"Atlanta-Athens-Clark-Macon-Bibb-Sandy Spring, GA. Combined Statistical Area " (Columbus, Sandy Springs: suburbs, rated)

[oobanks]

The Atlanta-Athens-Clark-Macon-Bibb-Sandy Spring, GA. Combined Statistical Area, could this CSA really become reality? Does anyone see this being created by the Census Bureau due to commuting patterns or other factors by the year 2030 or will they remain separate even though Atlanta and Macon Metro's Abuts current day?

[AUGnative]

No.. honestly I do not see this at all. I can see Athens because it's media market already comes from Atlanta but there is not enough southward expansion of metro Atlanta for Macon to become part of a CSA with Atlanta

[Columbus1984]

Not at all. Still too much distance. Same can be said for Columbus and Chattanooga.

[luke2401]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

No.. honestly I do not see this at all. I can see Athens because it's media market already comes from Atlanta but there is not enough southward expansion of metro Atlanta for Macon to become part of a CSA with Atlanta

Athens is already a part of the Combined Statistical Area. The OP is only asking if you see Macon as becoming a part of the CSA, which I think is plausible if more development occurs towards Spaulding, Butts, Lamar, and Monroe Counties, especially if suburbs of ATL were built in Monroe County (which is in the Macon MSA, and there may already be ATL suburbs in Monroe County, I personally do not know)...The Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area already directly "touches" the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The only issue is that the Macon MSA is a part of the Macon-Warner Robbins Combined Statistical Area. So this presents the issue of if we have folks in the Macon MSA commuting to ATL (and folks in the ATL CSA commuting to the Macon MSA) should we split off the Macon MSA from the Macon-WR CSA if the numbers aren't there to support putting the Warner Robbins MSA into the ATL CSA?

TL;DR We need more developement South of Atlanta and North of Macon if this were too happen

[luke2401]

Distance wise (as the bird flies), the seat of Oglethorpe County (which is part of the Athens-Clarke MSA and the ATL CSA) is 73 miles from DT ATL...DT Macon is only 4 more miles from DT ATL.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by luke2401

The Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area already directly "touches" the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In addition, the Atlanta and Chattanooga MSAs are separated by one county(Gordon).

[oobanks]

Originally Posted by luke2401

Athens is already a part of the Combined Statistical Area. The OP is only asking if you see Macon as becoming a part of the CSA, which I think is plausible if more development occurs towards Spaulding, Butts, Lamar, and Monroe Counties, especially if suburbs of ATL were built in Monroe County (which is in the Macon MSA, and there may already be ATL suburbs in Monroe County, I personally do not know)...The Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area already directly "touches" the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The only issue is that the Macon MSA is a part of the Macon-Warner Robbins Combined Statistical Area. So this presents the issue of if we have folks in the Macon MSA commuting to ATL (and folks in the ATL CSA commuting to the Macon MSA) should we split off the Macon MSA from the Macon-WR CSA if the numbers aren't there to support putting the Warner Robbins MSA into the ATL CSA?

TL;DR We need more developement South of Atlanta and North of Macon if this were too happen

Seems like if that would happen, Warner Robins would have to go back under the Macon MSA. With Metro Atlanta's continued growth and this addition if that were to happen would put the CSA well over 7,000,000 easily

[J2rescue]

Originally Posted by luke2401

Distance wise (as the bird flies), the seat of Oglethorpe County (which is part of the Athens-Clarke MSA and the ATL CSA) is 73 miles from DT ATL...DT Macon is only 4 more miles from DT ATL.

Yes but its less about distance to Atlanta than it is distance to jobs for residents from one MSA commuting to another MSA. There isn't nearly as much of a relationship between Atlanta and Macon in that respect. There is just not a similar concentration of jobs in Atlanta's southern counties near Macon as there is along Hwy 316.

For example, below are the metro Atlanta counties that are "toughing" Macon's MSA verses those near Athens. The ones near Athens are larger and growing faster and that's not to mention the connection between Athens and Gwinnett county.

County, 2010 population, growth rate
near Athens
Barrow 69,367 50.3%
Walton 83,768 38.0%


near Macon
Jasper 13,900 21.7%
Butts 23,655 21.2%
Lamar 18,317 15.1%

In addition, the counties within the Macon MSA that are "touching" the Atlanta MSA are also small and slow growing. So that's a pretty big area of slow growth, rural areas between Atlanta and Macon.

Jones 28,669 21.3%
Monroe 26,424 21.5%

[therealpattman]

Soon to be Atlanta CSA.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by dpatt.marine1

Soon to be Atlanta CSA.

What about AL, TN, NC and SC?
Looking forward to Hazlehurst becoming an Edge City.