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The headline of this article is about Winston (since its from the Winston-Salem Journal), but it addresses population growth in GSO and WS, as well as other major NC cities.
Winston is up 1.1%, 2013 to 2014, and Greensboro is up 1%. Since GSO has a larger population, it added more people even though that represented a smaller percentage. High Point also added, as did Charlotte and Raleigh. Cary was the fastest growing city in the state.
Now, these are just based on census estimates, which are aren't always perfectly reliable, but good news nonetheless.
Wow Durham just blew past Winston-Salem. It may remain the 5th largest of the 5 major cities for a very long time. Greensboro better watch out because Durham could sneak up on Greensboro and rob the Gate City its spot as 3rd largest city in the state. With stricter annexation laws, it may be difficult to keep Durham at bay. I say that because when annexation laws were more relaxed, it seemed that Greensboro would sometimes annex thousands of people when it felt its position could be threatened. I remember several years back Winston-Salem went through a mass annexation adding thousands of people to the city, Greensboro responded a few years later with its on mass annexation and the city did it right before the 2010 census. Coincidence? Now there are two key factors to population growth. Jobs and quality of life.
Wow Durham just blew past Winston-Salem. It may remain the 5th largest of the 5 major cities for a very long time. Greensboro better watch out because Durham could sneak up on Greensboro and rob the Gate City its spot as 3rd largest city in the state. With stricter annexation laws, it may be difficult to keep Durham at bay. I say that because when annexation laws were more relaxed, it seemed that Greensboro would sometimes annex thousands of people when it felt its position could be threatened. I remember several years back Winston-Salem went through a mass annexation adding thousands of people to the city, Greensboro responded a few years later with its on mass annexation and the city did it right before the 2010 census. Coincidence? Now there are two key factors to population growth. Jobs and quality of life.
Durham will pass Greensboro in the next decade if it continues to grow at such a high rate. Durham had already passed Winston-Salem at the 1990 census.
A better measure of a city is it's metro area...cities can set their own boundaries, but the MSA is set by the Census Bureau and give a better idea of the actual size and scope. Winston-Salem and Greensboro are a good bit ahead of Durham there.
Durham will pass Greensboro in the next decade if it continues to grow at such a high rate. Durham had already passed Winston-Salem at the 1990 census.
A better measure of a city is it's metro area...cities can set their own boundaries, but the MSA is set by the Census Bureau and give a better idea of the actual size and scope. Winston-Salem and Greensboro are a good bit ahead of Durham there.
The Durham MSA is larger than the Winston-Salem MSA.
But really, the best measure is at the county level. Guilford and Forsyth are significantly more populated than Durham, but obviously the latter is growing more rapidly.
The Durham MSA is larger than the Winston-Salem MSA.
But really, the best measure is at the county level. Guilford and Forsyth are significantly more populated than Durham, but obviously the latter is growing more rapidly.
Durham-Chapel Hill MSA: 542,710
Winston-Salem MSA: 655,015
Winston-Salem MSA is more than 100,000 larger than Durham MSA. I believe (as many others do) that the MSA is the best way to measure and compare cities - a city's reach may go well beyond the county line, and counties vary a great deal in area just like cities do. MSAs are all set up the same way and are a more even playing field for all cities when comparing them.
Durham County grew by 27,000 while Forsyth grew by 15,000 and Guilford by 24,000 from 2013 to 2014. They are all in the same ballpark. From 2000 to 2010 (the last census) Forsyth grew by 46,000 while Durham grew by 44,000. The current numbers are estimates, so we will have to wait and see how accurate they are.
Last edited by JoeTarheel; 05-26-2015 at 09:46 AM..
Durham-Chapel Hill MSA: 542,710
Winston-Salem MSA: 655,015
Winston-Salem MSA is more than 100,000 larger than Durham MSA. I believe (as many others do) that the MSA is the best way to measure and compare cities - a city's reach may go well beyond the county line, and counties vary a great deal in area just like cities do. MSAs are all set up the same way and are a more even playing field for all cities when comparing them.
Durham County grew by 27,000 while Forsyth grew by 15,000 and Guilford by 24,000 from 2013 to 2014. They are all in the same ballpark. From 2000 to 2010 (the last census) Forsyth grew by 46,000 while Durham grew by 44,000. The current numbers are estimates, so we will have to wait and see how accurate they are.
This says Durham MSA is 512,979 and Wi-S MSA is 482,025:
MSA's are not a good way to measure a city because they often bring in adjacent counties with little actual interaction, plus there is no standardization...different MSA's have different numbers of counties. Plus, we've now split natural areas like G'boro and W-S, and Durham and Raleigh.
MSA's are not a good way to measure a city because they often bring in adjacent counties with little actual interaction, plus there is no standardization...different MSA's have different numbers of counties. Plus, we've now split natural areas like G'boro and W-S, and Durham and Raleigh.
It looks like the reason for the discrepancy is Davidson County (pop 160k). As of 2013, Davidson County is part of the Winston-Salem MSA. That table doesn't seem to have been adjusted to reflect that. http://www.journalnow.com/news/local...9bb30f31a.html
Well, there's the reason. Another reason why trying to compare MSA's is almost pointless...the component counties are always changing.
And cities are always annexing. There's a degree of randomness and/or inconsistency to most measures. The difference is that MSAs are defined based on economic and social integration and interdependence, not just boundary lines that are often rather arbitrary.
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