Spokane7
58°
June 7, 2011 in News, Region
Census Bureau adding CdA to Spokane metro area
In the eyes of the U.S. Census, Spokane and Coeur d’Alene have been merged into a single metropolitan area with a population of 609,000 people.
The combined statistical area ranks “Spokane-Coeur d’Alene” as the 87th most-populous metropolitan area in the United States, just behind Boise.
The designation has been anticipated for years and business boosters hope the placement in the top 100 largest U.S. population centers earns the region a closer look by companies looking to expand. It could also help the region collect more federal funding.
Michaellyn Garcia, a Census Bureau geographer, said both Spokane and Kootenai counties will retain distinct statistical identities, but commuter traffic crossing the state line reached numbers that merited a statistical combination. While the census provides the figures, the decision to combine two statistical areas is made by the by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
Spokane County has a population of 471,000; Kootenai County has 138,000.
Spokane has embraced the idea of a combined statistical area for years. Coeur d’Alene, however, had rejected the notion, fearing a loss of identity and not wanting to jeopardize its brand as a scenic destination.
Yet during the past decade the areas continued to grow closer and traffic thickened along Interstate 90 connecting the communities.
“It was inevitable this time,” said Patrick Jones, executive director of the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis at Eastern Washington University.
“If you’re in Top 100 list, the thinking goes, you’re going to be more visible as a place for business to come,” he said.
The statistical change will not occur until 2013, Garcia said.
Recent stories by John Stucke
Recent stories in News
Supermajority for taxes unconstitutional, judge rules May 30, 2012 1- Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues May 29, 2012 6
- Center’s activities provide glimpse into network of advocacy groups May 28, 2012 4
- 6-year-old qualifies for national spelling bee May 28, 2012
- $60 million car museum opens near Tacoma May 28, 2012 1
force_vector on June 07 at 3:30 p.m.
Great, just what CdA needed, to be lumped in with the trash that is Spokane.
dbcoolcars on June 07 at 3:44 p.m.
Vector you are a schmuck
Byrdie714 on June 07 at 3:45 p.m.
Oh boy, another flamer.
I think its good that CDA is part of the Spokane-CDA metropolitan area. Afterall that could translate into monies for us in terms of transportation, etc.
Loudin on June 07 at 3:48 p.m.
Alright, Coeur d’Alene, it seems like we’re finally letting you caddies into the clubhouse. Thus, new minimum standards apply:
1) No more running around the neighborhood w/out shoes & shirts.
2) Brush twice a day, floss once.
3) Grocery carts are not free Segways, please don’t park them outside of your apartments.
4) We have enough people in Spokane spending more on tattoos than dental work; please don’t make a bad 20-something situation much worse.
5) Rather than add another gun to your paranoid “end days” survival stash, why not put some mudflaps on that Bronco II?
6) Less cheesy goatees, more brain buckets.
7) Yes, you can have that nasty “Hooters” for yourselves.
8) Immunizations are not a New World Order conspiracy; don’t screw over your kids simply because you’re functionally insane.
9) The first one of you to throw a Baby Ruth in our river and yell “Dookie!” will be forced into a Browne’s Addition vegan lifestyle.
10) There is still a pecking order; you are the Milhouse van Houten to our Bart Simpson.
Are we clear? Are we crystal clear? Cool.
Loudin
SMARTGUY on June 07 at 4:04 p.m.
I am sick of people lumping Idaho into the spokane area. I wish
Coeur d’Alene would get their own paper and TV station. I do not care what is going on in another state and wish they would stop wasting my time with it.
Byrdie714 on June 07 at 4:06 p.m.
Especially the Neo Nazis of CDA as it is always associated with Spokane! Jeez!
Codywiench on June 07 at 4:08 p.m.
Smartass, perhaps you don’t, but I’d say the great majority of people from Coeur d’Alene make it over to Spokane, the valley or the airport at least once per month. And the same is certainly true for Spokane people coming here. It’s the same area; there are no breaks between the airport and Coeur d’Alene on I90.
hawken on June 07 at 5:00 p.m.
I’m sure the people of Idaho, regulars on this blog, understand that this blog is dominated by self-appointed, elitist, sanctimonious, not necessarily educated, uber-left liberals who “pass out” in fear at the sight of an unloaded water pistol.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 07 at 5:24 p.m.
Oh hawken…..you elitist, greedy, self centered, fascist.
detroitdude on June 07 at 6:01 p.m.
@ Loudin: Epic.
MrBloggy on June 07 at 6:11 p.m.
Spokane
Coeur D’Alene
mate
a three headed
baby
stinking of river water
heavy metals
ravening
for methamphetamine
and dickering at
garage sales
is spawned
time to move
Spokane_Citizen on June 07 at 6:42 p.m.
Isn’t CDA really nothing more than a low-income, aging, suburb of Spokane anyway?
Spokane_Citizen on June 07 at 6:50 p.m.
Hawken…I thought you were relocating to a luxurious compound in Mexico…funded by your immense precious metals holdings. What gives? Running short of your alley aluminum can gathering quota? Did they take your Safeway shopping cart away?
MrBloggy on June 07 at 7:06 p.m.
Hawken decided to stay now that the Spokane Library is on summer hours and he can get more computer time.
flutieflakes on June 07 at 7:50 p.m.
In the blink of an eye, the Spokane metropolitan area’s suicide rate has gone up astronomically. Hopefully CdA will now be able to access Spokane’s suicide/crisis hotline instead of resorting to the national crisis hotline. An economy defined by low-wage seasonal service jobs leads to a high local suicide rate, as CdA experiences.
maynard on June 07 at 7:58 p.m.
A Spokane/CDA Metro Area will eventually be a great thing for both counties. Perhaps now we can have both counties engage in a major light rail line running from Spokane International Airport to CDA. I think that would be awesome!!
We need to stop all the bickering and political crap and start to develop both communities. Once a plan is developed we can go to the Federal level and get some grants to help us out.
Come on Spokane and CDA, lets work together on this and make our metro area a destination for business’ to come and settle down.
soccermomsusie on June 07 at 8:01 p.m.
OBAMA!!!!!
I tried to warn you all about the evils of this census that he was shoving down our throats.
Now, thanks to Barry O’Kenyan, we stand to “benefit.” Benefit who? NOT ME!!! More jobs and more economic growth can only hurt us patriots living on Medicare and Social Security. No one will pick up doggy doodoo for cheap at my place if they have some cushy well-paying job. Argghhhhh!
Combining CDA and Spokane is like when Hitler combined Poland and Germany! No thanks! This Socialism must stop!!!!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!!!
terryalan on June 07 at 8:07 p.m.
god, you are a crack up soccermomsusie….love your interjections.
Truth is Idaho wants (for the most part aside from the new comers) nothing to do with Washington state OR Spokane….
You guys have GOT to be kidding if you think Coeur d’Alene residents don’t have a superiority complex as opposed to Spocompton….
50 % of the babies born in Spokane are eligible for federal assistance…did you know that? WIC eligibility that widespread and
NO crazy dazee that is NOT a bad thing that there is a safety net for poverty stricken citizens…
Why…Why….Why would Kootenai County residents WANT to be a part of our mess?
Buncha snobs….I’m tellin ya…
selkirks on June 07 at 9:42 p.m.
LIGHT RAIL…the time is now. Let’s launch a steering committee. Getting in on the ground floor would significantly reduce costs, even adjusted to inflation and market fluctuations. Essentially, if we plan on considering a Spokane-Coeur d’Alene light rail line for construction at any time in the next 50 years, we need to begin planning NOW. Right-of-way purchase are just going to become more expensive. The time for the light rail line from Spokane Int’l to downtown Spokane to the Valley to Liberty Lake to Post Falls to Coeur d’Alene is NOW.
nslopeofw on June 07 at 10:49 p.m.
I got to go with the CD’A folks, why the hell would they want to become part of the Spokane-nanny-state politics? CD’A is a great place (except for the ridiculous state tax), and I could see them OK with Post Falls strip mall-Spokane Valley strip mall metro.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on June 08 at 12:13 a.m.
Really Idaho people? We want to get into bashing sides…..you are after all the area known for the Aryan Nations and then allowed them to hold parades through your downtown.
Yeah, I want to be connected to an area that is known throughout the country as being among the most racist outside of the deep south.