannah to Beaufort County everyday, it proves the point that the South Carolina counties are quickly becoming part of the Savannah Metro. It's only a matter of time until they are officially combined into one large CSA.

[Columbuskidd92]

Urban Population...

1.Montgomery, AL 263,907
2.Savannah,Ga 260,677
3.Columbus,GA 253,602
4.Tallahassee, FL 240,223

So if Columbus has a midsize city population with a small town infrastructure,so does the other cities I listed.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by cdw1084

Numbers don't lie: No metro with 575k is in the same tier with a metro of 361k. I would really like to see Macon and WR combine though.

A denser downtown would put them in the same tier? So I guess I could put St.Louis in the same tier as Atlanta because it has a denser downtown? No, the metros are going to be determined based on numbers..MSA vs MSA....

It depends on the criteria used to define "tiers." If it's strictly based on population, GDP, and things like that, then yes, Augusta and Savannah are on different tiers. But if you include other things, like reputation, status as a destination, culture, etc., then an argument can be made for Savannah being in the same tier as Augusta.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Another 1,708 workers commute INTO CHATHAM COUNTY from these Georgia counties: McIntosh, Wayne, Long, Evans and Screven

Further, only 6 percent of Chatham County residents commute OUT of the county for work, while 21 percent of Richmond County residents do. According to the Census, Chatham County's "private non-farm employment" was 117,852 in 2011; Richmond County's was 82,835 -- a WHOPPING difference of 35,000+ jobs! Chatham County has more jobs than Richmond and Columbia counties COMBINED!

Obviously, Savannah / Chatham County is a bigger employment center than Augusta / Richmond County. And why shouldn't it be? Chatham County has 75,000 more people than Richmond County!

And thanks for posting that map: With more than 3,000 workers commuting INTO Chatham County everyday from Jasper and Beaufort Counties, SC, and 1,373 workers commuting from Savannah to Beaufort County everyday, it proves the point that the South Carolina counties are quickly becoming part of the Savannah Metro. It's only a matter of time until they are officially combined into one large CSA.

The 21% commuting out of Richmond County is actually good news if your comparing the interaction between the main county and the suburban counties. 27% of the workers in Fulton County commute daily to other counties in metro Atlanta.

Let's be fair when you using 'private non-farm employment' due to the large number of government employees in Richmond County(Fort Gordon, Georgia Regents, VA, etc)

[cdw1084]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

It depends on the criteria used to define "tiers." If it's strictly based on population, GDP, and things like that, then yes, Augusta and Savannah are on different tiers. But if you include other things, like reputation, status as a destination, culture, etc., then an argument can be made for Savannah being in the same tier as Augusta.

But I'm going off sheer numbers because Athens could be in that tier because of its reputation and the college town culture to an extent.....

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by cdw1084

But I'm going off sheer numbers because Athens could be in that tier because of its reputation and the college town culture to an extent.....

I would say Athens is more recognizable than Augusta but not Savannah.

[cdw1084]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

I would say Athens is more recognizable than Augusta but not Savannah.

The masters probably give Augusta an advantage more so than UGA gives Athens an advantage since the master's is more much internationally-oriented.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

The 21% commuting out of Richmond County is actually good news if your comparing the interaction between the main county and the suburban counties. 27% of the workers in Fulton County commute daily to other counties in metro Atlanta.

Let's be fair when you using 'private non-farm employment' due to the large number of government employees in Richmond County(Fort Gordon, Georgia Regents, VA, etc)

OK then ... let's consider the large number of government employees in Chatham County, i.e Hunter Army Airfield, Chatham County schools and government, Savannah State and Armstrong Atlantic State universities, THE GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY!!!!!!!!!

You just shot yourself in the foot Nort ...