What cities in Texas would you consider to be a major cities? (Houston: sales, buy)

[awecelot]

Using Dangerfield's Criteria (review them again just below), here's how the major metropolitan areas as I listed in the above post stack up:

- 500,000K + population.
- International airport with a variety of domestic and international destinations.
- diverse demographics.
- established economic base with several F1000 corporations.
- several public and private colleges and universities.
- an array of cultural and public ammentities (museums, art galleries, parks).
- pro sports teams.
- suburb(s)

Meet all of the requirements
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
San Antonio

One deficiency
Austin-Round Rock - Pro Sports Teams

Multiple deficiencies
El Paso - multiple universities, pro sports teams; not sure on diversity, economic base, cultural amenities
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission - multiple universities, diversity, flights out of airport, economic base, cultural amenities, pro sports teams

I would venture to say that Corpus Christi-Kingsville is closer to being considered "major" than McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, due to multiple colleges/universities (Texas A&M Kingsville, A&M Corpus Christi, College of Our Lady of Corpus Christi, plus two junior college systems), more diversity, a more established economic base with one of the largest ports in the nation, and the various museums, art galleries, and parks that are found in that area.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by awecelot

Miami and St. Louis (among others) are disqualified by that first statement alone.

And that is YET another reason why city population numbers are irrelevant.

[Dangerfield]

Originally Posted by awecelot

Using Dangerfield's Criteria (review them again just below), here's how the major metropolitan areas as I listed in the above post stack up:



Meet all of the requirements
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown
San Antonio

One deficiency
Austin-Round Rock - Pro Sports Teams

Multiple deficiencies
El Paso - multiple universities, pro sports teams; not sure on diversity, economic base, cultural amenities
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission - multiple universities, diversity, flights out of airport, economic base, cultural amenities, pro sports teams

I would venture to say that Corpus Christi-Kingsville is closer to being considered "major" than McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, due to multiple colleges/universities (Texas A&M Kingsville, A&M Corpus Christi, College of Our Lady of Corpus Christi, plus two junior college systems), more diversity, a more established economic base with one of the largest ports in the nation, and the various museums, art galleries, and parks that are found in that area.

Austin-Round Rock has pro sports; RR Express (Baseball), Austin Ice Bats (Hockey) and Austin Toros (Basketball).

Spade enlightened me to the point of the thread. It's Texas' major cities. I would adjust my previous list as follows:

Obviously the Big 5 - Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin.

El Paso - the city for Far West Texas and Southern NM. (arguably EP could make Texas' Big 6th)

Lubbock - Panhandle Plains.

Midland/Odessa - hub for the vast areas between El Paso to Abilene, Rio Grande river to Lubbock.

Corpus Christi - Coastal South Texas.

McAllen - Rio Grande Valley.

[jluke65780]

Originally Posted by Dangerfield

Austin-Round Rock has pro sports; RR Express (Baseball), Austin Ice Bats (Hockey) and Austin Toros (Basketball).

Spade enlightened me to the point of the thread. It's Texas' major cities. I would adjust my previous list as follows:

Obviously the Big 5 - Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin.

El Paso - the city for Far West Texas and Southern NM. (arguably EP could make Texas' Big 6th)

Lubbock - Panhandle Plains.

Midland/Odessa - hub for the vast areas between El Paso to Abilene, Rio Grande river to Lubbock.

Corpus Christi - Coastal South Texas.

McAllen - Rio Grande Valley.

if your going to include Lubbock and Midland/Odessa. You need to include many other cities as well.

[awecelot]

Originally Posted by Dangerfield

Austin-Round Rock has pro sports; RR Express (Baseball), Austin Ice Bats (Hockey) and Austin Toros (Basketball).

Spade enlightened me to the point of the thread. It's Texas' major cities. I would adjust my previous list as follows:

Obviously the Big 5 - Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin.

El Paso - the city for Far West Texas and Southern NM. (arguably EP could make Texas' Big 6th)

Lubbock - Panhandle Plains.

Midland/Odessa - hub for the vast areas between El Paso to Abilene, Rio Grande river to Lubbock.

Corpus Christi - Coastal South Texas.

McAllen - Rio Grande Valley.

Ah, I didn't realize you were including minor league sports. Oftentimes, when someone says "pro sports," they are referring to major league sports only.

[Dangerfield]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

if your going to include Lubbock and Midland/Odessa. You need to include many other cities as well.

The way the OP worded the opening question; "What cities would you consider to be major", neither of us will be completely right or wrong. Someone somewhere in Texas may consider Alpine to be a major city. It's all about your perspective I guess.

Originally Posted by awecelot

Ah, I didn't realize you were including minor league sports. Oftentimes, when someone says "pro sports," they are referring to major league sports only.

[Angel713]

Originally Posted by John Shaft

Agreed. Dallas, Houston, and SA are kind of Group 1. Then Austin and Fort Worth are Group 1A, with El Paso at Group 1B. Everything else is Group 2 and so on...

Nah, Houston and Dallas are in their own group. San Antonio is not on their level and is in the same group as Austin.

[Mark-Tyler is Special]

Dangerfied: Tyler, Amarillo, Lubbuck, Temple, Waco, Killeen, Beaumont, Midland, Odessa in no way do I consider major cities, but if "we" keep in Midland/Odessa because there is nothing else in that part of the state, then I think you should thro back in Tyler/Longview. Midland Odessa, metros sit side by side with combined metros of 261,375 Tyler/Longview metros side by side 406,023?

[Dangerfield]

^ I just don't see Tyler/Longview's regional influence/impact nearly as significant as Midland/Odessa's, even with T/L's higher population.

1 1/2 hrs (give or take) in either direction on I-20 from Tyler you're in the Metroplex or Shreveport/Bossier City; the same distance on I-20 from Midland/Odessa you're near... Abilene or Van Horn???

Curious. Why would you not consider Lubbock a major Texas city? Major university, largest air hub and highest MSA population between El Paso and DFW.

[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by Dangerfield

^ I just don't see Tyler/Longview's regional influence/impact nearly as significant as Midland/Odessa's, even with T/L's higher population.

1 1/2 hrs (give or take) in either direction on I-20 from Tyler you're in the Metroplex or Shreveport/Bossier City; the same distance on I-20 from Midland/Odessa you're near... Abilene or Van Horn???

Curious. Why would you not consider Lubbock a major Texas city? Major university, largest air hub and highest MSA population between El Paso and DFW.

Don't forget the largest hospital district between Dallas and Phoenix.