Atlanta Metro Population

[tarikj]

While surfing around emporis.com today i noticed on the Atlanta page the metro population at 5,125,726. Can anyone confirm these numbers accurate? Seems to me Atlanta passing the 5 million mark would have been news or did i just miss something

[atlrvr]

Typically Emporis reports CSA (as opposed to the more commonly used MSA) based on the most recent Census county estimates (which would be 2004 estimates).

[tarikj]

Typically Emporis reports CSA (as opposed to the more commonly used MSA) based on the most recent Census county estimates (which would be 2004 estimates).

Ahh, makes sense it would include Gainsville and possibly athens although from what I've seen lately I wouldnt find it hard to believe there are 5 million+ in the 20 county area. There considerably more people here now since 2000. I wouldnt be suprised if the estimates are at least 200,000 off the actually mark.

[teshadoh]

It includes Gainesville but not Athens.

[Newnan]

I was talking to John Pruitt yesterday and he said that Atlanta had the 9th largest news market in the country. I guess that means we have the 9th largest MSA in the country which seems like it would be about 5 million. God, I can't believe that it was just about 7 or 8 years ago that we hadn't even cracked 4 million. I've seen the metro area grow by leaps and bounds and I'm only 16!

[imaterry78247]

I was talking to John Pruitt yesterday and he said that Atlanta had the 9th largest news market in the country. I guess that means we have the 9th largest MSA in the country which seems like it would be about 5 million. God, I can't believe that it was just about 7 or 8 years ago that we hadn't even cracked 4 million. I've seen the metro area grow by leaps and bounds and I'm only 16!

Based on the Atlanta metro area -Houstom metro would be about 8 million

[teshadoh]

I was talking to John Pruitt yesterday and he said that Atlanta had the 9th largest news market in the country. I guess that means we have the 9th largest MSA in the country which seems like it would be about 5 million. God, I can't believe that it was just about 7 or 8 years ago that we hadn't even cracked 4 million. I've seen the metro area grow by leaps and bounds and I'm only 16!

Market areas are not the same as MSA or CSA.

[ironchapman]

I was talking to John Pruitt yesterday and he said that Atlanta had the 9th largest news market in the country. I guess that means we have the 9th largest MSA in the country which seems like it would be about 5 million. God, I can't believe that it was just about 7 or 8 years ago that we hadn't even cracked 4 million. I've seen the metro area grow by leaps and bounds and I'm only 16!

Following what teshadoh said, while the two are related in some ways, just because one metro is a little larger (or smaller) than another doesn't mean that it's TV market will necessarily be larger (or smaller) than the other city's.

Nielsen Designated Market Areas 2005

Based on the Atlanta metro area -Houstom metro would be about 8 million. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Metro has a population of 4.7 million according to the 2004 US Census Estimates.

Not even close. Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City are the only onews in the USA to top 8 million.

According to the 2004 Census Estimate, Greater Houston has an MSA population of 5.2 million.

[imaterry78247]

Following what teshadoh said, while the two are related in some ways, just because one metro is a little larger (or smaller) than another doesn't mean that it's TV market will necessarily be larger (or smaller) than the other city's.

Nielsen Designated Market Areas 2005

Not even close. Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City are the only onews in the USA to top 8 million.

According to the 2004 Census Estimate, Greater Houston has an MSA population of 5.2 million.

If Houston would include the 20 surrounding counties like Atlanta, its metro area would exceed 8 M. Gwinnet or DeKalb County

[krazeeboi]

Counties aren't included within an MSA arbitrarily--they must meet certain criteria based on commuting patterns. Furthermore, Georgia's counties tend to be geographically smaller than most other counties in other states.

[Lady Celeste]

Counties aren't included within an MSA arbitrarily--they must meet certain criteria based on commuting patterns. Furthermore, Georgia's counties tend to be geographically smaller than most other counties in other states.

Thank you Krazeeboi. No matter how many times this is explained, people still want to mention the number of counties in Atlanta's MSA or CSA....as if Atlanta does it on purpose. Also, counties in Texas are very large so if one went solely on number of counties then Houston's CSA would be the size of middle and north Georgia more than likely

[DigitalDavid07]

We all know Metro Atlanta has cracked 5 Million, but just the population of Atlanta it self is only 420,000. I don't really understand this whole population thing. EX: San Diego is 1 Million itself, but Metro San Diego is only about 2 or 3 Million. I don't understand it. Is it like 4 or 5 counties make a Major cities Metro?

[krazeeboi]

That phenomenon can be attributed to a few things. As I understand it, Atlanta hasn't annexed any new territory for about 40-50 years now. Sometimes a city is "locked in," either geographically or by other municipalities. Some cities are in states which have restrictive annexation laws, like SC, so it's difficult for a city to acquire new territory. The prime example here is Greenville, which is a city encompassing somewhere around 30 square miles with roughly 55,000 inhabitants but is the primary city of an MSA of over 500,000 and a CSA of ~1,000,000. For some municipalities, city-county consolidation has tremendously boosted their populations, so the city itself will be large but won't correspond to the size of the metro in which it is located in, as we're used to it at least (e.g., Jacksonville, Lexington, KY, Louisville).

As far as San Diego is concerned, I'm sure its proximity to LA has something to do with the size of its MSA.

[krazeeboi]

That phenomenon can be attributed to a few things. As I understand it, Atlanta hasn't annexed any new territory for about 40-50 years now. Sometimes a city is "locked in," either geographically or by other municipalities. Some cities are in states which have restrictive annexation laws, like SC, so it's difficult for a city to acquire new territory. The prime example here is Greenville, which is a city encompassing somewhere around 30 square miles with roughly 55,000 inhabitants but is the primary city of an MSA of over 500,000 and a CSA of ~1,000,000. For some municipalities, city-county consolidation has tremendously boosted their populations, so the city itself will be large but won't correspond to the size of the metro in which it is located in, as we're used to it at least (e.g., Jacksonville, Lexington, KY, Louisville).

As far as San Diego is concerned, I'm sure its proximity to LA has something to do with the size of its MSA.

[ironchapman]

Thank you Krazeeboi. No matter how many times this is explained, people still want to mention the number of counties in Atlanta's MSA or CSA....as if Atlanta does it on purpose. Also, counties in Texas are very large so if one went solely on number of counties then Houston's CSA would be the size of middle and north Georgia more than likely

If Texas did that, then it would probably reach to Dallas and/or Austin! If Atlanta was the same way in some Western States, it would take up all of, say, Nevada and most, if not all, of Arizona!

Fulton County (Atlanta's home county for you outsiders) is about 530 sq. mi. It could fit within the city of Houston with a couple square miles to spare, and it's the largest (or second) county of the fall line in Georgia.

[ironchapman]

QUESTION: Is Vinings, GA a part of Atlanta?

It's part of the metro, but not of the city...if I remember right

[NCB]

We all know Metro Atlanta has cracked 5 Million, but just the population of Atlanta it self is only 420,000. I don't really understand this whole population thing.

I think this could also be contributed to some problems that the city of Atlanta faces. Atlanta's public school sytem isn't the greatest, the crime rate is high, and I believe there has been some governmental corruption in past years. So people just choose to live in the suburbs and work in the city. Their kids can go to better schools, they can live in safer neighborhoods, etc..

Cities such as Washington D.C., Baltimore, New Orleans, and Detroit face similar problems. Their metro's grow, be it big or small, while their city population shrinks or basically stays the same. Though I don't live in Atlanta so I am not completely sure.

[ironchapman]

I think this could also be contributed to some problems that the city of Atlanta faces. Atlanta's public school sytem isn't the greatest, the crime rate is high, and I believe there has been some governmental corruption in past years. So people just choose to live in the suburbs and work in the city. Their kids can go to better schools, they can live in safer neighborhoods, etc..

Cities such as Washington D.C., Baltimore, New Orleans, and Detroit face similar problems. Their metro's grow, be it big or small, while their city population shrinks or basically stays the same. Though I don't live in Atlanta so I am not completely sure.

Atlanta isn't suffering the corruption it had under Bill Campbell (the previous mayor who is now on criminal trial). Shirley Franklin (the current mayor) has been ranked/chosen as one of the best big city mayors in the world. Our issues with government nowadays are with ones outside of/above the city's (i.e. the state, Fulton County, and nearby towns).

Though I will sound like a typical booster here (which I am in some ways), the city as a whole is getting better in many areas. Just look at some things like the success the Beltline proposal and Peachtree Street car have had within the city, Atlantic Station, the rising population, the lowering crime rates, the projects being built, etc. The school system could use a little work............http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/uploads/emoticons/default_wink.png' alt=';)'> We'll never own a good percentage of the metro like Houston, Chicago, or NYC does, but we'll gain some population so the difference won't be so shocking...I'll say we could probably fit about 700-800,000 at most probably. That's close to a city in a similar geographic & statistical situation, Frankfurt am Main of Germany (known as just Frankfurt to us).

[NCB]

Atlanta isn't suffering the corruption it had under Bill Campbell (the previous mayor who is now on criminal trial). Shirley Franklin (the current mayor) has been ranked/chosen as one of the best big city mayors in the world. Our issues with government nowadays are with ones outside of/above the city's (i.e. the state, Fulton County, and nearby towns).

Though I will sound like a typical booster here (which I am in some ways), the city as a whole is getting better in many areas.

I'm very glad to hear it.

I'm a huge Atlanta lover, New Orleans, Houston, and Atlanta are the three cities that I would really like to live in in the South.

I'm glad to see that Atlanta seems to be recovering from some of the problems that have plaqued the city

[EbonyGardens]

Metro Atlanta broke 5 million as of July 1, 2005.

[Newnan]

Many of you may have seen the "Atlanta's population Now" sign in north midtown on Peachtree Street. When I was there yesterday it was 4, 689,000. It was cool though because I got to see it change from 89 to 90. I guess that number was the MSA.

[Andrea]

Many of you may have seen the "Atlanta's population Now" sign in north midtown on Peachtree Street. When I was there yesterday it was 4, 689,000. It was cool though because I got to see it change from 89 to 90. I guess that number was the MSA.

There's also the ancient population sign outside the Darlington in Buckhead (just north of Piedmont Hospital), but it never seems to be up to date.

[krazeeboi]

Many of you may have seen the "Atlanta's population Now" sign in north midtown on Peachtree Street. When I was there yesterday it was 4, 689,000. It was cool though because I got to see it change from 89 to 90. I guess that number was the MSA.

I think I know the one you're talking about. Last time I saw it, it displayed the municipal population, which was then (back in September) ~440,000.

[ironchapman]

I think I know the one you're talking about. Last time I saw it, it displayed the municipal population, which was then (back in September) ~440,000.

This i'm kind of having a hard time beliving, as much as I'd like to believe it.

Anyone (teshadoh, Martinman, Newnan Eric, Celeste, etc.) have anything that might could support it?

If it is true, it's great to hear about it, then!

[Andrea]

I think I know the one you're talking about. Last time I saw it, it displayed the municipal population, which was then (back in September) ~440,000.

I can't get a handle on where that sign is. This is different from the one in Buckhead, right?