Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Which metro area do you prefer? I like Charlotte overall, because of the center city, it's cool neighborhoods, and it's progress towards building transit. The Triangle beats in the education arena, with it's top notch schools.
I like Charlotte. It has always seemed to have more of a get-up attitude to me. The CBD seems better. As far as education, many people sleep on the higher ed in Charlotte. UNC Charlotte, Johnson C Smith (this school especially), Queens U, John Wales U, don't get as much respect. Plus CPCC is the best community college in the state. But the Triangle does lead in this area, I'm just saying Charlotte is underrated in this category. Raleigh is great, but I like Charlotte more.
It's a bit hard when comparing a metro area with one dominant city versus a multinodal one with several urban centers. Each set-up has its plusses and minuses.
It's a bit hard when comparing a metro area with one dominant city versus a multinodal one with several urban centers. Each set-up has its plusses and minuses.
Raleigh is still a fairly large city (pop. 400,000)...it just has a couple of medium-sized cities in it's CSA - maybe that is what is clouding the picture for you. Raleigh is still clearly the main city in that CSA...
Charlotte also has a couple of sizeable cities in it's CSA...Gastonia (71,000) Concord (70,000) Rock Hill (65,000) Hickory (50,000) and Kannapolis (40,000)
In Raleigh's MSA...Durham (220,000) Cary (125,000) Chapel Hill (55,000) Apex (34,000) and Garner (26,000)
Raleigh is the obvious dominant city in it's metro...other than Durham, the others are suburbs and Chapel Hill is a college town. Durham and Gastonia are both independent cities with a strong manufacturing base...so they are comparable, even though Durham is 3 times larger.
Some of the other cities in Charlotte's metro are independent (besides Gastonia)...meaning they existed as employment centers long before being included in the Charlotte CSA. Hickory (famous for furniture manufacturing), Concord (textile mills and NASCAR), Kannapolis (Cannon Mills, textiles, NASCAR).
So...IMO...Raleigh has 4 major employment/population centers - Raleigh, Durham, Research Triangle Park, and Chapel Hill. Charlotte has 5 major employment/population centers - Charlotte, Gastonia, Hickory, Concord, and Kannapolis.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
