Atlanta to be 6th largest metro by 2042 (Macon, Franklin: 2013, employment)

[netdragon]

Among other goodies, this article - based on United States Conference of Mayors estimates - says Atlanta will overtake 3 metros to become #6 by 2040

Moving South and West? Metropolitan America in 2042 | Newgeography.com

[skbl17]

Assuming growth rates remain that steady, that is. There could be a boom, and Atlanta could grow even faster. There could be a huge bust, and growth would slow down significantly.

That 10 million person-strong Houston metro though...

- skbl17

[netdragon]

Originally Posted by skbl17

That 10 million person-strong Houston metro though...

- skbl17

I'd like to see numbers in a few years for Houston. The oil prices are probably hurting it because it signifies lower demand.

[Atlwarrior]

Wouldn't one thread for your population articles be sufficient?

[Mutiny77]

It's pretty likely that the Bay Area would be reconstituted as a singular MSA by 2042 so that would be another monkey wrench thrown into the projections.

[toll_booth]

[Spade]

Originally Posted by netdragon

I'd like to see numbers in a few years for Houston. The oil prices are probably hurting it because it signifies lower demand.

If Houston's economy continues to diversify as it is such as a very fast growing medical center, a healthy manufacturing center, and even diversity within the energy industry, the oil bust won't hurt the city like it did in the 1980s. In fact, it's not really hurting the city like it did in the 1980s now and since the oil business is such a huge boom and bust industry, a boom could be just around the corner.

[oobanks]

Im wondering with that Kind of Growth would Atlanta, Macon, and Athens just end up being one huge Megapolis by then and more or less be grouped together. Atlanta and Athens pretty much already is. That would be some Crazy growth in the Atlanta Southern Suburban areas as well down the I-75 Corridor.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Mutiny77

It's pretty likely that the Bay Area would be reconstituted as a singular MSA by 2042 so that would be another monkey wrench thrown into the projections.

The Evolving Urban Form: Greater New York Expands | Newgeography.com

This link was in the OP's linked article. It discusses the definitions of the MSA and CMSA.

....
Summarized, metropolitan areas are developed by identifying the largest urban area (area of continuous urban development with 50,000 or more population) and then designating the counties that contain this urban area as “central counties.” Additional (“outlying”) counties are included in a metropolitan area if 25 percent or more of their resident workers have jobs in the central counties, or if 25 percent or more of the employees in the outlying county live in the central counties (There are additional criteria, which can be reviewed at 2010 Office of Management and Budget metropolitan area standards). In addition, adjacent metropolitan areas can be merged into a combined statistical area at a lower level of employment interchange (see below).
For example, one of the counties added to the New York metropolitan area in the 2010 redefinition was Dutchess (home of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library). A resident of Dutchess County who works across the county line in Putnam County (a central county) would count toward the 25 percent employment interchange with the central counties of the New York metropolitan area. Contrary to some perceptions, metropolitan areas do not denote an employment interchange between suburban areas and a central city, even as major an employment destination as the city of New York.
The OMB concept of “central” counties is in contrast to the more popular view that would consider the central counties to be Manhattan (New York County) or the five boroughs of New York City. In fact, out of the New York metropolitan area’s 25 counties, all but three (Dutchess and Orange in New York and Pike in Pennsylvania) are central counties. Sufficient parts of the urban area are in the other 22 counties, which makes them central.
The Expanding New York Combined Statistical Area
OMB has a larger metropolitan concept called the "combined statistical area." The combined statistical area is composed of metropolitan and micropolitan areas that have a high degree of economic integration with the larger metropolitan area. Essentially, adjacent areas are merged into a combined statistical area if there is an employment interchange of 15 percent. This occurs where the sum of the following two factors is 15 percent or more: (1) The percentage of resident workers in the smaller area employed in the larger area (not just central counties) and (2) The percentage of workers employed in the smaller area who reside in the larger area.
....

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Spade

If Houston's economy continues to diversify as it is such as a very fast growing medical center, a healthy manufacturing center, and even diversity within the energy industry, the oil bust won't hurt the city like it did in the 1980s. In fact, it's not really hurting the city like it did in the 1980s now and since the oil business is such a huge boom and bust industry, a boom could be just around the corner.

Oil has always gone up and down. Houston lost little, if any, population during the worst parts of the 80s slumps when it was more oil dependent, growing about 600k during the decade.