What is the True Big City/Metro of South Carolina? (Columbia: to live, vs.)

[City Fanatic]

What is the true big city/metro of South Carolina?

Is it Columbia which boasts a slight edge on Charleston, in terms of metro population?

Is it Greenville which, when combined with Spartanburg, boasts the largest metro population?

Is it Charleston, which is only slightly smaller than Columbia, in terms of metro population, and of which seems to have the largest, contiguous built-up area, and of which looks and feels larger to many people?

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

What is the true big city/metro of South Carolina?

Is it Columbia which boasts a slight edge on Charleston, in terms of metro population?

Is it Greenville which, when combined with Spartanburg, boasts the largest metro population?

Is it Charleston, which is only slightly smaller than Columbia, in terms of metro population, and of which seems to have the largest, contiguous built-up area, and of which looks and feels larger to many people?

With all due respect, this is probably not a good question to pose as if you've read any of the other SC city vs. city threads they all turn into heated arguments as to why one town is better than the other and nothing gets accomplished.

For the record, they are all unique and have a lot to offer. Population-wise, Greenville-Spartanburg is obviously the largest, but this isn't a situation like a state like Georgia where it is Atlanta and everyone else, or Colorado where it is Denver and everyone else, etc. Personally, I don't think there is a 'true big city/metro' here. There are 3 mid-sized metros nationally speaking.

[gsupstate]

There isn't one.

Charlotte is the big metro for "Metrolina" (North and South Carolina).

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by gsupstate

There isn't one.

Charlotte is the big metro for "Metrolina" (North and South Carolina).

Charlotte is in North Carolina, and while the very southern suburbs along I-77 down to Rock Hill are in South Carolina, it is very much a North Carolina city.

What is South Carolina's big metro, in your opinion?

I don't understand why some people try to include North Carolina and South Carolina as one state, as though it functions together. Doing so is no different than saying South Carolina and Georgia function as one state.

[g-man430]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

Charlotte is in North Carolina, and while the very southern suburbs along I-77 down to Rock Hill are in South Carolina, it is very much a North Carolina city.

What is South Carolina's big metro, in your opinion?

I don't understand why some people try to include North Carolina and South Carolina as one state, as though it functions together. Doing so is no different than saying South Carolina and Georgia function as one state.

Dillon. It's HUGE.

[gsupstate]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

Charlotte is in North Carolina, and while the very southern suburbs along I-77 down to Rock Hill are in South Carolina, it is very much a North Carolina city.

What is South Carolina's big metro, in your opinion?

I don't understand why some people try to include North Carolina and South Carolina as one state, as though it functions together. Doing so is no different than saying South Carolina and Georgia function as one state.

Again, South Carolina does not have one "big metro". We have three medium sized metros. While some states have a dominant city (ie: Georgia has Atlanta or Arkansas has Little Rock) that everything revolves around, South Carolina does not have that. Charlotte is the default "big city center" for South Carolina even though it is in North Carolina. Being on the state line, it functions as the dominant city for both SC and NC.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by gsupstate

Again, South Carolina does not have one "big metro". We have three medium sized metros. While some states have a dominant city (ie: Georgia has Atlanta or Arkansas has Little Rock) that everything revolves around, South Carolina does not have that. Charlotte is the default "big city center" for South Carolina even though it is in North Carolina. Being on the state line, it functions as the dominant city for both SC and NC.

Okay, then, what looks and feels like the biggest South Carolina metro?

[Rybar]

Originally Posted by City Fanatic

Okay, then, what looks and feels like the biggest South Carolina metro?

As previously stated, Columbia, Greenville and Charleston are all "mid-sized" metros, nationally speaking. Which city "looks and feels" like the biggest metro is dependant on YOUR perception of what a "big city" is. Someone from Atlanta or Chicago would think all three metros in SC "look and feel" tiny. But, someone from Sumter would think all three metros in SC "look and feel" huge. I have an aunt who lives in Sumter, and she is too scared to drive in Columbia, because, in her mind, Columbia is the size of New York City. She thinks it's massive. I have other friends who think Columbia is a one-horse, podunk, country town. It's all based on what your perception is.

So, the most objective answer to your question is that all three metros are roughly about the same size, while the Charlotte metro area expands across the state line into South Carolina (Rock Hill and Fort Mill). The reason that people consider Charlotte part of both NC and SC is because Rock Hill and Fort Mill are part of Charlotte's "economic footprint," which is basically the definition of a metropolitan area. The state line is just an invisible line. People cross over the state line every day from Charlotte to Rock Hill, and vice versa, to live, work and spend their money. So, if you live in Rock Hill, you live in the Charlotte metro.

[plasticman]

I'll second Dillon.

[NewYorkBorn]

As another poster mentioned the size of each of these citys depends on one's perception. Being from NYC.........I do not feel Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Charlotte or Atlanta are big in terms of population or size.

After growing up in a city that has a population of 8 million people not counting the population for the entire state it takes a lot for me to consider any midsize metro to be large. Then again that is the reason many of us relocated to SC in the first place, wanted to live someplace that had less population.