OKC/NOLA Population Comparisions

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks to Decious, more current (but still pre-Katrina) population figures are available for the OKC & NOLA metro areas, for what such comparisons may be worth.

The Census Bureau shows population estimates as of 7/1/05. The OKC SMSA was 1,225,084 and the NO SMSA was 1,319,367. I have no knowledge if more current Census Bureau figures exist (i.e., post-Katrina).

OKC: http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/okc7.05.htm
New Orleans: http://www.dougloudenback.com/hornets/nola7.05.htm

During the 5 year period, the detail reflects that the New Orleans metro gained 2,857 from 7/1/2000 ~ 7/1/2005, an 0.217% increase. The increase largely occured because St. Tammany Parish increased from 191,268 to 220,295 (15.176% increase) and less significant increases in Plaquemines, St. Charles, and St. John the Baptist parishes, offseting declines in Orleans parish (484,674 to 454,863, -6.151%), Jefferson parish (455,466 to 452,824, -0.580%), St. Bernard parish (67,229 to 65,229, -2.774%).

During the 5 year period, the detail reflects that the OKC metro gained 64,142 from 7/1/2000 ~ 7/1/2005, a 5.25% increase (1,160,942 to 1,225,084). The largest increases occurred in Oklahoma (660,543 to 684,543, a 3.5% increase) and Cleveland (208,016 to 224,898, a 11.15% increase) counties. No county in the metro lost population.

Graphically, the comparison looks like this:

[venture]

No county lost population, but OKC MSA lost Pottawatomie County as part of the calculated MSA.

[Decious]

No county lost population, but OKC MSA lost Pottawatomie County as part of the calculated MSA.

You're right, the Shawnee area was taken out of the MSA calculations. However, the OKC CMSA(Combined/Component Statistical Area) includes both the OKC Metro and the Shawnee Micropolitan areas.

IMO, the CMSA is a much better estimate of the actual pop. of an area. For instance, the Los Angeles MSA doesn't include Riverside/San Bernadino/Ontario/Oxnard/Thousand Oaks/Ventura and a few other municipalities. In other words, practically NONE of the "Inland Empire" is included. The Los Angeles CMSA includes all of these.

[venture]

Thats great and all...then compare apples to apples. NOLA CMSA includes Bogalusa, LA/Washington Parish.

[Decious]

Thats great and all...then compare apples to apples. NOLA CMSA includes Bogalusa, LA/Washington Parish.

Absolutely. Doug you need to add 44,623 persons/Washington County to the New Orleans total.

[Doug Loudenback]

According to the US Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/population/est...eral/List4.txt :

35380 New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area
35380 22051 Jefferson Parish, LA
35380 22071 Orleans Parish, LA
35380 22075 Plaquemines Parish, LA
35380 22087 St. Bernard Parish, LA
35380 22089 St. Charles Parish, LA
35380 22095 St. John the Baptist Parish, LA
35380 22103 St. Tammany Parish, LA

What am I missing, i.e., why should Washington Parish be included since it is not in the above list?

And now I am getting confus-ed! Which are apples, which are oranges, per the above messages?

A NOLA person at Hornets Central pointed me to a LA website in which Washington parish, and 2 others, are described as being in the "Greater New Orleans Area", whoever defined it as such. But, their inclusion of Washington and Tangipahoa parishes provides a good example of things getting weird. According to my Microsoft Streets & Trips program, Bogalusa in Washington parish is 72 miles from New Orleans, and Amite in Tangipahoa parish is 74 miles from New Orleans. Seems a bit of a stretch to consider them part of the metropolitan area. By contrast, the furthest distance from Oklahoma City and county seats in the metro definition is 45 miles, and there's just one of those ... most are a good bit less.

Impressions? Thoughts?

[venture]

Well going to that link you provided...why don't you check OKC's ...

36420 Oklahoma City, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area
36420 40017 Canadian County, OK
36420 40027 Cleveland County, OK
36420 40051 Grady County, OK
36420 40081 Lincoln County, OK
36420 40083 Logan County, OK
36420 40087 McClain County, OK
36420 40109 Oklahoma County, OK


No Pott County.

Pott County is market of the CMSA, like Washington Parish is part of the CMSA for NOLA. You are comparing OKC's CMSA to NOLA's MSA...not CMSA.

[Decious]

Doug, here's a link to everything any sane person would ever want to know about census estimates.

Click Here

FWIW, Washington is included in the NOLA CMSA, but not their MSA. Likewise, Pott. county is in the OKC CMSA, but not our MSA.

Really, the populations of OKC and NOLA are almost identical. Also, remember that these are only estimates.

[Doug Loudenback]

Well going to that link you provided...why don't you check OKC's ...

36420 Oklahoma City, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area
36420 40017 Canadian County, OK
36420 40027 Cleveland County, OK
36420 40051 Grady County, OK
36420 40081 Lincoln County, OK
36420 40083 Logan County, OK
36420 40087 McClain County, OK
36420 40109 Oklahoma County, OK


No Pott County.

Pott County is market of the CMSA, like Washington Parish is part of the CMSA for NOLA. You are comparing OKC's CMSA to NOLA's MSA...not CMSA.

Well, I understand that from what you and Decious said previously. What I've been unable to find, though, is any "CMSA" data so to be able to compare CMSA's with each other. For example, where did you find that Washington Parish is part of the CMSA for New Orleans?

Edited Note: Whoops! Wrote too soon ... before I saw Decious' link, above. I'll check it out.

[venture]

http://www.census.gov/population/est...eral/List6.txt

[okcpulse]

The comparisons leave me this conclusion. New Orleans is able to supprt both an NFL and NBA team, with over 1.3 million in the CMSA market, while Oklahoma City is easily supporting one NBA team. Thus, there is no doubt we ARE NBA caliber, and one way or another, we will have a team.

[Patrick]

Really, the populations of OKC and NOLA are almost identical. Also, remember that these are only estimates.

Maybe that should read: "Really, the populations of OKC and NOLA WERE almost identical."