4 Texas Cities Among Top 10 in Growth

[AmpedNow]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080327/census_g ... .html?.v=1

Thursday March 27, 9:12 am ET

By Paul J. Weber, Associated Press Writer

Texas Home to 4 of Nation's Top 10 Growing Cities; Population Continues Shift to South, West

DALLAS (AP) -- Four Texas metropolitan areas were among the biggest population gainers as Americans continued their trend of moving to the Sun Belt in 2006 and 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released Thursday.

Dallas-Fort Worth added more than 162,000 residents between July 2006 and July 2007, more than any other metro area. Three other Texas areas -- Houston, Austin and San Antonio -- also cracked the top 10.

Atlanta saw the second-largest population jump with just over 151,000 new residents. Phoenix was third with more than 132,000, and was followed by Houston, Riverside, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas and San Antonio.

Of the 50 fastest-growing metro areas, 27 were in the South and 20 were in the West. Two were in the Midwest, one -- Fayetteville, Ark. -- straddles the South and Midwest and none was in the Northeast.

Detroit lost more than three times as many people as any other metro area -- its population declined more than 27,300. Other areas losing more than 5,000 people were Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Ga., Youngstown, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y.

Experts credit much of the growth in the South to relatively strong local economies and housing prices that are among the most affordable in the U.S.

"People are running away from unaffordable housing, from the economic slowdown," said Karl Eschbach, a state demographer in Texas. "I would expect Texas to stay at the top of a slowing game."

Memo: people hate snow and unemployment.

But seriously, DFW growing by 162,000 in 12 months might be a little too fast. Infrastructure and quality of life issues being predominant.

At this rate, DFW will surpass San Fransisco in population in just a few years...

[Dr. Whiplash]

It's a crying shame to see great cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland reeling. (Youngstown is a dead town walking and the residents know it. Creepy.) I'm surprised Cincinnati is not on the list.

Columbus' economy has slowed down but is doing well. How are Lexington, Louisville, Baltimore, Our Nation's Capital and our Carolina correspondents' cities' economies these days?

[Lester]

Raleigh (3rd), Charlotte (9th), Wilmington (20), and Asheville (100).

I'd say we're doing OK... just ask the Mexicans.

[cgarison]

Columbus' economy has slowed down but is doing well.

Well? No, it has sank but the locals refuse to admit that they are in a bad of shape as the rest of the towns in OH.

How are Lexington, Louisville, Baltimore, Our Nation's Capital and our Carolina correspondents' cities' economies these days?

I was in Lexington KY last fall and I was wondering where all the people that used to clog the highways during rush hour had gone. A stretch of highway that used to take me 30 minutes to travel during the peak of morning drive in 1998 only took me 5 minutes in 2007. Quite Sad.

Baltimore. Well it is Baltimore. The areas in town are still run down and in need of major repair and the suburbs are stlll growing. The areas around the Bay are filled with rich yuppies. The area south of town towards DC is filled with companies that need to have influence in in the nations capital and the area north is filled with warehouses and DCs.

[Dr. Whiplash]

Columbus' economy has slowed down but is doing well.

Well? No, it has sank but the locals refuse to admit that they are in a bad of shape as the rest of the towns in OH.

Bullshit. That's a preposterous statement. When was the last time you were even in Columbus? According to the Census estimate, Columbus gained 19,774 people to rank 33rd in metro growth.

[Arp2]

...and suburban Delaware county remains one of the fastest-growing in the country. New Albany's rockin'. On the south side, you're going to find one of the country's biggest intermodal freight centers crankin' up.

Oh....and, using Lester's leading indicator , yes, there be lots of Mexicans.

Yeah....that would really be news to me.


By the way, I didn't realize Raleigh was still growing like that....

[cgarison]

Columbus' economy has slowed down but is doing well.

Well? No, it has sank but the locals refuse to admit that they are in a bad of shape as the rest of the towns in OH.

Bullshit. That's a preposterous statement. When was the last time you were even in Columbus? According to the Census estimate, Columbus gained 19,774 people to rank 33rd in metro growth.

Population growth is not indicative as to health of the economy. Columbus is having real estate issues as with the rest of Ohio and high paying jobs have been moving to other cities from Columbus.

And this is based on the fact that I visit Columbus at least once every two months on business as well as visit Columbus twice a year for pleasure. I was just in Columbus at the beginning of March.

[Dr. Whiplash]

Population growth is not indicative as to health of the economy. Columbus is having real estate issues as with the rest of Ohio and high paying jobs have been moving to other cities from Columbus.

And this is based on the fact that I visit Columbus at least once every two months on business as well as visit Columbus twice a year for pleasure. I was just in Columbus at the beginning of March.

[AmpedNow]

Baltimore. Well it is Baltimore. The areas in town are still run down and in need of major repair and the suburbs are stlll growing. The areas around the Bay are filled with rich yuppies. The area south of town towards DC is filled with companies that need to have influence in in the nations capital and the area north is filled with warehouses and DCs.

Baltimore has been undergoing somewhat of a renaissance, with abandoned row houses being practically given to developers in return for developing the properties. However, the recession might be slowing this down.

The Inner Harbor is a lot nicer, too. It's safe to walk down there in the evenings now.

DC is somewhat immune to recessions with all of the government jobs and private sector firms who live on government contracts. But the VA-MD housing market has been hit really hard. Every other house in NoVA has rent or sale signs in the yard.

It became an incredibly expensive place to live, unless you're really rich. By national standards, it still is. But the real estate prices have finally crashed back down to reality. They had to, eventually...

The insane real estate prices alone has slowed the traditionally rapid influx of population to a trickle, except for the illegals.

This area is included in the Northeast Megalopolis, which overall is losing population to the Sunbelt.

[Arp2]

Baltimore has been undergoing somewhat of a renaissance, with abandoned row houses being practically given to developers in return for developing the properties. However, the recession might be slowing this down.

*Our economy is still growing!

[genlock]

I suppose even the inner harbor economy could be turned around if enough tax money were poured into it. Even Welch or Wheeling could be seen as growing if tax money were showered upon them.

[cgarison]

Baltimore has been undergoing somewhat of a renaissance, with abandoned row houses being practically given to developers in return for developing the properties. However, the recession might be slowing this down.

*Our economy is still growing!

NYC and the Sixth Borough is booming with all the money coming here from overseas. The week dollar is drawing all kinds of Eurotrash to this side of the Atlantic spending their money.