Five Independent US Cities with Surprising Populations

San Angelo, TX

Located in the middle of Texas (almost smack dab in the middle between El Paso and Dallas), this small city features a sizable population that may surprise you. It features its own symphony that draws 20k people to its July 4th performance; the National Ceramic Competition; and a river walk along the Concho River.

Population: 118,182
Colleges: Angelo State University
Largest Non-Education-Based Employer: Goodfellow Airforce Base
Tidbit: #4 on Forbes magazine's "Best Small Cities for Jobs" list





Rockford, IL

Rockford is close to Chicago but not considered part of its metropolitan area. It features a number of cultural venues and historically was known for its output of heavy machinery. Unfortunately, Rockford has experienced serious hardships over the years and Forbes ranked it #3 on the Most Miserable Cities list.

Population: 153,379
Colleges: Rockford University and Rock Valley College (community college)
Largest NEB Employer: Chrysler
Tidbit: The band Cheap Trick is from Rockford





Augusta, GA

Now, we all know that Augusta is home to The Masters and many of our TD posters are from the South. Perhaps some of you are unaware that Augusta is nearly the same population as Birmingham proper and larger than Salt Lake City, Utah. Outside of its renowned golf tournament, Augusta is known for its large historic district that dates back to the Civil War Era. It also features a beautiful river walk along the Savannah River.

Population: 197,082
Colleges: Augusta University and Paine College
Largest NEB Employer: Fort Gordon (soon to be the cybersecurity capital of the US)
Tidbit: Hulk Hogan was born in Augusta.





Toledo, OH

Holy Toledo! Of course you're aware of Toledo, but did you realize just how large it is? Once a key train stop between NYC and Chicago, Toledo has grown to be the 71st largest city in the country. It is larger than Birmingham, AL and Baton Rouge, LA. While lacking professional sports teams, Toledo is known for...not much.

Population: 287,208
Colleges: University of Toledo, Davis College, and Owen Community College
Largest NEB Employer: Promedica Health Systems
Tidbit: Known for its glass manufacturing





Omaha, NE

Omaha is larger than Birmingham and Baton Rouge combined. It's also larger than New Orleans, Cleveland, Tampa, St Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. While most may know it for the college world series, many may not know that it's the 44th largest city and home to a diverse array of important inventions including Raisin Bran, the ski lift, the Top 40 radio format, and the TV dinner.

Population: 446,970
Colleges: University of Nebraska Omaha, Creighton University, Bellevue University, and others
Largest NEB Employer: Offutt Airforce Base
Tidbit: Home to the largest singly funded mural in the nation, "Fertile Ground", by Meg Saligman.