Spokane7
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June 8, 2011 in City
Spokane, Coeur d’Alene now one statistical region
In the eyes of the U.S. Census Bureau, Spokane and Coeur d’Alene have been merged into a single metropolitan area with a population of 609,000 people.
The combined statistical area “Spokane-Coeur d’Alene” ranks 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 planning to expand. It could also help the region collect more federal funding.
Michaellyn Garcia, a Census Bureau geographer, said 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 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 its brand as a scenic destination.
Yet during the past decade the areas have continued to grow closer.
“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 the Top 100 list, the thinking goes, you’re going to be more visible as a place for business to come,” he said.
The Coeur d’Alene business community insisted that should the metropolitan area designation be inevitable, it should include the name of its city.
Todd Christensen, chief executive of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce said the community and businesses have invested millions of dollars branding the city and lake and believe the name carries a positive identity.
The statistical change will not occur until 2013, Garcia said.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
bez233 on June 08 at 7:01 a.m.
This is very exciting that this region will be available to more federal funding………..
But wait… isn’t it the fed’s the organization that is so far in debt that they are going to crash because they have barrowed so much money from other countries they can’t pay their bills? Isn’t it the organization riddled with mass mismanagement, fraud, frivolous spending sprees, and having affairs with big corporations? ….. things that make you go hummmm
westerly on June 08 at 7:34 a.m.
“SpookyHollow”…
hunternomore on June 08 at 8:44 a.m.
LOL This is hilarious, especially since neither community has anything in common. Not to mention that they are in different states, with different state laws. But what the heck. Pile em together. Sure. In what altered reality
CougarGold on June 08 at 8:50 a.m.
bez - The primary gain from this is visibility for economic development. While it’s true that it may open us up for more federal funding, that element is, by far, secondary to the leg-up advantage gained when business relocation firms start looking around on behalf of their clients. Hopefully it will spur greater interest in our area on behalf of large employers looking to move or expand their companies.
On the federal funding note, there’s less money available than before but there is still money available. It’s our tax dollars and they will be spent somewhere. If we get more of it, that’s not a bad thing for us compared to it being spent in some other community. With that said, I’d probably prefer that many of those dollars not be spent at all and instead directed toward reducing our national deficit and/or overall national debt.
MrNatural on June 08 at 11:40 a.m.
This bodes well for environmental as well as economical futures given we share the same air corridor, aquifer and river.
CougarGold on June 08 at 11:58 a.m.
MrNatural, you’re right. Dealing with the various entities over the stateline on the aquifer/river phosphorus TMDL has been a challenge. As one person put it, ‘the stateline needs to be redrawn’.
Mike1950 on June 08 at 3:08 p.m.
Spok d’ Alene, Wadho or Coeur d’ kane, Idington. What should the new name be?
MrNatural on June 08 at 3:18 p.m.
…LOL!…I like Spoke d’Alene Wadaho…LOL! …Coeur d’Kane Idaton just doesn’t roll quite as well
Codywiench on June 08 at 4:54 p.m.
Boise’s metro areas includes 5 counties and has an area at least 4 times ours. Boise to me, is just Canyon and Ada counties, but evidently, they throw in some extra counties. Canyon + Ada < Spokane + Kootenai by a quite considerable margin.
Dave_C on June 16 at 12:18 a.m.
The new name?
I’d go with Coeur d’Kane, Wadaho.
Rolls pretty good too.