What is the most "country town like" city over 100,000? (Houston: crime, neighborhoods)

[TX_AGGIE13]

This forum is pretty funny. I've heard things from Houston, and Dallas are suburbs compared to some of the Northern cities, and Waco is just as urban as Houston and Dallas. Well, just to set it straight Houston's metro population as of December 1st 2008 is just over 6.1 million people, and the city proper is pushing 2.3 million. That would make it the 9th largest metro in the US, and the 4th largest city and closing in fast on Chicago because of it's slow up and down gains and losses. Dallas as of December 1st 2008 has a metro of just over 6.9 million people making it the 6th largest having just passed the Miami - Forth Lauderdale metro, and just over 1.3 million in the city proper ranking in at 9th. The only metro areas with larger populations in the north over Houston are NYC, Philadelphia, and Boston, and only NYC tops it by more than a million people unless you consider Washington DC and Baltimore the same metro, but according to the US Census Bureau they are seperate and I would have to agree having lived there. Only NYC now has a larger metro than Dallas - Fort Worth, but Philadelphia - Wilmington did up untill this year. Additionally Houston has the second largest metro as far as land area just under Jacksonville, FL. and possibly Anchorage Alaska, but that city is calculated on a different basis. Houston's metro is roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. Dallas Fort Worth is not far from that as well. The only thing that you may have a misinterpretation about is the fact that the population density is less in the Texas metros because they are so spread out. Just a little FYI. As far as Waco, I grew up in a small town of about 3,000 so I can understand how small town transplants to Waco, or people who have lived in towns smaller than Waco can make the big city, urban area statements they have, but there is no comparison. Someone on here stated that the Waco area is just over 230K in popultaion, and that is right on the money. Do the math, wouldn't that make Waco about 30 times smaller than Houston, or Dallas metros???? As far as growth, Waco has an impressive growth rate as far as the metro is concerned, but will not catch Houston ever at it's current rate. The Houston Metro is growing at a rate of almost 20% every 10 years, where as Waco is at about 14%. I am not getting my information from Census 2000 either, it is current to the month going back a physical year. I used to work as a Statician for the US Census Bureau. As far as "country" well, anyone who thinks if there is a population within a city that wears cowboy hats, and boots is country, or thinks the presence of Agriculture land, and Livestock is country could call any city in Texas country.

[Spade]

^^ Where did you get your stats from?
DFW CSA is only 6.5 million and Houston CSA is 5.7 million.

The metros larger than Houston are NYC, LA, Chicago, Wash-Balt, Bay Area, Boston, DFW, and Philly (though Houston is getting ready to pass Philly).

[Spade]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

My roommate is from Washington D.C. and I've actually been there. I've heard differently.

Well I LIVE in Washington DC and nobody thinks of Houston and Dallas as country cities.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by Spade

Well I LIVE in Washington DC and nobody thinks of Houston and Dallas as country cities.

We just have happen to have spoke to different people.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

I used to work as a Statician for the US Census Bureau. As far as "country" well, anyone who thinks if there is a population within a city that wears cowboy hats, and boots is country, or thinks the presence of Agriculture land, and Livestock is country could call any city in Texas country.

Eaxactly, both Dallas & Houston even have small pockets inside the city limits where you still see open land & cattle grazing, but that doesn't make them "country" by any means because right next door you'll find another strip mall or housing development.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

Eaxactly, both Dallas & Houston even have small pockets inside the city limits where you still see open land & cattle grazing, but that doesn't make them "country" by any means because right next door you'll find another strip mall or housing development.

Sounds like Waco, but yet were country.

[TX_AGGIE13]

Spade - You must not have read my entire post. Like I said I used to work for the US Census Bureau, and am a part time Statician. I also now do data research for many other institutions including Texas A&M University, and George Washington University. In other words I am one of the guys who creates the information gathering formulas you are reading, and my information is to the first of every month which the general public does not even have.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

Spade - You must not have read my entire post. Like I said I used to work for the US Census Bureau, and am a part time Statician. I also now do data research for many other institutions including Texas A&M University, and George Washington University. In other words I am one of the guys who creates the information gathering formulas you are reading, and my information is to the first of every month which the general public does not even have.

Can you tell me the estimated population growth of Lubbock? I'd be very interested in knowing.

[TXTwizter]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

I feel like this projet just may go through. I mean look at what is happening downtown, it has so much potential and developers are now noticing it. With the River Square Area and all the clubs and resturantes around there. This project has a good chance of pssing.

This was just posted today in the newspaper Downtown players name streetcars as desire

Also the Hotel Indigo: Mike Copeland: Gas drops closer to $1 a gallon; Hotel Indigo plans still in works

I just read that in the Sunday Trib!!! I think that would be really neat if we had something like that here. And the Hotel Indigo article......the developers ears must have been burning as we were spouting back and forth about it, cause theres an article in the paper today. I honestly hope Waco can support a high end hotel in this economy. Maybe after they build it the old saying, "if you build it, they will come", and all of Rick Sheldons visions can be built, plus more.

To get back on topic, I still think Waco does have a "country town" mentality, Hopefully after all this development our 125,000 citizens and 50,000 suburban citizens will wake up and realize this and attitudes will change.

[Rathagos]

San Angelo or Abilene. I'm more partial to San Angelo, because that's where I live. Enough city amenities that you don't have to drive anywhere else to get something, but small enough you still get the "hello" and very often see a familiar face while out and about town.

Traffic is bad only for the kids learning how to drive, and the retired persons who are damned if they are to give up their last freedoms.

Crime is relatively low, and without a major highway or interstate near us, we don't get many strayers "just passing through."