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Fayetteville's metro population, maybe CSA is what, about 400,000 or more?
The three aforementioned counties are Fayetteville's MSA with a total 2019 population of 526,719.
its CSA was 854,826. Added to the MSA's three counties are Scotland, Robeson, Moore, and Lee Counties. Both Moore and Lee grew, while Scotland and Moore shrunk. Moore County had strong growth. As a reminder, it's the county that's home to Pinehust and Southern Pine, and it comes with its own ecosystem that's built around tourism and retirement associated with golf. At the CSA level, greater Fayetteville is the 4th largest metro area based in the state behind Charlotte, the Triangle, and the Triad.
Winterville has 10K, so basically it is the size of Washington and sits on the southern border of Greenville. You cant tell where one begins and one ends. So you may consider Greenville over 100K.
1% annual growth is about normal for Greenville/Winterville now.
Greenville's downtown has had a massive transformation and has about 3 hotel projects in the works.
I know I’m going to be grilled for these unpopular opinions:: Old Salem is the worst thing ever.
I say that having grown up in NC (Charlotte area) and having taken countless field trips, and parents going, friends parents taking and most recently as an adult a few years ago. I literally would rather bang my head on a wall than ever visit again. Going to some large trash dump on a field trip was more entertaining to me (it was a science field trip for recycling). But I’m pretty sure it’s just being dragged their as a child countless times and it doesn’t feel like it has changed at all.
I’m also over Chimney Rock. Never cared for Boone. Asheville I never disliked it (I do dislike Biltmore) but I’m a weirdo who doesn’t care for mountains. And I do like Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls. I want to visit them soon. Mountains give my anxiety because I feel claustrophobic in them.
Not in NC, but popular Charlotte area vacation spots: I hateee Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg is meh, Myrtle is alright, Charleston is nice. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is torture for me, but again, my family is obsessed and has gone yearly since I was a child to this day. I think that’s why it’s torture for me now.
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On the flip side, I like Charlotte a lot, Raleigh/Durham I swing on liking it/being impressed and just finding it ok. I think if I knew as much as locals and where to go and find my personal groove, I’d really like it.
I loveeeee coastal NC. I. Love. NC’s. Coast. I love the towns, the beaches, I like the people and their culture. There are few places I enjoy as much as them (and I’ve traveled around the world to many fabulous beaches from Rio to the Mediterranean and Cali).
Also, to people from the Charlotte area - have you guys known people to vacation at the NC beaches? I feel like by far the go-to for CLT folks are the SC beaches.
Out of curiosity, Im not trying to be negative offensive because I know my opinions
Also, to people from the Charlotte area - have you guys known people to vacation at the NC beaches? I feel like by far the go-to for CLT folks are the SC beaches.
I don't know about Charlotte folks, but Raleigh folks have always been opportunistic regarding where they would go to the beach based on which one was easiest to get to. Back before I-40 was completed to Wilmington, Raleighites would either take US70 to Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle or drive due south on a variety of back roads to North Myrtle Beach because those were easiest. Once 40 was completed, the entire beach going beach culture shifted to Wrightsville/Wilmington.
Also, to people from the Charlotte area - have you guys known people to vacation at the NC beaches? I feel like by far the go-to for CLT folks are the SC beaches.
Geography and the way interstates are laid out in the region lead many Charlotte area residents to South Carolina beaches. It is simply much much quicker and you have beautiful resorts in areas like Charleston and Hilton Head Island for the crowd looking for 4 - 5 star resorts, Myrtle Beach for folks looking for the touristy stuff, and Wilmington as the low key laid back beach area. Looking to the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island for example is nearly 8 hours from Charlotte. Kill Devil Hills is 5.5 hours. Emerald Isle almost 5 hours.
Even St. Augustine, Florida is closer to Charlotte than many Outer Banks Islands.
At the CSA level, greater Fayetteville is the 4th largest metro area based in the state behind Charlotte, the Triangle, and the Triad.
Kind of crazy to think Fayetteville's CSA is similar in population to cities like Madison, WI ; Boise, ID ; Des Moines, IA, et... If you dropped somebody in the middle of each of those cities and asked if Fayetteville was a peer city you'd probably get blank stares.
I wouldn't say Fayetteville "won" the lottery with Harnett - as most of the growth is related to Fayetteville and is in the southern portion of the county. Fayetteville metro is growing substantially, with I-295, even western Sampson County is slowly becoming a Fayetteville focused county. Fayetteville is a very fast growing city relative to where it is located. I say this for one because culturally, economically, and politically, Fayetteville more closely aligns with South Carolina than North Carolina, which is something to consider when comparing it to other cities in the state, and secondly, Fayetteville is growing significantly more than any of it's closest competitors, and is experiencing massive private sector job growth, crime reduction, and wage increases when you compare it to almost any city south of it. Fayetteville is much more desirable in my opinion than cities like Little Rock, Columbia, Montgomery, Charleston (WV), Jackson, Baton Rogue, Columbus (GA), Augusta (GA), and even Birmingham. I think you'd be surprised how many people move to the Fayetteville area every day due to the location, affordability, demographics, and job growth. I work with many people that moved to the city from high CoL areas and other countries wanting something slower pace that is reasonably distanced from beaches and mountains. Might not be as common as Raleigh/Charlotte, but you can't help but notice it. In 2030 I am willing to bet Robeson will be added to Fayetteville MSA, and Sampson will be added to Fayetteville CSA. I also believe that Cumberland County will outgrow the outer suburbs within the next decade, as I-295 access into Gray's Creek, Stoney Point, and the North U.S. 401 Ramsey area will be magnificent in terms of new development for housing and new companies moving in. The new office park off of Raeford Road is coming together quite nicely! Also, don't forget that Fayetteville is located in the NW edge of the county, so by nature, most of the growth would be in those two counties - Hoke and Harnett.
Also I-295 is MUCH needed and can get relatively congested even while currently under construction to balance our over 570,000 residents. This puts Fayetteville Metro ahead of Lexington, KY & the 4th largest in the state.
If the state put more emphasis on the importance of Fayetteville, I'd heavily vouch for a new freeway connecting Moore and Hoke to I-295 which would be phenomenal and probably cut the 40 minute drive to Southern Pines down to 20 or less and make the entire region much more desirable. I-395 anyone?
Last edited by Archer705; 05-27-2020 at 04:01 PM..
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlotte485
I know I’m going to be grilled for these unpopular opinions:: Old Salem is the worst thing ever.
I say that having grown up in NC (Charlotte area) and having taken countless field trips, and parents going, friends parents taking and most recently as an adult a few years ago. I literally would rather bang my head on a wall than ever visit again. Going to some large trash dump on a field trip was more entertaining to me (it was a science field trip for recycling). But I’m pretty sure it’s just being dragged their as a child countless times and it doesn’t feel like it has changed at all.
I’m also over Chimney Rock. Never cared for Boone. Asheville I never disliked it (I do dislike Biltmore) but I’m a weirdo who doesn’t care for mountains. And I do like Sliding Rock and Looking Glass Falls. I want to visit them soon. Mountains give my anxiety because I feel claustrophobic in them.
Not in NC, but popular Charlotte area vacation spots: I hateee Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg is meh, Myrtle is alright, Charleston is nice. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is torture for me, but again, my family is obsessed and has gone yearly since I was a child to this day. I think that’s why it’s torture for me now.
____________
On the flip side, I like Charlotte a lot, Raleigh/Durham I swing on liking it/being impressed and just finding it ok. I think if I knew as much as locals and where to go and find my personal groove, I’d really like it.
I loveeeee coastal NC. I. Love. NC’s. Coast. I love the towns, the beaches, I like the people and their culture. There are few places I enjoy as much as them (and I’ve traveled around the world to many fabulous beaches from Rio to the Mediterranean and Cali).
Also, to people from the Charlotte area - have you guys known people to vacation at the NC beaches? I feel like by far the go-to for CLT folks are the SC beaches.
Out of curiosity, Im not trying to be negative offensive because I know my opinions
I'd be shocked if you liked old Salem. Different people like different things. Someone who enjoys going to old Salem would enjoy Williamsburg, Philadelphia and Harper's Ferry. The attraction is that there's an element of the place that hasn't changed.
Geography and the way interstates are laid out in the region lead many Charlotte area residents to South Carolina beaches. It is simply much much quicker and you have beautiful resorts in areas like Charleston and Hilton Head Island for the crowd looking for 4 - 5 star resorts, Myrtle Beach for folks looking for the touristy stuff, and Wilmington as the low key laid back beach area. Looking to the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island for example is nearly 8 hours from Charlotte. Kill Devil Hills is 5.5 hours. Emerald Isle almost 5 hours.
Even St. Augustine, Florida is closer to Charlotte than many Outer Banks Islands.
Totally agree. I had not spent much time at the SC beaches prior to moving to Charlotte but they are far more convenient to access. Going through those small towns on US 74 trying to get to Wilmington and the NC beaches is an absolute chore coming from Charlotte. I think NC beaches will see a lot more traffic from Charlotte whenever 74 is finally upgraded to interstate quality between Charlotte and Wilmington.
I don't know about Charlotte folks, but Raleigh folks have always been opportunistic regarding where they would go to the beach based on which one was easiest to get to. Back before I-40 was completed to Wilmington, Raleighites would either take US70 to Atlantic Beach and Emerald Isle or drive due south on a variety of back roads to North Myrtle Beach because those were easiest. Once 40 was completed, the entire beach going beach culture shifted to Wrightsville/Wilmington.
I can’t believe I went my entire life from birth to around 19 not having been to an NC beach. Always SC growing up (within a driving beach weekend).
When I was independent, I was looked at the map and saw a straight shot on 74 to Wrightsville. I have a thing for people from Raleigh, so they know all the NC beaches and been introducing me to them. I am such a huge fan of NC beaches. Totally noticed the Triangle friends/family I have always went to topsail and others
I’d still drive to NC over VA, MD, NJ (I’ve been to beaches in those states. Still prefer NC)
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