How can Georgia's second tier cities grow to rival their counterparts in the Carolinas? (Atlanta: condos, neighborhoods)

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

How does one list represent anything? I can find numerous list that feature Augusta. The same publication ranked Augusta the 8th best city to start a business.
2015’s Best Cities to Start a Business | WalletHub®

It's a snapshot in time obviously, but it is what it is.

None of the big three in South Carolina made this list.
Southern Business & Development > Features > Ten sizzling mid-market economies in the South

Well Greenville and Columbia don't meet the size requirements for that list, and Charleston's economy is absolutely booming and that's well-documented.

[PJA]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

It's a snapshot in time obviously, but it is what it is.



Well Greenville and Columbia don't meet the size requirements for that list, and Charleston's economy is absolutely booming and that's well-documented.

They also don't meet the size requirement of the worst list but yet you still used it for comparison.

These lists are pointless and contradict each other as has been proven.

[cnd33]

Originally Posted by PJA

These lists are pointless and contradict each other as has been proven.

That's true. Why use an unreliable source to try to prove a point about Georgia's cities...

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by PJA

They also don't meet the size requirement of the worst list but yet you still used it for comparison.

Well that list includes metros as small as Columbus and as large as Detroit. If they were going strictly by city population, then yes, that would be a flawed way of measuring such things.

These lists are pointless and contradict each other as has been proven.

Originally Posted by cnd33

That's true. Why use an unreliable source to try to prove a point about Georgia's cities...

This isn't necessarily true. Is there a flood of new grads heading to Augusta and Columbus to begin their careers that we don't know about? Different lists measure different things at different points in time, as evidenced by their methodologies. People just like to dismiss negative lists wholesale because they don't want to get into the nitty gritty of the data that actually forms the basis of those lists. Obviously the pendulum could swing the other way within a year's time, but let's not forget why this thread was created in the first place.

[cnd33]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Is there a flood of new grads heading to Augusta and Columbus to begin their careers that we don't know about?

You know, we would have no way of knowing that, but if so, I would recommend that they just go ahead an start a business as both cities were ranked as great cities to start a business in.
But seriously, you make some good points.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by cnd33

You know, we would have no way of knowing that, but if so, I would recommend that they just go ahead an start a business as both cities were ranked as great cities to start a business in.
But seriously, you make some good points.

Actually there is data available for that, but typically grads would need some type of experience first with an employer before launching out to start a business. I could possibly see some folks a few years out of college going the independent contractor route in Augusta after more tech companies locate operations there. That's definitely a bright spot for the city going forward. As far as Columbus goes, it just seems like it's more of the old money crowd running the show, which is a shame because its outsized corporate base gives it a leg up on most of its peers.

[PJA]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

Well that list includes metros as small as Columbus and as large as Detroit. If they were going strictly by city population, then yes, that would be a flawed way of measuring such things.





This isn't necessarily true. Is there a flood of new grads heading to Augusta and Columbus to begin their careers that we don't know about? Different lists measure different things at different points in time, as evidenced by their methodologies. People just like to dismiss negative lists wholesale because they don't want to get into the nitty gritty of the data that actually forms the basis of those lists. Obviously the pendulum could swing the other way within a year's time, but let's not forget why this thread was created in the first place.

Doesn't mean they're the worse to start your career. There are plenty of other cities that are doing worse than all the cities on that list. There are actually cities that have lost significant population due to job loss in the areas that are absent from that list.

These lists are very subjective and the people who create the lists actually decided what characteristics or stats they should use to support their lists, and several of the qualifications on a lot of these lists are a matter of opinion.

I prefer hard raw data like, jobs created, population figures, income figures and unemployment rates as well as crime rates.


And going back to my original point, most (if not all) the SC cities wouldn't qualify to be on any of those lists anyway based on size so again...whats the point of even using those lists to compare SC to GA cities.

[Mutiny77]

Originally Posted by PJA

Doesn't mean they're the worse to start your career. There are plenty of other cities that are doing worse than all the cities on that list. There are actually cities that have lost significant population due to job loss in the areas that are absent from that list.

Well I think Detroit is the best example of a city that has experienced significant population loss due to erosion of the jobs base, and it ranked first.

These lists are very subjective and the people who create the lists actually decided what characteristics or stats they should use to support their lists, and several of the qualifications on a lot of these lists are a matter of opinion.

I prefer hard raw data like, jobs created, population figures, income figures and unemployment rates as well as crime rates.

The lists typically combine all those data categories and give them a certain weight, so it's convenient in the sense that much of the pertinent data is right there in one place. I prefer if there's a way to actually see the individual metrics for each city, which is helpful; some lists do that.

And going back to my original point, most (if not all) the SC cities wouldn't qualify to be on any of those lists anyway based on size so again...whats the point of even using those lists to compare SC to GA cities.

Yes, looking at strictly municipal population isn't the best way to gauge this sort of thing; I do agree with that.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

Florida doesn't even count as the south except for the panhandle and the stretch along 10 to Jacksonville.
Anyway, a lot of people are moving from Florida to Georgia (especially metro Atlanta) because the QOL is better and it's cheaper. Nevermind the hurricane risk.

Why do people on city-data continually make this statement about Florida? It's inane...Florida is geographically a southern state. States aren't grouped together on maps based on cultural similarities - they are grouped based on geography. The South has lots of different cultural areas that don't necessarily fit together, but they are still part of the South. Florida will remain a southern state due to its location, culture notwithstanding.

It's funny how this is pretty much a non-issue in other regions of the U.S. Only in the South do people (mostly on this site) try to remove little chunks of the region based on differences in culture. South Florida is but one diverse area of a very diverse region.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

I don't know how teacher salaries got into this discussion or what relevance they have... But the fact is that Georgia teachers are the BEST PAID IN THE SOUTH, as this recent study shows. There will always be those who say that teacher salaries are NEVER enough, and there may be some truth to that. But reality is that relative to other states, experienced Georgia teachers with tenure are VERY well compensated, especially when their pension package is considered -- full retirement after 30 years, which is completely unheared of in the private sector.

The 10 States That (Really) Pay Teachers the Most | TakePart

I have several Georgia.teachers in my family and many more who are friends. These people drive nice cars, live in nice houses and can afford to take *ANNUAL* cruises during one of their numerous yearly breaks -- which is something I've never had nor been able to do.

Do not confuse the issue of teacher compensation with that of other real classroom issues like overcrowding, standardized testing and endless pointless paperwork assignments from bureaucrats that has no bearing on learning. No amount of $$ will ever justify the latter.

Teachers don't get paid enough based on what is expected of them, but the pay is definitely livable. I wouldn't want to try and support a family on a teacher's salary, but for one of two salaries in my household of two it works out just fine.