Georgia Population Figures

[aboutmetro]

I still believe it is from the troop deployments. A lot of families move back home when their husbands and wives go off to war for a year or more. Also, a lot of people have moved across the river to Lee County. At this time, Lee County isn't part of Columbus' MSA. Also, there are many smaller units at Fort Benning that are deployed as well which could push that number up to 5000+. Columbus is doing well, it just looks bad because of the deployments and migration to Lee County because it is affordable. The 2010 census will probably knock everyone's socks off because the troops will be back and BRAC will be kicking in. Also, Lee County might become part of the MSA at that time.

I'll concede that there are too many factors re: troop deployments to get a good population number... but with new home sales down in double digit percentages and unemployment rising, I'd stop way short of saying Columbus is 'doing well'. Once the troops are home, the local economy will most surely pick up, there's no denying that. I guess that begs the question too, though... as the war continues, how much impact will BRAC really have if the soldiers are in Iraq? Columbus may not see any BRAC dividends until the war is over... And this all raises a red flag to me, that the local population and economy is too heavily dependent on wether or not troops are in town. Troop deployment = negative growth? That's not good. I don't want to paint a grim picture, but one of reality. Local leaders have some work to do to expand and diversify the local economy. When the war is over and BRAC happens, housing and retail will expand. But there will also be several thousand new military spouses looking for jobs.

[Martinman]

Here are the latest (2008) population estimates for Georgia MSA's.

• Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 5,376,285
  
• Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 534,218
  
• Savannah, GA 334,353
  
• Columbus, GA-AL 287,653
  
• Macon, GA 230,777
  
• Athens-Clarke County, GA 189,264
  
• Gainesville, GA 184,814
  
• Albany, GA 164,919
  
• Dalton, GA 134,139
  
• Valdosta, GA 133,348
  
• Warner Robins, GA 133,161
  
• Brunswick, GA 102,850
  

[george]

I think it's funny that Warner Robins a suburb of Macon has a MSA almost as large as Macon.

[Spartan]

100,000 people is not anywhere close to being the same size.

[andremurra]

Rome, GA 95,980 (up 658)

Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA 69,943 (down 1,971)

I guess these are the honorable mentions.

[Unifour]

It's amazing the amount of population Atlanta has added this decade. When one looks at where it was coming from as recently as 1990 and 2000, one cannot help but be astonished. Remember, in 1990 the famously undercounted census number was 394,017 and 2000 showed only a slim gain to 416,474. While the census clearly showed an acceleration in growth this decade, they were forced to continually revise the estimates in an effort to keep pace. First they showed only modest gains again, then several times upgraded by tens of thousands of people. It is astonishing that a city's fortunes can be reversed as much as Atlanta's have. From 416,474 in 2000, the city has skyrocketed to 540,921 according to the 2009 estimate. That is a gain of 124,500 people in NINE years! Also, we must remember that these are rough estimates and are usually undercounted. The census almost never OVERCOUNTS people. When you look at the MSA and CSA figures, it is equally astonishing given the economic troubles the nation has confronted. Atlanta still added a whopping 1.2 million people, from 4,247,000 to 5,475,000. Again, remember this is likely undercounted. The census showed metro Atlanta housed more than 200,000 more people than they estimated it would in 2000. More counties could be added in 2010, as they normally are for such a rapidly expanding area, so it's number could be significantly higher. And of course the lastest CSA estimate was 5,831,000, so you may as well get used to calling Atlanta a 6 million plus metro. It sure didn't take it long to get there either!

[aboutmetro]

I don't put a lot of stock in the "Estimates". In the local area, we know that Russell County in Alabama has built/sold more housing units in the last year for new soldiers coming to Fort Benning than the ACS shows in total people added.... but anyway, a good map and data for the COLA (Columbus-Opelika-LaGrange-Auburn) Economic Region at this link.