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Subscribe to RSSMove over, New York City. Nine of the 10 most densely populated areas in the U.S. are out West, and eight out of 10 Americans are now urbanites, a U.S. Census Bureau report released Monday shows.
The Charlotte, N.C., area is growing at the fastest rate, increasing by 64.6 percent, followed by Austin, Texas, at 51.1 percent, according to census figures from 2000 to 2010.
“It’s one of those things we’re seeing -- the South and West are definitely growing, and growing more than other regions in the country,” Stacy Gimbel Vidal, spokeswoman for the U.S. Census Bureau, told msnbc.com. “It is hard for us to speculate the 'why' people are flocking to and congregating in those areas.”
The nation’s urban population grew by 12.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, outpacing the nation’s overall growth rate of 9.7 percent for the same period, according to census figures.
Of the 10 most densely populated urbanized areas nationwide, nine are in the West, with seven of those in California.
The nation’s most densely populated urbanized area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, with nearly 7,000 people
per square mile. The San Francisco-Oakland area is the second most densely populated at 6,266 people per square mile, followed by San Jose (5,820 people per square mile), and in the Central Valley, Delano, with 5,483 people per square mile, ranks fourth, according to census figures.
The New York-Newark area is fifth, with an overall density of 5,319 people per square mile.
“Urban areas — defined as densely developed residential, commercial and other nonresidential areas — now account for 80.7 percent of the U.S. population, up from 79.0 percent in 2000,” the bureau said in a release. “Although the rural population — the population in any areas outside of those classified as ‘urban’ — grew by a modest amount from 2000 to 2010, it continued to decline as a percentage of the national population.”
The census data identifies two types of urban areas: “urbanized areas” of 50,000 or more people and “urban clusters” of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people. There are 486 urbanized areas and 3,087 urban clusters nationwide.
Other notable census finds:
- The New York-Newark area continues to be the nation’s most populous urbanized area, with 18,351,295 residents. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is the second most populous (12,150,996), followed by the Chicago area (8,608,208).
- Maine tops the nation as the most rural state, beating out Vermont. According to the new data, 61.3 percent of Maine’s population lives in rural areas, compared to Vermont’s 61.1 percent.
- States with the largest rural populations were Texas (3,847,522), North Carolina (3,233,727) and Pennsylvania (2,711,092).
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Here's a clue...it's warmer in the South and the West than it is in the Northeast and Midwest. Take it from someone in Iowa. There may be jobs here, but who cares when it's miserable 8 months a year. It's better to be poor and warm than employed and freezing.
Popsci recently had an article where they speculated, if climate change estimates are accurate, the midwest could actually see a greatly "enhanced" climate trending towards the more moderate-to-warm. Chicago, in particular, they said could become an increasingly warm destination. We did just have the warmest March on record ... who knows, in 50 - 100 years, maybe Chicago will be looked upon as the new San Diego?
This same article also said that New York would be under 20 - 30 feet of rising coastline.
Honestly, if it weren't for the whole snow issue, I'd much rather deal with the cold eight months a year than with blazing hot temperatures nine months a year as we do here in Texas. And yes, I've lived up north, too. The summer down here is crippling, crushing, depressing, sickening... there really is no adjective that can sufficiently describe it. And the three months preceding and following the summer (those which you folks up north call "spring" and "fall") are no better. Actually, yes, they're better, but still pretty bad. I'd much rather live in a place where I have to endure three months of winter and snow, but then I get to go out in the fall or the spring and enjoy mild to cool temperatures, and then enjoy the summer for what it really is: summer, not hell on earth.
I understand, though, that this does not apple to places like California. But really, people should stop glorifying the South's weather. It's hot, humid, rainy, and quite hurricaney down here.
Chicago would then have bad drivers, 10,000 bums/ sq mile, charge $2,000/month to sleep on a sofa, poor education system, and the air would be barely breathable from all the people wanting to drive. All the illegals rushing here.
I can't wait...
And Chicago would have to throw away all it's good food and banish all its good restaurants & chefs from the city, so then they could have tasteless and awful food like San Diego.
8 in 10 are city/urban dwellers. This is bad news in that if our country slips into a depression, the social fabric will unravel quickly, hence the exponential growth in gun sales and "preping". In the 30's far more people lived in rural areas and could survive off the land. In addition to people being jammed into urban areas very few have a clue about basic survival skills. While I don't fit the true definition of a preper yet, I'm beginning to take the first steps needed to insure my family survives intact. The decision to do this was based off the likelihood of some man made or natural disaster that will cause our economy to collapse. When you understand that technological advances have tremendously improved our lives on one hand, but made us extraordinarily vulnerable on the other, you can only conclude its just a matter of time before a computer hacker or a solar flare, or any other of a dozen or more triggers will cause the whole house of cards to collapse overnight. Call me an alarmist, a nut case, kook, whatever, if you want, I could care less. I see no down side to doing this as everything I buy can be utilized regardless of what happens.
Yea I have thought this for a while. If a solar flare knocked out the satellites even for 24 hours it would be chaos in the cities. I actually dont understand this trend at all. Hell you can make money off your laptop sitting in an office or sitting on the beach. Its OK with me I'm up in the mountains with a really cool community and its working out fine for me. Who knew..
gregor - thats not true. Studies and history has shown industrial growth and aducation has been attributed in the north east due to the bad weather, might as well go to work in the cold, when theres nothing to do in the warmth..
I would say it is more like 99%, haha, get it.
No.
So why do poiltiicans spend so much time pandering to the rural vote? As republicans are finding out acres don't vote, citizens do...
"Acres don't vote, citizens do .... "
Agreed, but when and if the members of the 2 out of 10 that actually grow food decide to Occupy Something or Other, the whole system shuts down.
Take out the farmer Rick, you will STARVE,
and so will I..... think about it.
The USSR made the same mistake.....
How does that relate to his comment?
No one is saying rural folks are less important, or less "American" than anyone else. I certainly hope no one wants to "take out" the farmer.
I think Rick's point is that politicians pander to a very small minority of the voting population when in reality (if they want to keep up with modernity) they need to shape their views and values based on good merits and good ideas ... and not by how many 'good ole boys' they can get to say yee haw!
chad,
Nice sentiment. Unfortunately, politicians pander to a small minority of a small minority; that is, the segment of the population that (1) votes, and (2) has real money or controls large blocs of voters. What I am sure you meant to say is that they should shape their views and values based on good merits and good ideas. If you can figure out a way to make that a requirement for public office instead of just a noble idea, let me know.
One small step at a time, as with anything.
In reality, I don't think it would take much. Cultural shifts and changes in the zeitgeist (while challenging) can often have rapid and sweeping effects. But it's up to the general public to demand such a change. As soon as a few stand up and initiate change, that change can grow exponentially and overcome any obstacle (for better or for worse).
Because we don't buy the BS at the drop of a hat.
Oh, yes you do. Why do you think Santorum is doing so well in the "heartland"?
I live in a rural area and they wallow in BS here. It's as if they're PROUD to be ignorant hicks.
Still, I moved here because I have a 3-bedroom house on 5 acres for what a 1-bedroom apartment would cost "back home".
Anyone in Iowa could tell you that the days of the family farm are long since dead. Farming is an industrial business these days and no one lives on a farm. If they do they don't actually farm, but instead manage dozens of workers that do the actual work. No one can manage 30K+ acres by themselves but that is what you need if you want to be profitable in farming.
Outside of the midwest, microfarming is actually becoming more and more prevalent. As the prices of so-called commodities and processed food products rise, I think there will be more demand for localized food economies.
A lot of small farm operators would disagree with you, We may not be making millions of dollars but we do contribute to the food that is consumed be it Fruit,Vegetables,Dairy or meat/poultry products.
I live in rural PA, loads of small family farms here.
Well, if you count "urban clusters" as urban areas with anything over 2,500 but less than 50k, no wonder the percentage is so high. Around the area I live, many of the towns are around 2,500-3k in population, and they are in no way "urban". Think volunteer fire departments, 2-3 police cars on the force, 99.9 percent white and perhaps 1 or 2 chain fast food restaurants in a 10 mile radius. Not quite the "urban" America most people think of or would consider truly urban.
And if you think "urban" means "rat-infested blocks of highrise apartments populated by dangerous minorities who shop in dusty bodegas," you're also wrong.
"Urban" is simply a statistical term used to define population density. I'm sure you noted the definition, "Urban areas — defined as densely developed residential, commercial and other nonresidential areas". If your little cookie-cutter Norman Rockwell village of 2,500 people with no scary brown people is contained within a square mile or so, guess what - it's considered an urban area.
Chris, by your post you obviously have no clue about rural America. "Little" towns of rural America with populations of 2500 cover multiple square miles, not a single. And they have brown people and white people and black people. What they don't have are people like you.
I glad you don't have a clue about rural America, that means you haven't been there and best of all, won't be there.
Bill, it was Shogun69 that said "99.9% white", I believe that is what Chris was commenting on. And, in truth, most Midwestern small towns are 99% white (at least in the upper Midwest.)
I feel sorry for 80% of Americans. According to a failed ex governor they are not "real" Americans.
You must have seen "Game Change"
If making millions of dollars is considered failing then sign me up...LOL...Failed...You wish you could fail that bad.
You are not a real American. Your opinion does not count.
Interesting how you people knew exactly who the failed ex-governor is. I mentioned no names.
Thermen Merman
duh
There are still a lot of non corporate family farms out there. They are all run like businesses like the corporations. I live in farm country, and Chad, I have never heard one farmer say yee haw. The ones that succeed are business people with a huge investment to recoup. It is in everyone's interest to work with the farmers to secure the food supply for the entire world.
Agree , if congress ran the country like a family farm, we would not be in this mess. And before anyone starts in on the farm program(s) it was cheap food that made this country the power horse that it is-or was anyway. Do any of you who laugh at the farmers ever think about what life will be like if the corporations get their way and control your food supply? Maybe some day one of newt's grand kids can promise your grand kid a $10.00 loaf of bread.
ace
That's awesome, but I never said anything about "farmers saying yee haw."
My comments were reflected towards the political pandering that the other poster was referencing. This article isn't about "farming", it's about urban demographics.
As far as your other comments, I completely agree. By the way, I lived on a farm from 11 - 20.
Did some poorly educated intern write this article?
Charlotte, NC has increased by nearly 65%? Bullsh*t. 65% of what? from what? Good grief, a 65% growth rate would mean going from 1 million people to 1.65 million....Charlotte's city limits are only around 570,000 in population...
I think there's truth to what they are saying...Charlotte has been for the last 10 years a massively growing city...I almost moved there because one of the pharmas I worked for moved there 9 years ago...two of my cousins moved there because their companies...they do not live in Charlotte but right outside as they explain so it's possible when they say Charlotte they mean the metropolitan area not just the city...same way people use to say they are moving to Atlanta when they really moved 20 minutes outside the city
Charlotte has about 800,000 within the city limits and Charlotte's MSA is ~1.7 million. Never let facts get in the way of a good rant.
Wow, there are so many ways the defecation can hit the fan I'm glad I'm not in a big city.
Never complain about farmers or farm country, with your mouth full!!
Why not? The way things are moving it's not the farmers we should be praising for all the crap we put in our bodies...it's the scientists...I wish we truly supported the farmers
Small towns can't exist without regional trade. Rural communities have been bled dry by corporates. Everything from farming to retail in these communities is being swallowed up. They squeeze family / mom & pop business out and slide on in.
Health care is also being squeezed on in communities. Once decent hospitals with a reasonable selection of basic services are being shrunk or disappeared in favour of more regionalized solutions (which could be a decent ambulance or chopper ride away.
Every time I take a drive away from the city I see more ghost towns. Now what happens as jobs disappear from the cities for parts unknown? It'll be like China and India. Country folks and farmers that had their livelyhoods wrecked come to the cities and find there isn't any. And in the case of developed nations that includes factory work.
Things can never be the same really and it's looking bad for regional America and the developed world in general.
Best reply I have ever read CitizenEx...Corporations have bled the small communities dry and worst, they are all shipping their manufacturing overseas so it's not even like they provide any form of life for the small towns they are eroding...it's truly sad and it's a sign of what lays for the future...I can see America becoming like all those movies we see in the future where everything outside the metropolitan mega cities are desert like...It's a good thing I cant live another 100 years because I would hate to see this place
The first line in that article should have been "Move out of New York City"...it's too damn crowded here and so many of the post 9-11 comers are such squares no soul...New York is becoming a soulless city more and more each year...I am feeling like one of the last mohekans holding on hoping the spirit, life, art, freedom of expression that was here when I was growing up comes back...everyone I know but a few have already given up packed up and moved far away...or New Jersey (yikes)..
i miss new hampshire. we get tons of snow but it's beautiful and quiet and people are more or less self-reliant and down to earth. people live a simple dignified life. i like the urban areas but only to visit. whenever i'm in big city, it's exciting for a while but it grows old quick. people are so busy like hamsters on their spinning toys. i live in a warmer climate now but i still miss my old home esp. the trees and the animals in the woods.
Welllll, boyz 'n girls. You city folks may learn someday that milk don't come from the grochery sto'.
I dont' want to be caught in an urban setting when things go "south".
Ya, well ya know what? I can have a glass of milk in 2 minutes when I run out. Can you beat that with your cow?
Do you ever stop to think about how creepy it is to consume, as an adult human, the milk of a cow?
Is it anymore creepy than consuming the once-living flesh of our fellow animals? I mean, yeah. I guess the fact that our species is carnivorous is a little creepy ... but if we weren't ... we would have never evolved to this point.
LOL Fair enough.
Bliss is living 100 miles from the nearest Interstate. NO McDonalds NO malls and NO Wal Mart. How can it POSSIBLY get any better than that! The people of Springfield, Colorado and Austin, Nevada live in HEAVEN! Except for the teenagers,
Montana life is even better. I love 35 to 40 below weather, and snow up to my waist. We are 75 miles from the nearest town and love it. Peaceful, heavenly vistas, cool weather year round. Healthy living. I will never live in the city again. Too much crime, too many people, too many temptations.
no it aint
Yes, it is. Montana is the sort of place you visit and wonder what you've been doing all your life anywhere else... But some folks is city folks. My brother is one. I try not to be too judgemental.
I'm city folk.
Although I did live on a farm for much of my mid-to-late youth. I guess I look at it from a completely different perspective. I LOVE the city. It's where everything is. Broad demographics, diverse ideas, endless possibilities, and don't even get me started on the delicious r - a - n - g - e of food! I can wake up and have a Mexican breakfast, a Brazilian lunch, and a French dinner .... all in the same day.
Some people are simply built for the city.
I love going back to where I'm from and taking time to slow down, visit, and reminisce. But I never feel quite at home until I see the top of Chicago's skyline welcoming back.
Not one mention of Oil in this forum. I guess a lot of people are clueless of what is coming.
Oil, Natural gas, helium are being depleted at an alarming rate. Educate yourselves about gas depletion and how it will affect urban sustainability.
My guess is we are going to have to adapt to the new conditions. It won't be hard for the educated. Those who are stupid will die. Evolution.....
I wonder if it will be harder, in fact for the "educated." The issue becomes whether it is better to continue with the competition, or drop the pride game and co-operate.