Charlotte area population statistics

[kermit]

Yea, comparing city population numbers tells you more about a state’s municipal annexation policies than urban geography.

 

[videtur quam contuor]

San Francisco proper is the second most densely populated city after (far after) NYC.

[sonofaque86]

San Francisco is obviously way bigger. When you can fit 800,000+ people in University City Charlotte which is roughly the size of SF city limits. There’s no question what is the more populated area. 

[KJHburg]

We all know San Fran Bay area  is much bigger than Charlotte but we need to promote our size like San Antonio does.  they are always saying they are the 7th largest city in the county as they are within the city limits yet their metro area is basically the same size of Charlotte.  It would be nice for Charlotte to get in the top 15 and start touting that the San Antonio way.  

[urbanlover568]

I think Charlotte will continue to grow! 

Edited October 12, 2019 by mpretori

[CLT2014]

On 10/12/2019 at 8:54 AM, KJHburg said:

We all know San Fran Bay area  is much bigger than Charlotte but we need to promote our size like San Antonio does.  they are always saying they are the 7th largest city in the county as they are within the city limits yet their metro area is basically the same size of Charlotte.  It would be nice for Charlotte to get in the top 15 and start touting that the San Antonio way.  

I think when San Antonio's tries to tout that people just think "Bless your heart" rather than Wow!

Edited October 13, 2019 by CLT2014

[Hushpuppy321]

I didn’t realize San Antonio was that large population wise.   I know that Charlotte will overtake San Fransisco by the time estimates for 2019 are released around May/June 2020 but it looks like Columbus, OH is under threat too by time the 2021 estimate is released (in 2022).

Ft. Worth will definitely overtake Jacksonville, FL within the next year or two.  Charlotte will follow suit by 2025 or slightly earlier if we keep growing as we have in the last 5 years.  All I want is bragging rights for the largest in the Southeast.

[Tyrone Wiggum]

On 10/12/2019 at 8:54 AM, KJHburg said:

We all know San Fran Bay area  is much bigger than Charlotte but we need to promote our size like San Antonio does.  they are always saying they are the 7th largest city in the county as they are within the city limits yet their metro area is basically the same size of Charlotte.  It would be nice for Charlotte to get in the top 15 and start touting that the San Antonio way.  

I respectfully disagree. Jacksonville is top 15 and Floridians not on the "First Coast" think of it as a stinky backwater.  San Antonio is a glorified cow town.  Nobody's like, Atlanta is small because its population is only 400k,

It will be 30 years - at current growth rates - before Charlotte becomes the size of Seattle ; Seattle TODAY.  

NBD, but Atlanta didn't become Atlanta overnight, and we'll all be dead by the time Charlotte is world alpha-.

[Temeteron]

If you compare us with other cities way more dense than CLT (Seattle, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco, etc) yes we have a long way to go.  But relatively speaking we have come a long way.  I remember in 2005 we used to hang out in University City and South Park area because Uptown/South End had very few options as far as restaurants and bars.  My how things have changed.  The only reason I’d drive to university city now is to go to Ikea (or for a grindr date) 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Temeteron

[SgtCampsalot]

58 minutes ago, Temeteron said:

If you compare us with other cities way more dense than CLT (Seattle, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco, etc) yes we have a long way to go.  But relatively speaking we have come a long way.  I remember in 2005 we used to hang out in University City and South Park area because Uptown/South End had very few options as far as restaurants and bars.  My how things have changed.  The only reason I’d drive to university city now is to go to Ikea (or for a grindr date) 

That Boardwalk is still pretty sweet, though, even if it's behind a parking lot.

And The Wine Vault!

[thenewkage95]

I respectfully disagree. Jacksonville is top 15 and Floridians not on the "First Coast" think of it as a stinky backwater.  San Antonio is a glorified cow town.  Nobody's like, Atlanta is small because its population is only 400k,
It will be 30 years - at current growth rates - before Charlotte becomes the size of Seattle ; Seattle TODAY.  
NBD, but Atlanta didn't become Atlanta overnight, and we'll all be dead by the time Charlotte is world alpha-.

Where are you getting those numbers regarding where Charlotte will be in 30 years? Not that I disagree with you, but I feel like Charlotte will get there more quickly than you think given the continued growth of the financial sector as well as the low cost of large companies moving to southern cities in favor of the expensive giants (NYC, Seattle, Chicago, Bay Area, etc.)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Madison Parkitect]

Even if Charlotte gets to the population numbers of cities like Seattle, it'll never feel as big as those cities because we don't have the kind of forced density Seattle has because of their land constraints. Beyond that, it's hard for a landlocked city in the US to reach the level of a world-class city simply because of international trade access.

[thenewkage95]

Even if Charlotte gets to the population numbers of cities like Seattle, it'll never feel as big as those cities because we don't have the kind of forced density Seattle has because of their land constraints. Beyond that, it's hard for a landlocked city in the US to reach the level of a world-class city simply because of international trade access.

I would argue that Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston all feel bigger than Seattle (or at least just as big) regardless of their relatively low density. Maybe it’s the traffic (joke). But I recently took a trip to Atlanta and Houston and I must say both feel significantly larger than Charlotte despite being being only slightly more dense. Honesty, I feel that there is a hustle and bustle because 7 million people travel into and out of those cities on the daily whereas only 2.5 million do the same in Charlotte. I feel like that contributes a lot to how large a city feels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[urbanlover568]

4 hours ago, thenewkage95 said:

I would argue that Atlanta, Dallas, and https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/taxes/T055-S001-kiplinger-tax-map/index.phpall feel bigger than Seattle (or at least just as big) regardless of their relatively low density. Maybe it’s the traffic (joke). But I recently took a trip to Atlanta and Houston and I must say both feel significantly larger than Charlotte despite being being only slightly more dense. Honesty, I feel that there is a hustle and bustle because 7 million people travel into and out of those cities on the daily whereas only 2.5 million do the same in Charlotte. I feel like that contributes a lot to how large a city feels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nobody wants to move to Houston unless you are in the oil industry XD 

[Norm2]

9 hours ago, Temeteron said:

If you compare us with other cities way more dense than CLT (Seattle, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco, etc) yes we have a long way to go.  But relatively speaking we have come a long way.  I remember in 2005 we used to hang out in University City and South Park area because Uptown/South End had very few options as far as restaurants and bars.  My how things have changed.  The only reason I’d drive to university city now is to go to Ikea (or for a grindr date) 

A Grindr date asking you to park on the street in Uptown during rush hour is the worst LOL!

[Desert Power]

On 10/25/2019 at 1:43 PM, thenewkage95 said:

Where are you getting those numbers regarding where Charlotte will be in 30 years? Not that I disagree with you, but I feel like Charlotte will get there more quickly than you think given the continued growth of the financial sector as well as the low cost of large companies moving to southern cities in favor of the expensive giants (NYC, Seattle, Chicago, Bay Area, etc.)
 

It's more like 20 years, but housing prices are also accelerating here while transit options lack.  Not sure our population growth can stay at that clip.

[Dale]

On 10/25/2019 at 7:18 PM, mpretori said:

Nobody wants to move to Houston unless you are in the oil industry XD 

Surely you jest. 

[thenewkage95]

I like to see economic growth come to Charlotte just as much as anyone else. I love hearing about corporate relocations to the region and the ever-expanding skyline, but I know that the city and region have to have the population to support such a booming economy. I’m not trying to draw any comparisons here, but does anyone know what the metro growth figures were like for other larger cities that boomed in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even ‘00s? Cities that come to mind are Seattle, Denver, and Atlanta.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A2.]

4 hours ago, thenewkage95 said:

I like to see economic growth come to Charlotte just as much as anyone else. I love hearing about corporate relocations to the region and the ever-expanding skyline, but I know that the city and region have to have the population to support such a booming economy. I’m not trying to draw any comparisons here, but does anyone know what the metro growth figures were like for other larger cities that boomed in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even ‘00s? Cities that come to mind are Seattle, Denver, and Atlanta.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Atlanta was around 1.5-2M in the 80’s and then proceeded to triple over the last three decades. Their coming Of age really took off in two phases.

1) when they decided to build Their Airport well away from the city core. Before they began construction Atlanta and Birmingham were essentially the same size (Birmingham was actually larger than ATL for many decades in the early 20th century), but due to some forward thinking leaders, Atlanta blossomed upon completion of their airport.

2) the 80’ and 90’s! Atlanta exploded in population. In the case of the 90’s one big stimulus was the Olympics. 

For what it’s worth I see Charlotte where Atlanta was in the early 90’s, not just in terms of population boom, but also in terms of economic expansion. When I first moved to Charlotte the metro was just over  half what it is today in the mid 90’s. My mind is blown when I see where the QC is today.

lastly as far as sustainability, even if we experience a recession (which I do believe we will see within 24 months), Charlotte has hit a critical mass that will not go in reverse. The economic base is more diverse and the occupancy rates in office are considerably tighter than markets our size. If anything we haven’t built enough to accommodate for future growth and expansion.

in the most simplistic of terms, Charlotte is well positioned for continued growth, in spite of the economic future. Sure it might slow, or even plateau for a season, but the Horse is out of the barn and Charlotte will continue to become a city of importance beyond the geographic boundaries of our state line, and quite frankly even regional lines. 

ps—-if I were a betting man I’d say Charlotte exceeds 5M in population before 2050. That seems like a long time, but we’re talking thirty years. It’s entirely plausible that it could over achieve and hit that mark much sooner, but I see growth rates almost parabolic until we hit that number.

PSS—-I was born and grew up in Birmingham, lived in Charlotte for 15 yrs, and Atlanta for 5yrs. I now don’t live in any metro as I am in the High Country now, and travel the country during the week for work. But if I were to be forced to move to a metro again, Charlotte stands out as the place to be. No offense to my larger neighbors, but I’m super excited for what Charlotte is doing. They are focused on zoning and not just plopping down 40 story buildings in a cow pasture twenty miles from the center city. I see what that does to the fabric of a city and it’s surroundings. It’s not a preference and to me a detriment to the quality of life one has in those metros. I would much prefer a city like Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston (and I’m not speaking politics, I am speaking to the density)  over a city like Dallas, Atlanta or Houston any day of the week! I travel them all for my work and Charlotte is doing as good as any sunbelt city can based on our car culture. I personally believe it’s doing it the best of all the booming cities in the Sunbelt!  Considerably better than Nashville, Orlando, Tampa, or even Raleigh. Sorry this isn’t a knock on them, but Charlotte is just doing transit and planning/zoning better than those examples. Not saying we are better, just saying that I prefer where we are going versus creating another Atlanta.  

Again, take my comparisons with a grain of salt. This is not an “Us versus Them” thread and those places have done great things, but my preference is on density and smart growth at the expense of just growing for growing sake. Not to mention the environmental impacts those sprawling cities have in a negative way. For example I loved all the amenities Atlanta had to offer while I lived there (and I am still there every month for work). But I loathe the city as a whole. Trying to get from Duluth to Decatur sucks anytime of day. Or going from Marietta to Midtown. It doesn’t matter, going any distance in that place is horrible and honestly makes me mad. I’ve been in cities considerably larger with less headaches. Just saying I don’t want to replicate that.

 

A2

Edited November 4, 2019 by A2.

[thenewkage95]

Atlanta was around 1.5 in the 80’s and then proceeded to triple over the last three decades. Their coming Of age really took off in two phases.
1) when they decided to build Their Airport well away from the city core. Before they began construction Atlanta and Birmingham were essentially the same size (Birmingham was actually larger than ATL for many decades in the early 20th century), but due to some forward thinking leaders, Atlanta blossomed upon completion of their airport.
2) the 80’ and 90’s! Atlanta exploded in population. In the case of the 90’s one big stimulus was the Olympics. 
For what it’s worth I see Charlotte where Atlanta was in the early 90’s, not just in terms of population boom, but also in terms of economic expansion. When I first moved to Charlotte the metro was just over  half what it is today in the mid 90’s. My mind is blown when I see where the QC is today.
lastly as far as sustainability, even if we experience a recession (which I do believe we will see within 24 months), Charlotte has hit a critical mass that will not go in reverse. The economic base is more diverse and the occupancy rates in office are considerably tighter than markets our size. If anything we haven’t built enough to accommodate for future growth and expansion.
in the most simplistic of terms, Charlotte is well positioned for continued growth, in spite of the economic future. Sure it might slow, or even plateau for a season, but the Horse is out of the barn and Charlotte will continue to become a city of importance beyond the geographic boundaries of our state line, and quite frankly even regional lines. 
 
A2

Wanna place any bets on Charlotte hosting a future Olympic Games? Hahaha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A2.]

11 minutes ago, thenewkage95 said:

Wanna place any bets on Charlotte hosting a future Olympic Games? Hahaha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would say not in my lifetime. Ha!

But I’m ok with that. 

[kermit]

3 hours ago, thenewkage95 said:

I like to see economic growth come to Charlotte just as much as anyone else. I love hearing about corporate relocations to the region and the ever-expanding skyline, but I know that the city and region have to have the population to support such a booming economy. I’m not trying to draw any comparisons here, but does anyone know what the metro growth figures were like for other larger cities that boomed in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even ‘00s? Cities that come to mind are Seattle, Denver, and Atlanta.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting that Atlanta and Seattle were the same size in 1969 but diverged dramatically since then. I haven't looked at the data but I would bet that Seattle has become much more affluent while Atlanta has not.

Edited November 4, 2019 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

Seattle has the same situation as other coastal cities and Great Lake cities that growth is limited to 180º because of the water surround. Atlanta has 360º growth.

[A2.]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

Interesting that Atlanta and Seattle were the same size in 1969 but diverged dramatically since then. I haven't looked at the data but I would bet that Seattle has become much more affluent while Atlanta has not.

One other note is that Seattle is twice as dense as ATL. So more people per square mile. To me that’s the big win for a city. The more dense the better in my opinion. Atlanta is basically all of North Georgia. If we took that approach with Charlotte, part of the Triad would be included in our MSA. I personally like that NC has three main Urban areas instead on one main one. Not knocking Savannah, Columbus, or Macon/Warner Robins as they are nice places, but In the Peach State, your either in Atlanta or your in Georgia. They are almost always viewed that way exclusively. And from my travels, most people outside of ATL don’t like to be associated with ATL. And those people who live in ATL feel likewise about the GA association. Not across the board sentiments, but by and large it’s what I perceive when I’m in the state.

Edited November 4, 2019 by A2.

[thenewkage95]

Interesting that Atlanta and Seattle were the same size in 1969 but diverged dramatically since then. I haven't looked at the data but I would bet that Seattle has become much more affluent while Atlanta has not.

Thanks for pulling those stats. In keeping in line with my previous statement. I know how crucial it is to have a large enough population to support your economic grown. What can Charlotte do to boost growth? Outside of hosting the Olympics, Atlanta had to have done something different to grow that rapidly. I mean...Salt Lake City hosted the Olympics and didn’t grow that drastically as a result.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk