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Houston saw a huge bump in population, growing by 2,000 last year. Hopefully, Macon-Bibb will be able to turn things around.
Quote:
he latest Census Bureau estimates put Houston’s population at 152,122, about 600 fewer people than Macon-Bibb’s 152,760 residents.
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Houston has added at least 700 people yearly since 2010, while Macon-Bibb has declined in the last several years. Houston could become the largest county in Middle Georgia this year if the trend holds. The peak increase in Houston since 2010 was 3,408 people in 2011, according to the Census Bureau.
For Houston County, the latest gains, 2,160, were a dramatic jump compared to 2015, when there was an 726 increase. Commissioner Tom McMichael said he attributed the growth to the quality of life, that includes low taxes and cost of living, and a strong school system.
“The quality of life in Houston County is as good as anywhere in Georgia,” McMichael said. “There’s a lot of stability at (Robins Air Force) base, and when you have stability, you’ll have growth. We also have one of the finest school systems in Georgia. We have a lot of people move here so their children can go to school here.
He added, “There are also a lot of job opportunities. There are a lot of people that live in Houston county and work in the Macon area and vice versa.”
The Census Bureau estimates reflect the residential and housing growth in the county, said April Bragg, president and CEO of the Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Houston County’s “calling card” is the school system — the 14th largest in the state, which added about 400 students from the previous school year, she said.
“There’s job opportunities, access to amenities here in the metro area with Warner Robins and Centerville that offer shopping and dining experiences and with our rural areas, even the quaint downtown in Perry,” Bragg said.
The estimates are based on births, deaths and migration. The 2010 census data varied about 3 percent from the population estimates.
In other Middle Georgia counties, the 2016 data shows slight upticks in population in Monroe County with 199 residents, bringing its total to 27,306. Also, Jones County’s population began bouncing back after a decline of 257 in 2015, as the city saw 69 more residents in 2016.
One of the largest percentage changes in Middle Georgia was Bleckley County, where the number of people living there jumped by 188, a 1.4 percent increase.
It's funny but it says a lot about the Macon-Warner Robins CSA, seems as though people continue to move around in the CSA and Houston seems to be the power house of the Area due to it's newness and Suburban growth, which is kinda no surprise. I kind of believe some old Macon city limit residents are fleeing to suburan Houston County, abandoning areas like run down South Macon while the new Downtown developments/Lofts and North and NW Macon are mainly implants from other cities and states, College students and Working young professionals. Macon-Bibb seems to remain stagnant with slight fluctuations due to this.. What do we know though, these are all estimates and 2020 will tell the true story.. The Macon Area is definitely one of those cases for sure where you have to look at the Entire CSA to get the full story and not the MSA since Warner Robins has it's own Metro but yet touches the city of Macon-Bibb which is crazy other wise you could get some misconception's about the area when it is as has Indeed grown.. I do think the Warner Robins area needs to be put back in the Macon MSA though and eliminate the CSA only if it's due to Market and the fact it Touches the City of Macon now that it's Consolidated, it just makes sense.
[quote= I do think the Warner Robins area needs to be put back in the Macon MSA though and eliminate the CSA only if it's due to Market and the fact it Touches the City of Macon now that it's Consolidated, it just makes sense.[/QUOTE]
I agree... Macon-Warner Robins would be stronger together as one metro than apart.
I agree... Macon-Warner Robins would be stronger together as one metro than apart.
That's up to the Office of Management and Budget. If the OMB in consultation with US Census determines there's enough shared economy and commuting between Macon and Warner Robins, it will merge them into the same MSA.
Macon and WR had been one metro for more than two decades, but in 2003 the OMB's analysis indicated that they were in most ways two separate economies. When the OMB reviewed this in 2012-13 (they do so two years after every decennial US Census), it decided the two metros should stay separated. It will probably continue this way if metro Macon continues to lose population; metros that grow have a better chance of merging with their neighbors.
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