Columbus,GA 9th fastest growing metro between July 2011-12 (Savannah: university, military)

[masonbauknight]

The Census Bureau and the OMB decide what is "tied to the area," not local Chambers of Commerce (notorious boosters), local newspapers (ditto, and the worst of them all), and not local yokels in general. These other stats are pure speculation and nothing but boosterism. Also, as stated on another thread, virtually EVERY Southern city the size of Columbus can count 700,000 people (sometimes many more than that) within a two-county radius. Boosterism is cheap.

[Newsboy]

WHAT'S IMPORTANT: The Savannah and Columbus MSAs are both growing significantly faster than Augusta's MSA.

JULY 2012 EST POPULATIONS

COLUMBUS MSA -- 310,531 / +15,666
SAVANNAH MSA -- 361,941 / +14,330
AUGUSTA MSA -- 575,898 / +11,055

Further, when you compare the Savannah and Columbus CSAs to the Augusta MSA (which is only fair), it becomes obvious that the three regions are much closer in population than mere MSA numbers would indicate, and both Columbus and Savannah are quickly narrowing the gap with Augusta.

COLUMBUS CSA 491,852 / +22,525
SAVANNAH CSA 516,154 / +20,409
AUGUSTA MSA -- 575,898 / +11,055

ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT: Augusta's MSA sprawls across 3,278 sq miles -- with nearly one-third of that (1,080 sq miles) in Aiken County SC alone!

By comparison, the Columbus MSA is just 1,937 sq miles, and the SavannaH MSA a mere 1,359! When you break it down by MSA density, it looks like this:

COLUMBUS MSA: 160 / sq mile
AUGUSTA MSA: 178.7 / sq mile
SAVANNAH MSA: 266 / sq mile

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

WHAT'S IMPORTANT: The Savannah and Columbus MSAs are both growing significantly faster than Augusta's MSA.

JULY 2012 EST POPULATIONS

COLUMBUS MSA -- 310,531 / +15,666
SAVANNAH MSA -- 361,941 / +14,330
AUGUSTA MSA -- 575,898 / +11,055

Further, when you compare the Savannah and Columbus CSAs to the Augusta MSA (which is only fair), it becomes obvious that the three regions are much closer in population than mere MSA numbers would indicate, and both Columbus and Savannah are quickly narrowing the gap with Augusta.

COLUMBUS CSA -- 491,852 / +22,525
SAVANNAH CSA -- 516,154 / +20,409
AUGUSTA MSA -- 575,898 / +11,055

ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT: Augusta's MSA sprawls across 3,278 sq miles -- with nearly one-third of that (1,080 sq miles) in Aiken County SC alone!

By comparison, the Columbus MSA is just 1,937 sq miles, and the SavannaH MSA a mere 1,359! When you break it down by MSA density, it looks like this:

COLUMBUS MSA: 160 / sq mile
AUGUSTA MSA: 178.7 / sq mile
SAVANNAH MSA: 266 / sq mile

ANOTHER THING: At 3,278 miles, the Augusta MSA in fact covers a larger land area than either the Columbus or Savannah CSAs! Therefore, it is completely reasonable to consider them all the same for statistical comparisons.

AND FINALLY: While all three abut other metro areas not presently considered part of their combined regions, the Savannah MSA is the ONLY one with a principal city / county immediately adjacent to another MSA -- in this case, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort MSA is RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER from historic downtown Savannah ... a mere 5 minute ride over the Talmadge Bridge!

There was speculation that Jasper and Beaufort counties in SC would be combined with the Savannah CSA this go-round, but alas that wasn't the case. Had it been, the population of the Savannah-Hilton Head CSA would be 710,036 -- bigger than Charleston! And that's not some made-up number, but an accurate estimate of the population of the greater Savannah area.

It is inevitable and will happen eventually.

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

ANOTHER THING: At 3,278 miles, the Augusta MSA in fact covers a larger land area than either the Columbus or Savannah CSAs! Therefore, it is completely reasonable to consider them all the same for statistical comparisons.

AND FINALLY: While all three abut other metro areas not presently considered part of their combined regions, the Savannah MSA is the ONLY one with a principal city / county immediately adjacent to another MSA -- in this case, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort MSA is RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER from historic downtown Savannah ... a mere 5 minute ride over the Talmadge Bridge!

There was speculation that Jasper and Beaufort counties in SC would be combined with the Savannah CSA this go-round, but alas that wasn't the case. Had it been, the population of the Savannah-Hilton Head CSA would be 710,036 -- bigger than Charleston! And that's not some made-up number, but an accurate estimate of the population of the greater Savannah area.

It is inevitable and will happen eventually.

Excellent observation. No "boosterism" but all fact. Thank you Newsboy for taking the time to show this! Your 2 posts are spot on.

[nortonguy]

Yes, Columbus and Savannah both did grow faster between 2010-2012. But I want to the see growth rate once BRAC(US Army) is no longer responsible for bringing the growth to the Columbus area.

I also don't understand what Augusta has to do with Masonbauknight responding to the Columbus1984 post, and why somebody felt the need to mention it.

Did Augusta increase the gap between 2000-2010 then? The Augusta MSA gained the most people outside of metro Atlanta between 2000-2010. The metro also grew much faster compared to Columbus between 2000-2010.

Augusta 57,193
Savannah 54,611
Columbus 13,097

Savannah 18.6%
Augusta 11.4%
Columbus 4.6%

It's not fair to compare the MSA of Augusta versus the CSA of another city. The urban population of Augusta is much closer to Greenville compared to Savannah or Columbus.

Urban populations
Augusta 390,000
Savannah 261,000
Columbus 254,000

http://demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf

[Columbus1984]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Yes, Columbus and Savannah both did grow faster between 2010-2012. But I want to the see growth rate once BRAC(US Army) is no longer responsible for bringing the growth to the Columbus area.

I also don't understand what Augusta has to do with Masonbauknight responding to the Columbus1984 post, and why somebody felt the need to mention it.

Did Augusta increase the gap between 2000-2010 then? The Augusta MSA gained the most people outside of metro Atlanta between 2000-2010. The metro also grew much faster compared to Columbus between 2000-2010.

Augusta 57,193
Savannah 54,611
Columbus 13,097

Savannah 18.6%
Augusta 11.4%
Columbus 4.6%

It's not fair to compare the MSA of Augusta versus the CSA of another city. The urban population of Augusta is much closer to Greenville compared to Savannah or Columbus.

Urban populations
Augusta 390,000
Savannah 261,000
Columbus 254,000

http://demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf

Then what's Augusta's CSA? Never seen one. Might not exist bc it's always stated in MSA numbers. The Columbus CSA is the same size land wise as Augusta's MSA.

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by Columbus1984

Then what's Augusta's CSA? Never seen one. Might not exist bc it's always stated in MSA numbers. The Columbus CSA is the same size land wise as Augusta's MSA.

Aiken County is one of the largest counties in terms of land size, but the population is concentrated mostly around Aiken/North Augusta/Graniteville.

What exactly is their to debate? The urban population of Augusta is over 100k larger compared to Columbus & Savannah. The population of the three main counties in metro Augusta(Richmond, Aiken, Columbia= 497,026) is bigger than both the MSA and CSA of Columbus.

I don't understand why you guys try so hard to make the cities equal in population. The residents of Augusta do realize downtown Savannah is better, Fort Benning is much larger than Fort Gordon, and Macon has more interstates.

[masonbauknight]

@Columbus1984 and Newsboy. It's OK to crow about these growth rates, but the Census Bureau should be the arbiter of trends (not you boys, the local C of C, and certainly not hometown boosters like the Columbus newspaper). US Census allows us to compare apples to apples, and Augusta is simply (this decade) a larger metro area. So AUG extends many miles toward Aiken? Such are the parameters of its metro area. Charleston is a "loose" metro, too--much of it in a straight line inland from the peninsula.

@Norton. You don't compare growth of cities in terms of raw numbers. By that yardstick, New York will always be the fastest-growing U.S. metro and CSA because it gains more residents than any other. Yet other cities are growing faster than NYC. Percentages are the stats that are significant, and by that measure Savannah has been growing faster than Augusta since 2000. And since 2010, Columbus is growing faster than Augusta as well.

[Newsboy]

Norton really shot himself in the foot on this one. I was trying to point out how the three metros are in fact a lot more similar population-wise when you look at the big picture. He once again dismisses the Columbus and Savannah CSAs and wants to brag solely on the Augusta MSA -- WHICH IS CLEARLY GROWING AT HALF THE RATE OF THE OTHER TWO!

So even when you strip away the CSA numbers and compare apples to apples (MSAs to MSAs) ...Columbus is still kicking Augusta's butt! Just as Savannah did in the past decade (18.6% to 11.4%). If this same rate of growth continues, the Savannah CSA will have a larger population than the Augusta MSA (in a smaller area mind you!) by 2020.

[nortonguy]

I still don't understand why Augusta was brought into the discussion. How did I shoot myself in the foot when the urban populations aren't even close?

I'm the one being accused of bragging, but you guys always have to use surrounding counties in order to make the area 'seem bigger'. Or you have to compare the CSA vs the MSA of Augusta. BRAC in Columbus won't last forever, and the MSA of Savannah only gained around 3,000 more people between 2010-2012.

I''ll give Columbus and Savannah credit, but 2010-2012 is only two years of growth. Let's see what happens once the Georgia Regents expansions, NSA, Plant Vogtle, Starbucks, etc developments pick up steam in Augusta.