Where Suburbs Outgrew Core Cities

In some places in the United States, mostly in Florida, some suburban cities have become the big kids on the block.

1 minute read

February 24, 2015, 5:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Daytona Beach

Todd Taulman / Shutterstock

A post on the Panethos blog examines examples from the United States of suburbs outgrowing—in terms of population—the original core city of the metropolitan area. In a conspicuous trend, most metropolitan areas that have managed this trick of population growth are located in Florida, designed as planned retirement centers. Norfolk, Virginia, which has been outgrown by Virginia Beach, provides a geographic exception.

The list of core cities overtaken by their suburbs includes recognizable names like Daytona Beach, FL; Naples, FL; and Hollywood, FL.

Such a population dynamic will crop up in the nomenclature used by the U.S. Census for describing metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). According to the post, "[when] a suburb exceeds the core city in population, the Census Bureau’s references to the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) [pdf] begins to change, as well. For instance, what once was the 'Fort Myers MSA,' eventually became the 'Fort Myers-Cape Coral MSA,' and is now known as 'Cape Coral-Fort Myers MSA,' as the moniker is revised with the changing population status. Poor Fort Pierce isn’t even listed as part of the metropolitan area name any longer, as it is just identified as 'Port St. Lucie MSA.'"

Monday, February 23, 2015 in Panethos

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Holland Tunnel, vehicular tunnel under Hudson River that connects New York City neighborhood of SoHo in Lower Manhattan to east with Jersey City in New Jersey.

Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent

New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.

1 hour ago - Curbed

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab