Chattanooga's Population Bigger than ever!

[sunrisese]

Chattanoog is bigger than ever according to the new population count! The city itself topped its previous peak of 169,565 residents with an estimated 169,884 in 2007 However,the metro population, since the 2000 Census

[Hankster]

Chattanoog is bigger than ever according to the new population count! The city itself topped its previous peak of 169,565 residents with an estimated 169,884 in 2007 However,the metro population, since the 2000 Census – rising from 476,531 to 514,568 residents.

[Hankster]

The 2008 census estimates for counties have been released. For Chattanooga are the following estimates:

Hamilton County

2008 Est: 332,848 Up from 397,896 in 2000

Chattanooga TN-GA MSA

2008 Est: 518,441 Up from 476,531 in 2000

Chattnooga-Cleveland-Athens TN-GA CSA

2008 Est: 683,095 Up from 629,651 in 2000

I'm confident that Chattanooga is poised for even faster growth in the future. I hope the growth is steady, but not so fast that it is difficult for infrastructure improvements to keep up.

[flith]

I think the Hamilton County figures are flipped. But that's greater than a 60k increase in 8 years. That's a seems to be a big jump. Unless Knox had had a big jump Hamilton may have begun to close the gap.

It will be interesting to see how commuting patterns change with VW and other new employers combined with N. Georgia's high unemployment. I could see a combined Chattanooga/Cleveland metro in the future. Not Just a CSA.

[Hankster]

I think the Hamilton County figures are flipped. But that's greater than a 60k increase in 8 years. That's a seems to be a big jump. Unless Knox had had a big jump Hamilton may have begun to close the gap.

It will be interesting to see how commuting patterns change with VW and other new employers combined with N. Georgia's high unemployment. I could see a combined Chattanooga/Cleveland metro in the future. Not Just a CSA.

[MidTenn1]

Thanks for pointing out the obvious error in my previous post. Below is the corrected number that show an increase of about 25,000 for Hamilton County since 2000.

Hamilton County

2008 Est: 332,848 Up from 307,896 in 2000

Chattanooga TN-GA MSA

2008 Est: 518,441 Up from 476,531 in 2000

Chattnooga-Cleveland-Athens TN-GA CSA

2008 Est: 683,095 Up from 629,651 in 2000

[Hankster]

I don't know why Dalton Georgia is not part of the CSA (135,000 within 25 miles of Chatt), but if it were, Chattanooga's CSA would be around 818,000. That would be an impressive number indicative of Chattanooga's status among Cities in the South.

The perception of Chattanooga is probably that of a slow, sleepy little town stuck between two large powerhouse metro areas (Nashville, Atlanta), but a revised assesment of the CSA to include Dalton would alter that perception drastically and advertise to the world that it is an important metro area on it's own as it approaches the million mark in a decade or so.

Perhaps the change in perception would primarily impact planning locally as they may want to consider a larger role for their airport, and improvements to their transportation infrastructure and agressive recruitment of Fortune 500 companies.

[Kitties Of Domination]

I think the Hamilton County figures are flipped. But that's greater than a 60k increase in 8 years. That's a seems to be a big jump. Unless Knox had had a big jump Hamilton may have begun to close the gap.

It will be interesting to see how commuting patterns change with VW and other new employers combined with N. Georgia's high unemployment. I could see a combined Chattanooga/Cleveland metro in the future. Not Just a CSA.

[Hankster]

Knoxville is still the fastest growing metro, for now at least. Knox Co. is now pushing 420,000. Metro is 700,000+. CSA is over a million.

[Kitties Of Domination]

In East Tennessee, Knoxville is definitely still the fastest growing Metro. However, the growth in Chattanooga IS accelerating, and it will be interesting to see if Chattanooga's growth rate can catch up with Knoxville's.

[Hankster]

Chatty did outpace Knoxville in building permits issued for the first time this past quarter...

[Kitties Of Domination]

That's something I had not heard. My guess is that the VW construction is having a major impact on Chattanooga's permit totals.

[flith]

The point is that I think Chattanooga's planners have been working harder for longer. Now its starting to pay off. Knoxville is trying to play catch-up now. Chattanooga definitely has momentum right now.

[shekelman]

what's happening all around E TN is a flood and influx of people

that couldn't make it in places from all around Florida...the same

people who came for the 'beach life' on a wing and a prayer in the

early 90s from the east coast and the midwest who ran down to

FL chasing a pipedream, who were mostly losers to start with, who

settled around Orange, Pasco, Broward, Brevard, Highland, Hillsborough,

Pinellas and Manatee Counties- now they are priced out, so now

they are running back up the Interstate and settling in E TN, now putting

a tremendous burden on the infrastructure there---most are lower

middle class folks who may have been lucky to sell their homes for

outrageous windfall profits before the collaspe- the ones coming now are

at the bottom of the barrel it seems..which is too bad for TN folks

[Hankster]

There has been a significant drop in population growth in Florida over the last two years. I'm sure some of them have made there way up to East Tennessee, but I would be surprised if Floridians represent a huge portion of the migration into this area. I personally know several folks who have relocated to the Chattanooga area, none from Florida. The VW facility and its many supplier plants will attract a significant number of out of state people to Chattanooga, and there will be very few from Florida since the auto industry is small there. Bottom line is Tennessee is still a very attractive state to do business, and it will attract it's fair share of people from all over the nation.

[Kitties Of Domination]

There has been a significant drop in population growth in Florida over the last two years. I'm sure some of them have made there way up to East Tennessee, but I would be surprised if Floridians represent a huge portion of the migration into this area. I personally know several folks who have relocated to the Chattanooga area, none from Florida. The VW facility and its many supplier plants will attract a significant number of out of state people to Chattanooga, and there will be very few from Florida since the auto industry is small there. Bottom line is Tennessee is still a very attractive state to do business, and it will attract it's fair share of people from all over the nation.

[Hankster]

According to new 2008 estimates released by the Census Bureau, Chattanooga's city population is up to 170,880. This is the the first time the city population has ever topped the 170,000 mark and is within less than 14,000 of Knoxville's population. An article in the local paper suggested that Chattanooga may pass Knoxville in population. I think that is totally dependent on which city does the most annexation in the future. Chattanooga is considering annexing several areas in Hamilton County, all of which will meet considerable opposition.

[sunrisese]

According to new 2008 estimates released by the Census Bureau, Chattanooga's city population is up to 170,880. This is the the first time the city population has ever topped the 170,000 mark and is within less than 14,000 of Knoxville's population. An article in the local paper suggested that Chattanooga may pass Knoxville in population. I think that is totally dependent on which city does the most annexation in the future. Chattanooga is considering annexing several areas in Hamilton County, all of which will meet considerable opposition.

[flith]

LET THE ANNEXATIONS BEGIN!!!!!!!!!! Looks Like They will Start ...The Littlefield administration is asking the Planning Commission to act on Aug. 10 on a plan to annex 10 areas. We live in the City SOOOOOOOO,Its time for them to put in their share... .....I think This might bring the Population count to 174,000 after Sept.And then up as they Annex more.

[Hankster]

I'm for the annexations but City residents shouldn't pay county taxes. Other than schools (if there is no city run system) do the counties provide any services to the cities?

[flith]

That's an interesting concept of not having city residents pay County taxes. That would require a clean split between the two Governments which is something I would doubt Hamilton county would have any interest in doing. Over time, as Chattanooga grows, Hamilton County would shrink in size. I think annexation would occur at an accelerated pace because the gap in tax burdens would be much less, and people would be more willing to be annexed. Overall, there would be less government (no duplication between County and City services) and less overall tax burden, and that would be a good thing. Both individuals and businesses would benefit. Having said all of that, the chances of such a thing happening is about equal to the odds of "Hell Freezing Over".