What city could become Georgia's second major metro? (Atlanta, Columbus: 2015, estimated)

[Columbuskidd92]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Here's the problem with that data you provided: It calculates the historical populations of the metro areas AS IT IS DEFINED TODAY! All those little counties that are included in that total were not part of the "official" Columbus metro area until recently. Indeed, Auburn-Opelika was not considered part of the Columbus CSA until 20 years ago.

The Census Bureau didn't conceive of the concept of "metro area" until the early part of the 20th century, and even then, it wasn't made an official "designation" until the 1940 Census.

This is a map of metropolitan districts of the United States in 1930:


This is a map of the official Metropolitan Areas of the Eastern US in 1980:

Here is the proof.
1980 Census of Population: Subject reports. Geographical mobility for ... - Google Books

[Columbuskidd92]

Here is a better understanding.

Columbus...
Columbus, GA-AL MSA Population and Components of Change -- Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University Home

Savannah...
Savannah, GA MSA Population and Components of Change -- Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University Home

[Newsboy]

I will repeat: There are many factors besides population to consider when comparing metro areas to one another. For the first 150 years of Georgia's history, Savannah was the largest and most powerful city in the state. Even after the growth of Atlanta, it continued to be the second-most populous and prominent city in the state into the 1960s. After stagnating briefly in the 1970s and '80s, Savannah's industrial growth has again made it the 2nd most important economic center of the state, and in the past 20 years, its rate of population growth has exceeded all the other second-tier cities.

For the purposes of this discussion, Savannah-Hilton Head has the best chance among the other second-tier cities of becoming a metro area of 1 million-plus within the next 20 years. Indeed, it is already on track to accomplish that.

[snowchaser2002]

Yep Savannah! Although Augusta has a lot going for it as well.

[nortonguy]

The actually size(land) of Aiken County, SC is the one of the largest counties in the entire south... The overwhelmingly majority of people live in/around Aiken/North Augusta, and SRS takes up a lot of the land in the county. Only Savannah and Augusta both have over 200,000 in the main county, and metro Augusta is the only place with over 100,000 in two suburban counties...

The 2010 urban areas....
Augusta 386,787
Savannah 260,677
Columbus 253,602
Macon 137570

[Columbuskidd92]

Savannah-Hilton Head is not a MSA nor CSA.

[Big_Dave_Jones]

Columbus guys love attempting to place it alongside Savannah and Augusta. Sorry, but Savannah and Augusta are on a different tier than Columbus and Macon. Columbus and Macon lie on a tier below Savannah-Augusta and above Athens-Albany. The only reasonable debate now would be between Augusta and Savannah.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by Columbuskidd92

Savannah-Hilton Head is not a MSA nor CSA.

It will be. Only a matter of time.

[Columbuskidd92]

Lol at this BIG_DAVE_JONES account popping up out the blue. And as usual the person is bashing and throwing shade at Columbus.

//www.city-data.com/forum/searc...=7311407&pp=30

[Big_Dave_Jones]

Originally Posted by Columbuskidd92

Lol at this BIG_DAVE_JONES account popping up out the blue. And as usual the person is bashing and throwing shade at Columbus. //www.city-data.com/forum/searc...=7311407&pp=30

or maybe, just maybe, could it be that the only people who think Columbus belongs in this debate are guys from Columbus? Maybe Columbus can enter this discussion when it has the retail or number of big events hosted as Savannah and Augusta. I would love to hear your opinion on what makes Columbus a more likely candidate than Augusta and Savannah to become a second major metropolitan in this state. What is it? The proximity to spur 185 and other cities? The attractions? Fort Benning?