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Not sure why Tarheel Nick is saying how there will be meltdowns and blah blah blah over Wake becoming the more populous county. He’s in a Charlotte thread going on for 3 pages claiming how everyone will be riled up, yet it would appear the riled up person would be.....
Some people can’t grasp Charlotte is a bigger city than Raleigh. You don’t need city limits stats or population figures or search the interwebz to come to that conclusion. Just like I don’t need stats and population figures to know Atlanta is a bigger city than Charlotte no matter what data you show me to the contrary.
This isn't a Charlotte thread....it's a NC thread in the General NC section of the forum.
Nobody has ever denied that Charlotte is a bigger city than Raleigh.
Seems (some) Charlotte folks are paranoid in general and lash out and feel the need to remind others that Charlotte is the biggest city in the state for some reason. I genuinely don't understand the insecurity. Most folks I know all over the state either like both Charlotte and the Triangle or don't like them for generally the same sets of reasons.
The "rivalry" seems to exist only in the minds of a few keyboard warriors. And yes; my observation has been that the majority of said keyboard warriors in this fictitious rivalry hale from the 704. All one has to do to observe this is read through the first 3 responses on this very thread. #triggered.
Last edited by TarHeelNick; 04-21-2019 at 08:16 PM..
This isn't a Charlotte thread....it's a NC thread in the General NC section of the forum.
Nobody has ever denied that Charlotte is a bigger city than Raleigh.
Seems (some) Charlotte folks are paranoid in general and lash out and feel the need to remind others that Charlotte is the biggest city in the state for some reason. I genuinely don't understand the insecurity. Most folks I know all over the state either like both Charlotte and the Triangle or don't like them for generally the same reasons.
The "rivalry" seems to exist only in the minds of a few keyboard warriors. And yes; my observation has been that the majority of said keyboard warriors in this fictitious rivalry hale from the 704.
There's no rivalry, but the following might help you understand why some of us (here in Charlotte) speak up.
Charlotte is at 305 sq/miles while Raleigh is at 145 sq/miles. What if both of these cities were approaching 500,000 at the same time (and the Charlotte folks were the ones bragging about it)? There would be folks in Raleigh thinking to themselves "Well, bless their little hearts" and rightly so.
That's EXACTLY how I feel about Meck and Wake having similar population (and Raleigh folks who brag about it). Being the same size as Charlotte (by any means necessary) seems to be the unwritten rule, but hey; whatever floats your boat.
There's no rivalry, but the following might help you understand why some of us (here in Charlotte) speak up.
Charlotte is at 305 sq/miles while Raleigh is at 145 sq/miles. What if both of these cities were approaching 500,000 at the same time (and the Charlotte folks were the ones bragging about it)? There would be folks in Raleigh thinking to themselves "Well, bless their little hearts" and rightly so.
That's EXACTLY how I feel about Meck and Wake having similar population (and Raleigh folks who brag about it). Being the same size as Charlotte (by any means necessary) seems to be the unwritten rule, but hey; whatever floats your boat.
All fine and good except for one thing....
Who is "bragging" about Wake passing Meck? Again; reads more like unnecessary paranoia.
OP for this thread posted stats for the whole state; we don't even know where in the state they typed it from and the fact that Wake was passing Meck in population was only one of several bullet points.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozmoe571
Some interesting population statistics from the latest figures from the U.S. Census:
1. The gap between Mecklenberg (1,903,901) and Wake (1,902,305) counties for the #1 and #2 spots respectively is shrinking. Wake could come out slightly ahead by the 2020 census.
2. Johnston County passed the 200,000 mark at 202,675.
3. Counties losing population from 2017 were Robeson (131,831, down 759), Wayne (123,248, down 9), Rockingham (90,690, down 51), Wilson (81,455, down 112), Surry (71,948, down 70), Duplin (58,856, down 6), Lenoir (55,976, down 665), Edgecombe (52,005, down 752), Halifax (50,574, down 708), Stokes (45,467, down 230), Yadkin (37,543, down 100), Scotland (34,810, down 362), Bladen (33,190, down 278), Montgomery (27,271, down 76), Hertford (23,669, down 267), Warren (19,807, down 62), Northampton (19,676, down 237), Swain (14,245, down 21), Chowan (14,029, down 11), Perquimans (13,422, down 38), Washington (11,859, down 160), Graham (8,454, down 50), Hyde (5,230, down 37) and Tyrrell (4,131, down 52).
4. North Carolina counties among the 100 Fastest Growing U.S. Counties with 10,000 or More Population in 2017 through 2018 are Brunswick (#5, with 6,009 more residents to grow 4.6 percent), Johnston (#47, 6,252 more for 3.2 percent), Currituck (#65, 749 more for 2.8 percent) and Chatham (#78, 1,891 more for 2.7 percent).
The two fastest growing counties in the CLT MSA are York and Lancaster in SC. They are among the half dozen fastest growing counties in SC
And then:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Austincool
Wake surpassing Mecklenburg is going to happen given the fact Wake has 311 more square miles. Unfortunately the respective cities and metros can’t say the same.
@TarheelNick fair enough. The bigger issue to me is how NC is a state of haves and have nots when it comes to growth and economic prosperity. I hate to get political, but neither the left nor the right has done a thing to correct this decades long problem within our state. With every census estimate, the truth becomes more evident.
You're merely repeating yourself here and not clarifying anything or adding anything new to what you previously stated. Charlotte is the largest city in NC, and has been for almost a full century, no matter how you slice it. Anyone who argues that Raleigh is essentially the same size as Charlotte because it is ringed with suburbs that it cannot annex is being completely disingenuous; even looking at urbanized area populations which do not consider municipal boundaries in its determination of how big a place is, Charlotte is clearly and unmistakably the larger city (though the population difference is less than that of their municipal populations), and that's to say nothing of the simple eye test. Any reasonable person would consider this argument based on land area a poor one--because it is--and not just a couple of Charlotte boosters. As the state's largest city, Charlotte has annexed more territory as it has grown and anticipated growth over the years just as other NC cities have done to varying degrees and to imply that Charlotte somehow "cheated" its way to first place is asinine and flies in the face of facts with respect to the history of the economy and growth and development patterns in both the Charlotte and Raleigh areas. This is my first time hearing of such an argument and right off the bat I readily see how very flawed it is and it has nothing to do with bias or favoritism whatsoever. If there's anything ironic here, it would be how folks from a place known for its intellectualism and having lots of smart people would advance such a horrible argument in the first place (although I'm most sure it's only a handful of people saying as much, if that, and this isn't close to being a popular sentiment in Raleigh). And I simply do not see how highlighting the fact that counties, which vary widely in terms of their square mileage, have fixed borders and this can make for some differences between two rapidly-growing counties of different physical sizes is somehow changing the goalposts. Now one may reasonably argue that Charlotte has been especially liberal or that Raleigh has been especially conservative in their past annexation practices but it would be the hugest leap to say that such practices are primarily why Charlotte is the state's largest city.
Sorry, but the folks you should be lambasting here are those who are making such a ridiculous assertion concerning Charlotte's status as the state's largest city. That's where the breakdown in logic is happening here. Wake surpassing Mecklenburg in population has been anticipated for several years now and it's not really even anything to be dismissive of or that needs to be explained away since counties don't have nearly as much visibility as cities and metropolitan areas. Even among urban nerds like us on C-D, many of us can readily say or reasonably guess the largest cities and metropolitan areas in various states. The largest counties, not so much. It's mostly just a fact on paper, but I will say that it does testify to the rapid growth of the Triangle and is reflective of its slightly higher regional growth rate than Charlotte, if I'm not mistaken.
I think folks making bad arguments and those defending them are the ones who should chill, but that's just me.
No one is coming for Charlotte’s urban crown and no one is questioning it as the largest city in the state by area or population. It is all you say and more. But it is distortion to say Wake’s area is the difference here. The fact is over 90% of Wake’s growth from 2010 to 2017 came from about 260+ square miles. Raleigh plus the bordering suburbs are filling in at a very fast rate. Wendell and Zebulon and points east aren’t driving this. County size is a red herring if all the growth is in a contained area.
* All that said, if anyone has a long enough memory, we have been on the cusp before. About 10 years ago, Wake cut the gap by nearly 20,000 in one year according to estimates and was expected to pass Mecklenburg by 2010 or 2011. But the economy soured and momentum stalled and the gap stayed roughly the same for about 5 years. It’s only the last few years it’s started up again. So we will see what we see when we see it. Just don’t go blaming empty farmlands if it happens as all the growth is happening elsewhere.
@TarheelNick fair enough. The bigger issue to me is how NC is a state of haves and have nots when it comes to growth and economic prosperity. I hate to get political, but neither the left nor the right has done a thing to correct this decades long problem within our state. With every census estimate, the truth becomes more evident.
On this we are 100% in agreement.
Hickory and Rocky Mount (and countless other communities with similar current struggles across the state) have largely gone ignored as we shine light on thriving/fast-growing major metro areas and scenic resort areas.
Hickory and Rocky Mount (and countless other communities with similar current struggles across the state) have largely gone ignored as we shine light on thriving/fast-growing major metro areas and scenic resort areas.
Well, Hickory and Rocky Mount will eventually be saved by the ever-expanding metros of Charlotte and the Triangle. Places like Rockingham and Wilkesboro are out of luck.
This isn't a Charlotte thread....it's a NC thread in the General NC section of the forum.
Nobody has ever denied that Charlotte is a bigger city than Raleigh.
Seems (some) Charlotte folks are paranoid in general and lash out and feel the need to remind others that Charlotte is the biggest city in the state for some reason. I genuinely don't understand the insecurity. Most folks I know all over the state either like both Charlotte and the Triangle or don't like them for generally the same sets of reasons.
The "rivalry" seems to exist only in the minds of a few keyboard warriors. And yes; my observation has been that the majority of said keyboard warriors in this fictitious rivalry hale from the 704. All one has to do to observe this is read through the first 3 responses on this very thread. #triggered.
It sort of feels like you’re the only one triggered & lashing out.... as evidenced in this thread.
Like look at this:
Quote:
Originally Posted by TarHeelNick
All fine and good except for one thing....
Who is "bragging" about Wake passing Meck? Again; reads more like unnecessary paranoia.
OP for this thread posted stats for the whole state; we don't even know where in the state they typed it from and the fact that Wake was passing Meck in population was only one of several bullet points.
VERY FIRST RESPONSE....
Followed by:
And then:
#triggered.
It’s really not that serious. It’s just County population numbers
Hickory and Rocky Mount (and countless other communities with similar current struggles across the state) have largely gone ignored as we shine light on thriving/fast-growing major metro areas and scenic resort areas.
Having grew up in the region, one of the most glaring issues with the rural areas (at least in ENC), is their reluctance to work together. The most recent example is Nash County withdrawing from the Carolinas Gateway Partnership because they weren’t happy that all the major job announcements have been in Edgecombe County. The CGP were the ones responsible for luring the CSX hub to Rocky Mount after Johnston County NIMBY’ed the hell out of CSX.
No one is coming for Charlotte’s urban crown and no one is questioning it as the largest city in the state by area or population. It is all you say and more.
I'd hope not since it's just a plainly obvious fact. I'd never heard of folks saying that Charlotte is the state's largest city only or primarily because of its physical size (and, by extension, that Raleigh is essentially the same size but it can't claim its suburbs) which is a pretty ridiculous notion on its face.
Quote:
But it is distortion to say Wake’s area is the difference here. The fact is over 90% of Wake’s growth from 2010 to 2017 came from about 260+ square miles. Raleigh plus the bordering suburbs are filling in at a very fast rate. Wendell and Zebulon and points east aren’t driving this. County size is a red herring if all the growth is in a contained area.
* All that said, if anyone has a long enough memory, we have been on the cusp before. About 10 years ago, Wake cut the gap by nearly 20,000 in one year according to estimates and was expected to pass Mecklenburg by 2010 or 2011. But the economy soured and momentum stalled and the gap stayed roughly the same for about 5 years. It’s only the last few years it’s started up again. So we will see what we see when we see it. Just don’t go blaming empty farmlands if it happens as all the growth is happening elsewhere.
Even if all of the current growth is happening in incorporated areas, it was predicted several years back that Wake would eventually overtake Mecklenburg due to similar growth rates and Wake having more land. If what you say is accurate, then the most that can be said right now is that Wake and Mecklenburg have essentially identical populations within comparable developed areas. And we know that the growth in Wake County will continue to spread beyond those incorporated municipalities.
Last edited by Mutiny77; 04-22-2019 at 06:46 AM..
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