Savannah MSA has highest growth rate among Georgia metro areas, 2010-2015 (Atlanta: live in, statistics)

[masonbauknight]

With the US Census population estimates for metro areas released yesterday, it's easier to see significant trends. In Georgia, Savannah has passed Gainesville and Atlanta in rate of population growth, and is second (after Atlanta) in terms of new residents. Growth rates, from highest to lowest, among the 10 largest metros in the state:


1. Savannah, 9.1% (+31,578 residents to 379,100)
2. Atlanta, 8.0% (+424,068 to 5,710,895)
3. Gainesville, 7.7% (+13,851 to 193,535)
4. Columbus, 6.2% (+18,218 to 313,749)
5. Athens, 5.5% (+10,648 to 203,189)
6. Warner Robins, 4.8% (+8,544 to 188,149)
7. Augusta, 4.5% (+25,273 to 590,146)
8. Valdosta, 2.3% (+3,210 to 142,875)
9. Macon, -0.9% (-2,197 to 230,096)
10. Albany, -2.5% (-3,974 to 153,526)


NOTES:

(a) From the new population estimates, Athens is formally a "second-tier city" in Georgia. Some C-D posters have disputed "2nd tier" status for Athens, but I think the latest population estimate (203,000) might change some minds.
(b) For 2010-2015, Savannah has joined the "Carolina pantheon" in terms of growth rates. While Myrtle Beach (14.7%), Raleigh (12.7%) and Charleston (12.0%) best Savannah, Savannah's rate is just about as robust as Charlotte's (9.4%) and exceeds most all the other NC and SC metros like Columbia.
(c) The 2010-2015 rate for Columbus (6.2%) was earned largely in the first three years of the decade, thanks to BRAC. But the Columbus MSA has shown negative growth in the last two estimate years, 2014-2015.
(d) Macon and Albany are more like Mississippi and Alabama metros (except for growing Huntsville): Growth is flat and even moribund.

[River_Dawg]

Augusta metro is about to join the 600 thousand club. Very important threshold. Savannah metro growth is truly amazing

[DSMRE]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

With the US Census population estimates for metro areas released yesterday, it's easier to see significant trends. In Georgia, Savannah has passed Gainesville and Atlanta in rate of population growth, and is second (after Atlanta) in terms of new residents. Growth rates, from highest to lowest, among the 10 largest metros in the state:


1. Savannah, 9.1% (+31,578 residents to 379,100)
2. Atlanta, 8.0% (+424,068 to 5,710,895)
3. Gainesville, 7.7% (+13,851 to 193,535)
4. Columbus, 6.2% (+18,218 to 313,749)
5. Athens, 5.5% (+10,648 to 203,189)
6. Warner Robins, 4.8% (+8,544 to 188,149)
7. Augusta, 4.5% (+25,273 to 590,146)
8. Valdosta, 2.3% (+3,210 to 142,875)
9. Macon, -0.9% (-2,197 to 230,096)
10. Albany, -2.5% (-3,974 to 153,526)


NOTES:

(a) From the new population estimates, Athens is formally a "second-tier city" in Georgia. Some C-D posters have disputed "2nd tier" status for Athens, but I think the latest population estimate (203,000) might change some minds.
(b) For 2010-2015, Savannah has joined the "Carolina pantheon" in terms of growth rates. While Myrtle Beach (14.7%), Raleigh (12.7%) and Charleston (12.0%) best Savannah, Savannah's rate is just about as robust as Charlotte's (9.4%) and exceeds most all the other NC and SC metros like Columbia.
(c) The 2010-2015 rate for Columbus (6.2%) was earned largely in the first three years of the decade, thanks to BRAC. But the Columbus MSA has shown negative growth in the last two estimate years, 2014-2015.
(d) Macon and Albany are more like Mississippi and Alabama metros (except for growing Huntsville): Growth is flat and even moribund.

Percentages can be tricky, which is why I prefer raw numbers. For instance. Although Savannah has a high rate of growth, it still didn't add as many in raw numbers as any of the largest three in SC. Those msa's are already larger by a good margin, so there percentages are likely to be lower. Look at Atlanta's percentage increase, but then look at the raw number growth. Huge.

[BullochResident]

Originally Posted by redcliffe

Percentages can be tricky, which is why I prefer raw numbers. For instance. Although Savannah has a high rate of growth, it still didn't add as many in raw numbers as any of the largest three in SC. Those msa's are already larger by a good margin, so there percentages are likely to be lower. Look at Atlanta's percentage increase, but then look at the raw number growth. Huge.

Savannah still had higher raw numbers than any other second tier city in Georgia, though, and that is important.

I'm kind of curious to see what Brunswick's numbers are. If they have a high growth percentage as well, then that proves that southeast Georgia continues to boom like the Carolinas/Florida while southwest Georgia continues to rust like Alabama.

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by BullochResident

Savannah still had higher raw numbers than any other second tier city in Georgia, though, and that is important.

I'm kind of curious to see what Brunswick's numbers are. If they have a high growth percentage as well, then that proves that southeast Georgia continues to boom like the Carolinas/Florida while southwest Georgia continues to rust like Alabama.

Here are the numbers for the Brunswick MSA:
Brunswick, 3.2% (+3,635 to 116,003)

Source:American FactFinder - Results

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by redcliffe

Percentages can be tricky, which is why I prefer raw numbers. For instance. Although Savannah has a high rate of growth, it still didn't add as many in raw numbers as any of the largest three in SC. Those msa's are already larger by a good margin, so there percentages are likely to be lower. Look at Atlanta's percentage increase, but then look at the raw number growth. Huge.

Percentages are only "tricky" if you don't understand statistics, demographics, and economics. The percentage growth rate is always more significant than raw numbers. (And when one metro is 20 times more populous than another, the percentage rate is the only fair yardstick for comparison.) I live in metro New York City, and the tri-state area gained 614,000 people between 2010 and 2015. But that is not nearly as significant as a few small cities in Nevada, Texas and Florida, which may have gained only 15,000 in the same years. Metro New York is just doing OK, but some Nevada and Texas towns are booming.

In Savannah's case -- as noted by BullockRes -- even Savannah's raw numbers exceeded Augusta's, a larger metro by one-third. That is an overwhelming 5-year statistic in addition to percentage. Bottom line: Savannah is now growing a bit faster than even Georgia's megacity, Atlanta, while Charleston is growing significantly faster than much larger Charlotte.

[River_Dawg]

Originally Posted by BullochResident

Savannah still had higher raw numbers than any other second tier city in Georgia, though, and that is important.

6,305 more than Augusta
13,360 more than Columbus
25,231 more than Macon-Warner Robins
20,930 more than Athens

Very impressive Savannah!

[sonofaque86]

Atlanta is a beast...however, Augusta, which is the next largest metro is still far behind Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville in SC...you can tell that GAs population in the state is not as balanced as its neighbor to the east...even myrtle beach has more people than Savannah's metro!

[nortonguy]

Originally Posted by BullochResident

Savannah still had higher raw numbers than any other second tier city in Georgia, though, and that is important.

I'm kind of curious to see what Brunswick's numbers are. If they have a high growth percentage as well, then that proves that southeast Georgia continues to boom like the Carolinas/Florida while southwest Georgia continues to rust like Alabama.

Only between 2010-2015.. Not between 2000-2010

[masonbauknight]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

Only between 2010-2015.. Not between 2000-2010

True, but those 2000-2010 stats are also significant: Metro Augusta (again, more populous than metro Savannah) gained 57,193 residents then, just a fraction more than Savannah's 54,611. The percentage growth rate in 2000-2010: Savannah, 18.6% and Augusta, 11.4. In this current decade, Savannah may well be the only Georgia metro to match its 18%-plus growth rate. Atlanta will probably see population growth of 16% and Gainesville 15%, but all other Georgia metros are down this decade. That includes Augusta, with a projected rate of 9% for 2010-2010, down from 2000-2010. This is a trend in most other Georgia metros as well. But OK, we'll have to see the final 2020 Census to confirm it.

Originally Posted by sonofaque86

...even myrtle beach has more people than Savannah's metro!

You really are desperate when you must compare Savannah to Myrtle Beach, which happens to be the fastest-growing metro in the Southeast. (Nothing can compete with Myrtle Beach-N. Myrtle Beach-Conway right now.) More significant: Just last year, 2015, Savannah passed Montgomery, Tallahassee, Fayetteville, Peoria, and a couple of other metros in total population. It was a good bit behind all of those metros just 10 years ago.