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Still, Columbia has called itself and been called South Carolina's largest city for a long time. I know that doesn't make it the best-known SC city or the best liked, or the best anything, but it has been the largest. Without that title, mantra, image, publication material, or whatever you want to call it, not getting to call itself the largest or have publications call it the largest will be a blow, no matter what the average City-Data.com demographics nerds say. I know about arbitrary boundaries and South Carolina's archaic annexation laws, but I'm a City-Data.com demographics nerd. Losing the ability to throw that "largest" phrase around or attach it to your city's name is a blow. If Columbia loses its "largest" title, it will be called the largest city in the South Carolina Midlands region (larger than Lexington).
Only demographics nerds would call it a blow. If it loses the "largest city" title, it will still be the capital city and that is what Columbia is known for more than anything.
It wouldn't surprise me if the title of largest city goes back and forth between Columbia and Charleston a few times. Charleston is growing very fast right now but doesn't have much room to expand since it is hemmed in on most sides by other municipalities.
At the end of the day, I don't really care one way or the other.
I've thought this as well. I do care about the biggest city designation from a personal standpoint, but it will be a fun "battle" back and forth as the years go on.
Well thats what makes SC so unique. Columbia has title of largest city, but Greenville has title of largest county, metro, and CSA.
I knew Greenville County is the largest in the state but did not know the Greenville MSA and CSA are the largest in the state, and by a lot according to the population figures on Wikipeida from 2013. I guess Greenville would the largest city too if not for the weird annexation laws.
Greenville would be the 3rd largest city in the Carolinas if it was annexed right.
To be fair if North Charleston hadn't broken away from Charleston way back when Charleston would be #5 behind Durham. To say nothing of the James Island breakaways.
To be fair if North Charleston hadn't broken away from Charleston way back when Charleston would be #5 behind Durham. To say nothing of the James Island breakaways.
Yeah but that's a what if. I'm talking about what is. Charleston has the same issue though, you're right. If all of WA and all of James I and Johns I were included like they should be, Chas would be knocking on doors.
Cola as well. If the donut holes were filled, NE Columbia annexed, Blythewood annexed, that's another 100,000+ easy.
Myrtle Beach, Anderson, Sumter, Spartanburg, Lexington, Rock Hill...every SC city. That's why this argument is pointless. Nothing is accurate. Greenville is not a 60,000 person city. I'm sure many people that come to Greenville, Charleston, Cola, and Myrtle are shocked and feel misled when they see how big everything truly is.
Not necessarily, but it it, along with Charleston and Columbia, would certainly be over 200K.
If going by areas that are technically "Greenville" then yes, it'd be right O/U 300. But even if its more in the 290's, it is definitely above Greensboro's 279K, still making it 3rd either way.
If going by areas that are technically "Greenville" then yes, it'd be right O/U 300. But even if its more in the 290's, it is definitely above Greensboro's 279K, still making it 3rd either way.
Well Greensboro has been a bit aggressive with annexation historically; it has a smaller urban area than both Winston and Durham but a higher municipal population. So there are other variables at work that would determine what the municipal population might be if SC had more favorable annexation laws.
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