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Some of America's mid-sized cities (75,000 - 250,000) are growing fast, while some of the older, bigger cities are shrinking. Which mid-sized cities do you think will be the next big cities and why?
How big is it now?
How much has the city grown?
Does it have steady growth?
Does it have a stable economy?
It is a desirable place to live?
I'll start with Rochester, Minnesota.
Rochester currently has a city population of 110,000 and a metro population of 190,000. It is about 90 miles from the Twin Cities.
It has seen a good about of growth, with the city proper alone gaining around 25,000 people between 2000 and 2010. It is not blocked by the other surround towns, so the city can grow much larger.
Rochester has steady growth. At every census Rochester has gained people.
Rochester has a very stable economy. The Mayo Clinic is based out of Rochester, and it employs over 30,000 people. Also in Rochester is one of IBM's major bases, employing about 5,000 people. New development is all over the city. Several new supermarkets are under construction and houses are going up everywhere. New buildings are going up downtown, and even though it only has a metro of about 190,000, the downtown has multiple buildings over 300 feet. Rochester also has many hotels. The city has well over 5,000 rooms, and new hotels are being built in many parts of the city. Over 2,000,000 people come to Rochester every year.
Rochester is a very desirable city. It has been named the Best City to live in America many times, including three years in a row one time. It has a low crime rate, and one of, if not the best health care systems in the world. The school district ranks high most years, and a new University of Minnesota campus just opened here. It has many parks, and a vibrant downtown. Throughout the summer, Thursdays on First takes place downtown, with live music, many vendors, and activities. The city also has free concerts at "Down on the Riverside", which has at least one well-known band each year.
That's why I think Rochester will be one of the next big cities. What other cities do you think will soon become large?
When i rank these cities i mean in terms of rising up to the next tier. Sacramento for example will rise to a new tier of cities soon
Sioux Falls, SD: 20% growth Rates, Major hub for bank of america and other companies, Booming from oil, healthcare and finance sectors. Population: 155,000
Sacramento, CA: Strong Government and Healthcare jobs, growing from SF transplants. Probably become more important in california in the next 50 yrs. Population: 435,000
Missoula, MT: growing college town in montana Population:70,000
Charleston, SC: Good business climate ive heard and gaining population Population:170,000
I agree with the cities you posted. Sioux Falls is definitely going to be one of America's next major cities. I have been there many times, and there is always something new whenever I go.
I've been to Madison and loved it. Beautiful city and natural setting. Booming economy. Benefits from its position as state capital (can you think of a state capital that is doing worse than its home state as a whole?)
Huntsville has been benefitting from the aerospace jobs, and the inexorable migration of people southward can only help the city's rise to further prominence.
I was going to mention Rochester and Sioux Falls, but since they've already been mentioned, I'll throw in Williston, ND. I know it doesn't fit the category perfectly, since we're looking for cities that are already mid-sized and Williston is still quite small. But by 2020, it should be a primary regional center (for the western Dakotas and eastern Montana).
Besides that, I think Boise is growing pretty rapidly, too. Seems like the far plains/mountains might sort of be the Sun Belt redux? I suppose the taxes are pretty low, economies are healthy, and it's always easier to add a few thousand units of housing numerically than to add 20% population growth in an already established city.
By the way, funny note about Rochester. When my mom was growing up near there, it was only about 30,000 people-- no more a regional center than say, Mankato or Winona. That means it has almost quadrupled in population within the last fifty years. It's been crazy population growth across Olmsted County, and a lot of annexation on Rochester's part-- in my experience with Rochester, there's just not a lot outside the city limits, a few stand-alone towns like Oronoco and Pine Island, and that's it. I'll be interested to see if some of those townships start incorporating, if Rochester finally fills in its borders and maybe even densifies a little bit by the time of the next census?
ALSO, worth mentioning: Cedar Rapids (IA) was growing pretty fast, according to the 2000 census, but I believe it cooled down by the 2010 census. Still, that stretch of 380/80 seems more developed and "suburbanized" every time I'm on it. There's a big energy industry there, lots of people are still moving off of the farms into larger cities in Iowa, constant flow of human capitol/college grads from Iowa and Iowa State, close to Des Moines, Mississippi still helps, a few international airports nearby, lots of good hospitals, and I think Quaker and Deere are both pretty stable employers at this point. So that might be another area to keep an eye on....
It's been crazy population growth across Olmsted County, and a lot of annexation on Rochester's part-- in my experience with Rochester, there's just not a lot outside the city limits, a few stand-alone towns like Oronoco and Pine Island, and that's it. I'll be interested to see if some of those townships start incorporating, if Rochester finally fills in its borders and maybe even densifies a little bit by the time of the next census?
Oronoco and Pine Island have both started to make the change from rural farming communities into suburbs. New neighborhoods are filling in what used to be farms. New offices, stores, and gas station are being planned/developed for both of the towns, and a new diverging diamond interchange is being built between the two towns. A lot of new development is happening in Stewartville also. Fedex recently announced that a new, major distribution hub is going to be built in Stewartville because of how close it is to Rochester International Airport. Also, the small town of Byron has pretty much turned into a suburb in the past decade.
Oronoco and Pine Island have both started to make the change from rural farming communities into suburbs. New neighborhoods are filling in what used to be farms. New offices, stores, and gas station are being planned/developed for both of the towns, and a new diverging diamond interchange is being built between the two towns. A lot of new development is happening in Stewartville also. Fedex recently announced that a new, major distribution hub is going to be built in Stewartville because of how close it is to Rochester International Airport. Also, the small town of Byron has pretty much turned into a suburb in the past decade.
Cool info, thanks!
I'm more used to passing through. My mother is from West Concord originally, so we have family down that way. I do know that the whole area is developing fast, though...
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