Phoenix Regains Title of 5th Most Populous City in US (closing, to live in)

[asufan]

I couldn't care less about passing up cities in population or having a huge population here, although the growth here is good for my business. I come from the Southern California region with many, many more people and although I love the area, the enourmous amount of people is not what makes it nice. As far as Philly, that's just a dirty, gross city that I couldn't wait to get out of. Unattractive people, dirty city, lots of crime, bad weather, no thanks.

[Valley Native]

People in Philadelphia seem to think their city is superior to Phoenix (and most other cities for that matter), but it's full of ghettos, slums, and dilapidated areas that you have to really look hard to find in Phoenix. What's considered a poor area of Phoenix would likely be considered a middle class area in Philly. There is definitely more density in Philadelphia, but a lot of that is due to how old that city is compared to Phoenix. Philly does have a lot of rich history, and their downtown area has a better skyline & seems to be more active than Phoenix's. Overall, both cities have good & bad aspects, but I wouldn't want to live in Philadelphia for anything.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

It's not about the census population estimates being fake news , it's more about correcting misleading information.


Why would there be any jealously in regards to population? Philadelphia has already reached a population of over 2 million people and has already been the largest city in the country. The city hit the 2 million threshold 60 years before Houston did. So Philly has already had the top rankings in population statistics since the founding of the country. Philly will also have the largest CSA in the near future. When Philadelphians look at these population rankings, it's more of a "been there and done that" type of mentality. So where is this jealousy you were talking about??

Put down the laptop and go outside. But don't get mugged, you know being in Philly and all.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

It's not about the census population estimates being fake news , it's more about correcting misleading information.


Why would there be any jealously in regards to population? Philadelphia has already reached a population of over 2 million people and has already been the largest city in the country. The city hit the 2 million threshold 60 years before Houston did. So Philly has already had the top rankings in population statistics since the founding of the country. Philly will also have the largest CSA in the near future. When Philadelphians look at these population rankings, it's more of a "been there and done that" type of mentality. So where is this jealousy you were talking about??

You can have the largest CSA and Philly and the Northeast in general, I'll visit once in a while and see some different things but most of us in Phoenix don't care much either, our local newspaper isn't posting stories trying to justify our spot in the national rankings. Most are happy to see the city growing again and a good chunk of people wish it would stop. We will point to our growth when people try to bash our home for all kinds of silly reasons that usually mean they flat out don't understand Phoenix. This whole density argument is a perfect example, we know it's not built like Northeast cities, that was on purpose and there's a lot of benefits to not shoving everything in 1 small space. But it doesn't mean there's not amazing history, thriving arts communities, great food, and all the other big city amentities you find elsewhere. This argument is so tired and proven untrue time and time again, people used it about LA for a longtime, now it's Phoenix and now that we're growing up I'm sure it'll shift to another growing region too.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by locolife

You can have the largest CSA and Philly and the Northeast in general, I'll visit once in a while and see some different things but most of us in Phoenix don't care much either, our local newspaper isn't posting stories trying to justify our spot in the national rankings. Most are happy to see the city growing again and a good chunk of people wish it would stop. We will point to our growth when people try to bash our home for all kinds of silly reasons that usually mean they flat out don't understand Phoenix. This whole density argument is a perfect example, we know it's not built like Northeast cities, that was on purpose and there's a lot of benefits to not shoving everything in 1 small space. But it doesn't mean there's not amazing history, thriving arts communities, great food, and all the other big city amentities you find elsewhere. This argument is so tired and proven untrue time and time again, people used it about LA for a longtime, now it's Phoenix and now that we're growing up I'm sure it'll shift to another growing region too.

One big reason why people from back east don't think of Phoenix as a true city is due to the sprawling land mass, and in a way, they're correct. L.A. had the same issues for a long time before it became denser. Other cities with large populations (San Jose, San Diego, Austin, San Antonio, and even Houston) seem to be thought of the same way by those who live in dense eastern cities. A lot of it is image: when you have hundreds of square miles consisting largely of housing developments, car dependent streets, and strip malls, it tends to make the city appear smaller than what it really is.

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Put down the laptop and go outside. But don't get mugged, you know being in Philly and all.

Right because we all know crime in Phoenix hasn't been increasing over the past few years.

https://mylocalnews.us/phoenix-crime...-see-decrease/

http://www.azfamily.com/story/296651...-up-in-phoenix


Just in case you other Philly bashers forget, crime in Philadelphia is at its lowest in decades. Philly continues to become a safer city while Phoenix is becoming a more dangerous city.

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2017/0...owest-decades/

[locolife]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

Right because we all know crime in Phoenix hasn't been increasing over the past few years.

https://mylocalnews.us/phoenix-crime...-see-decrease/

Violent crimes up in Phoenix - 3TV | CBS 5


Just in case you other Philly bashers forget, crime in Philadelphia is at its lowest in decades. Philly continues to become a safer city while Phoenix is becoming a more dangerous city.

Report: Philadelphia Crime at Lowest Point in Decades | News | Philadelphia Magazine

Maybe it was improving there but this year is not looking good.

"Homicides in the City of Brotherly Love are up 20 percent after dipping slightly the last two years.
Currently there are 85 murder victims compared to 71 homicides this time last year, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. This follows a four-year trend in rising murder rates after the city experienced a significant decrease in 2013."

Philadelphia Murder Rate Up 20 Percent, Police Say | NBC 10 Philadelphia

And sure, Phoenix may have went up slightly but at the end of the day Philly remains a much more dangerous city per capita. Crime stats per 100,000

Violent Crime
Phoenix- 498
Philly- 1,098

Murder
Phoenix: 7.3
Philly: 17.2

Aggravated Assault
Phoenix: 327
Philly: 495

Robbery
Phoenix: 431
Philly: 193

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

Right because we all know crime in Phoenix hasn't been increasing over the past few years.

https://mylocalnews.us/phoenix-crime...-see-decrease/

Violent crimes up in Phoenix - 3TV | CBS 5


Just in case you other Philly bashers forget, crime in Philadelphia is at its lowest in decades. Philly continues to become a safer city while Phoenix is becoming a more dangerous city.

Report: Philadelphia Crime at Lowest Point in Decades | News | Philadelphia Magazine

https://www.safety.com/dangerous-cities/

When Phoenix approaches Philly's level let us know. In the meantime, be careful. Don't walk alone at night and leave a light on inside so it looks like someone's home.

[new2colo]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

You do realize that the Phoenix land area is almost 4x the size of Philly? If Philadelphia had the same land area as Phoenix, its population would be over 3 million and would be the 3rd largest city in the US.

Keep in mind that these are just population estimates. The official census count isn't until 2020. 10 years ago Phoenix population estimates had it higher than Philly but when the official 2010 numbers were released, Philly had a higher population. So technically Phoenix is still the 6th largest city. Also take into account that sun belt cities tend to overrate their population estimate counts like Atlanta, Dallas, etc.

Even if Phoenix officially surpasses Philly in population, it doesn't really mean much. The Philly MSA/CSA is over 7 million people and has already surpassed the population of the entire state of Arizona. Also Philadelphia and New York will eventually become one combined statistical area(CSA). It's only a matter of time before that will happen.

Yes, Phoenix is a lot larger in land area than Philly. So? Manhattan has more people in its 23 square miles than Philly has in its 134 square miles. Do people in Manhattan argue that if that borough had the land area of Philly that there would be 8 million people in that borough alone? The fact of the matter is that Philly doesn't have the same land area as Phoenix. If it did, it is kind of silly to think it would have 3 million people. Three million people would actually have to want to live in Philadelphia, which to this date, hasn't happened. In fact, Philadelphia lost almost a half million people between the 1960s and 2000.

Just because Census numbers aren't released until 2020 does not mean that the actual population of Phoenix isn't greater than Philadelphia. Phoenix is growing at a very rapid rate relative to Philadelphia, so there is no doubt that Phoenix has more people. I don't know how Sunbelt cities overstate their population. The Census conducts all estimates and administers the official Census. It's not like cities submit population figures to the Census for inclusion.

The Philly MSA is larger than Phoenix's. However, metro Phoenix will surpass metro Philly in population within the next 20-30 years. Even if Philly and NYC combine into one CSA, it is a meaningless gesture. Poughkeepsie, which is halfway between NYC and Albany, would be part of the same CSA as Philadelphia. See how that is meaningless? What connection do the two cities have?

[locolife]

Originally Posted by new2colo

Yes, Phoenix is a lot larger in land area than Philly. So? Manhattan has more people in its 23 square miles than Philly has in its 134 square miles. The fact of the matter is that Philly doesn't have the same land area as Phoenix. If it did, it is kind of silly to think it would have 3 million people. Three million people would actually have to want to live in Philadelphia, which to this date, hasn't happened.

Just because Census numbers aren't released until 2020 does not mean that the actual population of Phoenix isn't greater than Philadelphia. Phoenix is growing at a very rapid rate relative to Philadelphia, so there is no doubt that Phoenix has more people. I don't know how Sunbelt cities overstate their population. The Census conducts all estimates and administers the official Census. It's not like cities submit population figures to the Census for inclusion.

The Philly MSA is larger than Phoenix's. However, metro Phoenix will surpass metro Philly in population within the next 20-30 years. Even if Philly and NYC combine into one CSA, it is a meaningless gesture. Poughkeepsie, which is halfway between NYC and Albany, would be part of the same CSA as Philadelphia. See how that is meaningless? What connection do the two cities have?

I'm surprised Philly residents are excited about joining NY in a giant CSA, I see that as a reduction in Philly's influence within its own statistical area. If we were in a position to possibly merge with LA, I don't think I'd be very excited about it.