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There's an argument to be made that Baltimore is more of a 2-BB city today.
Not really.
The amount of commuter inflow/outflow between DC & Baltimore is less than 1% (city propers). The only significant mixing of commuter workers are in the 3 of the 4 counties in between the two cities (Howard, AA, Montgomery.) Montgomery gets more workers from Howard & AA than they get from Montgomery, PG is strictly DC centric. None of the counties however have more than 5% of their workforce in the opposing primate city (DC or Baltimore).
Despite their extreme proximity DC & Baltimore anchor different regions and their economies have always been more or less completely independent of each other.
The amount of commuter inflow/outflow between DC & Baltimore is less than 1% (city propers). The only significant mixing of commuter workers are in the 3 of the 4 counties in between the two cities (Howard, AA, Montgomery.) Montgomery gets more workers from Howard & AA than they get from Montgomery, PG is strictly DC centric. None of the counties however have more than 5% of their workforce in the opposing primate city (DC or Baltimore).
Despite their extreme proximity DC & Baltimore anchor different regions and their economies have always been more or less completely independent of each other.
I'm not sure if I'd say their economies are completely independent of each other when many of the largest employers in metro Baltimore today are federal installations. In that sense, it could be argued that Baltimore has the economic profile of a 2-BB city, somewhat along similar lines as San Jose when it comes to its most prominent industry in relation to its larger regional neighbor (although with a different sort of dynamic in place).
How I currently see the tiers (Rand McNally aside):
NYC
LA
SF, DC, CHI
BOS, PHI, DAL, HOU
MIA, SEA, ATL
DEN, PHO, MIN, DET, SAN
POR, TPA, ORL, CHA, PIT, AUS, NASH, SAC, CLE, CIN, STL, BAL
KC, SLC, IND, MKE, OKC, LVA
I'm not sure if I'd say their economies are completely independent of each other when many of the largest employers in metro Baltimore today are federal installations. In that sense, it could be argued that Baltimore has the economic profile of a 2-BB city, somewhat along similar lines as San Jose when it comes to its most prominent industry in relation to its larger regional neighbor (although with a different sort of dynamic in place).
100 largest employers in the Greater Baltimore region (2016-17)
Fort Meade/NSA & Social Security are the only federal agencies of note that are anchored in the Baltimore MSA but they’ve been there since WWII, when the dynamics of the two were reversed.
Baltimore has a good deal of contractors in its southern fringes but its parallel universe compared near as federal agencies in MoCo or NoVA.
How I currently see the tiers (Rand McNally aside):
NYC
LA
SF, DC, CHI
BOS, PHI, DAL, HOU
MIA, SEA, ATL
DEN, PHO, MIN, DET, SAN
POR, TPA, ORL, CHA, PIT, AUS, NASH, SAC, CLE, CIN, STL, BAL
KC, SLC, IND, MKE, OKC, LVA
1. What separates the Bos/Philly/Dallas/Houston group, from the Miami/Seattle/ATL group to you? Those cities are generally of the same tier to me...
Granted, I kinda agree that Miami and Seattle are the low end, but Atlanta? How do you conclude Dallas over Atlanta, and how is either Philly or Dallas ahead of Houston?
2. Baltimore still packs quite a punch. I put it at the low end of your Denver group. Meaning, I can't really argue it being in the group you have it in, but it wouldn't be ik the low end of that group...
At its very peak, Baltimore was a Top 10-ish city. It's lost esteem and relevance, continues to do so, but I still think it's a Top 20 city, if only borderline...
3. Your next group has a dozen cities, there are thin margins, but I think there is a split between the first six cities you put there, and the next four (St Louis, like Baltimore to me, is very clearly losing esteem but still belongs with the first six cities in this group, at the rear)...
Your four cities listed ahead of StL belong in your group below it. Your first six cities are distinguished to a different degree---->Clt, Atx, Pdx are the closest three to making that jump into the tier ahead of it. None of those four ahead of StL are threatening that level, not even darling Nashville, which is deserving of its recognition as a city on the rise. Charlotte and Austin have ascended even quicker though, and are considerably bigger cities with bigger purses to match...
4. Again I'd put your four cities that are directly ahead of StL in your KC group, sans Mke, SLC, and OKC. I'd move Vegas up a tier and Milwaukee doesn't make the cut for me...
SLC and OKC are part of an emerging cities group that are threatening the leap into this lowest tier within the next decade. They are coming, I just wouldn't quite put them at the level of Nashville or Kansas City...
I think if we are considering rapid ascension of SLC and OKC as emerging cities, we have to also consider the emergence of Raleigh, Richmond, and Jacksonville. That's five cities on a come up towards "major city" status, probably at varying degree, but none of these five are there yet...
I think this is an awesome list by the way, I'd just shuffle around some cities!
I think this is an awesome list by the way, I'd just shuffle around some cities!
Thanks! It's a super subjective thing but fun to see where there's been recent movement and chat with others to determine the harder ones. It's pretty shaped by personal experiences as not many of us have spent lots of time in most of these cities.
To answer some of your questions:
The Seattle, Atlanta, Miami tier I think is the last tier that you could call 'national importance' vs regional, but I still feel like Boston and Philly are a tier above due to legacy transit/culture/museums/etc, and Dallas and Houston due to their population and synergy with the Texas Triangle. Atlanta I do see as next up into that tier, and I almost broke out Dal/Hou as their own tier in-between.
Baltimore, yeah you right, I bumped it to the Denver tier, but it's definitely just hanging on compared to a couple others in that tier (and might eventually get replaced by a Charlotte or Portland type).
The next couple tiers are tough and really depend on the criteria. Each have relative strength in certain areas. I did some shuffling and broke out another tier with some of your suggestions.
NYC
LA
SF, DC, CHI
BOS, PHI, DAL, HOU
MIA, SEA, ATL
DEN, PHO, MIN, DET, SAN, BAL
POR, TPA, ORL, CLT, PIT, STL, AUS
NASH, SAC, CLE, CIN, SATX, KC, LVA
SLC, IND, MKE, OKC, RVA, RNC, CBUS, NOLA
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