City Population Estimates Released: Jax Rank Drops

[Metro Jacksonville]

City Population Estimates Released: Jax Rank Drops



The fall of Florida's real estate market and the increasing popularity of urban living has caused Jacksonville to fall in the list of America's largest cities.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-jun-city-population-estimates-released-jax-rank-drops

[duvaldude08]

How weird. On the news, they said we moved up in the ranking. And also, I thought we were already number 13, I thoroughly confused. But whatever the case, we wont know the results of the census until early next year. As long as our population keeps increasing, Im good.

[thelakelander]

We were 12.  Given our land mass, we'll eventually overtake San Francisco but its troublesome to see that we're the slowest growing city out of the top 20, despite covering 767 square miles of land area.  The only two behind us are Detroit and Memphis.  Both of them had a slight decrease in population.  As we move forward, we need to pay more attention to quality of life issues because the days of selling ourselves as the cheap alternative are over.

[duvaldude08]

We were 12.  Given our land mass, we'll eventually overtake San Francisco but its troublesome to see that we're the slowest growing city out of the top 20, despite covering 767 square miles of land area.  The only two behind us are Detroit and Memphis.  Both of them had a slight decrease in population.  As we move forward, we need to pay more attention to quality of life issues because the days of selling ourselves as the cheap alternative are over.

It's still good to see that we still rank above all the cities in Florida though. We still reign supreme in that aspect! 

[thelakelander]

Only because of consolidation.  Despite this, in terms of absolute numbers, Miami, Tampa and Orlando all added more people.  If we were the same size as these communities, we would have probably recorded a loss right along with Memphis and Detroit.  Being consolidated helps mask the fact that we're more like misplaced rust belt city than anything else.

[JeffreyS]

We were 12.  Given our land mass, we'll eventually overtake San Francisco but its troublesome to see that we're the slowest growing city out of the top 20, despite covering 767 square miles of land area.  The only two behind us are Detroit and Memphis.  Both of them had a slight decrease in population.  As we move forward, we need to pay more attention to quality of life issues because the days of selling ourselves as the cheap alternative are over.

So right and I am tired of being the cheap alternative.

[Overstreet]

Yes all well and good. But notice Atlanta is smaller than Jacksonville. It is the land mass vs population thing. Metro Atlanta makes us look like a small town.

[JeffreyS]

Yeah that is the point Lake illustrated in the article.  With our land mass we should be even higher.

[tufsu1]

Given our land mass, we'll eventually overtake San Francisco but its troublesome to see that we're the slowest growing city out of the top 20

I think that has more to do with Florida's overall growth slowdown than anything specific to Jacksonville.

[Lunican]

Metro Jacksonville has been warning about this problem for years. We are a rust belt population loser and don't even know it because of consolidation.

Check out the Plight of the Urban Core



Net Urban Core Loss (1950 - 2000): -91,764

[duvaldude08]

Yes all well and good. But notice Atlanta is smaller than Jacksonville. It is the land mass vs population thing. Metro Atlanta makes us look like a small town.

Just about everybody metro makes Jacksonville look like a small town. Unfortunately, our metro, or "outskirts" if you will, are very undeveloped (for the most part) compared to the metro areas in most cities.

[AaroniusLives]

It's still good to see that we still rank above all the cities in Florida though. We still reign supreme in that aspect!

Well, as others have mentioned, it's specifically because of the city-county consolidation. If Miami consolidated with Miami-Dade County, they would have 2.7 million people living in the "city." New York's numbers are geared the same way (although they are much more populated) in that up there, what we would call a "county" they call a borough of New York City, and thus, five "counties" are making up one city of population.

Besides, numbers aren't everything anyway. The "status" of being the most populated city in Florida hasn't exactly set Jacksonville on fire, eh? And considering the state of Floridian development, one could make a strong argument for slower growth being better than rampant, out of control, "Orlando/Miami/Fort Lauderdale" growth, especially if there's no plan or politics supporting intelligent urban planning.

This focus on the number one ranking entirely misses the point. Yeah, Jacksonville "beat" Miami on a technicality, but if that ranking is all one can hold up...who cares? Focus on making Jacksonville the best place it can be, and stop paying attention to the numbers. Because they'll come when you focus on making Jacksonville the best place it can be.

Why isnt the same thing happening in the other major floridian cities then?

Because they took part in the urban rediscovery of the last 20 years or so, especially in South Florida and Metro Orlando. Jacksonville sat that movement out, for the most part.

 

[reednavy]

The other two cities to watch out for that are likely to trump us are Austin and Fort Worth, they're both explosively growing and aren't likely to stop anytime soon.

[JeffreyS]

It is not even the population rank that concerns me. Our metro has wonderful suburbs with all the "everyday America" amenities available, rural areas with robust activities, a world class historic neighborhood, NFL, Industrial diversity, Military bases, beaches, a great river, cruise ships, Florida weather, a good road infrastructure and on and on.  I want what we what we lack a vibrant Urban core, a school system that is great across the board not just a few shining stars and to be as connected as possible throughout all that Jacksonville has to offer.

[thelakelander]

Great points, AaroniusLives.  If anything, these estimates suggest that places that have made improving their quality of life offerings are doing a better job at attracting and retaining residents.

I think that has more to do with Florida's overall growth slowdown than anything specific to Jacksonville.

Over the past year:

+3,782 Tampa (112.1 square miles)

+3,627 Jacksonville (767 square miles)

+3,539 Orlando (93.5 square miles)

+1,940 Miami (35.68 square miles)

I know absolute growth isn't everything but when economically struggling places 15% of your size (or less) are still packing in more or just as much people, there should be some concern.  The overall growth slowdown has impacted just about every region of the country outside of Texas.  Seriously, if we took away the curtain of consolidation, our city would show population loss.  That's something that is not happening across the majority of the country.