# In San Jose "Size Does Matter" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623 "2009-05-25T23:32:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/1 "2009-05-25T23:32:22Z")
I just saw an article that indicates San Jose, according to the California Department of Finance, has passed the one million mark in population. According to the [MecuryNews](http://www.mercurynews.com/census-and-demographics/ci_12267294) > [@](#): > > San Jose has hit another major population milestone — becoming the first West Coast city north of Los Angeles to notch its 1 millionth resident. > > Actually, it’s 1,006,892 residents, according to figures released Thursday by the California Department of Finance that had city leaders pleased. > > Size does matter," said a proud Mayor Chuck Reed. I think considering in 1950 San Jose had only 95,000 people it’s pretty cool. What do San Joseans (San Joseans???) think? Do they feel like a “red haired step brother” to San Francisco still San Jose becomes the 11th city (by city limit populaton, NOT metro area population) to pass the one million mark. Today the USA had 10 cities with over a million people in their city limits. (Detroit had a million but now has about 890.000 people) The real question is, now that San Jose has grown so big, would Dionne Warwick still want to go back there? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/2 "2009-05-25T23:50:22Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > What do San Joseans (San Joseans???) think? Do they feel like a “red haired step brother” to San Francisco still I don’t think so. SF has about 800K, and has for years. SF proper isn’t that big and they can’t really fit that many more full-time residents. Commuters boost the daily population up over a million though. I can’t remember by how much. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/3 "2009-05-26T04:08:41Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I don’t think so. SF has about 800K, and has for years. SF proper isn’t that big and they can’t really fit that many more full-time residents. > > Commuters boost the daily population up over a million though. I can’t remember by how much. I wouldn’t be surprised if a continuous, albeit dynamic and shifting, tourist population put them over 1,000,000 on a daily basis, regardless of the commuters. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/4 "2009-05-26T06:22:35Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I don’t think so. SF has about 800K, and has for years. SF proper isn’t that big and they can’t really fit that many more full-time residents. Right. San Francisco’s population density (people per square mile) is over three times as great as San Jose’s, and is beaten only by New York. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/5 "2009-05-26T06:57:10Z")
Hosers if ragging on your friends. Denizens of San Jose if in politer company. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-san-jose-size-does-matter/497623/6 "2009-05-27T02:15:05Z")
I’ve lived in the San Jose area for 35 of the last 40 years. My dad got a job with IBM in 1968, and our new tract home was surrounded by acres and acres of orchards. I believe there may be a just a few acres of orchards left today. SJ today ain’t the San Jose that Dionne was singing about. San Jose is a wanna-be big city. The elected leaders spend money on things like a $382 million City Hall and the money-pit Grand Prix while the roads gather more potholes and citizen’s groups have to volunteer to keep up parks. (Although I must admit that the HP Pavilion is one of the most successful venues of it’s type in the US.) Graffiti and gang activity has increased significantly over the last decade. There is a population of itinerant adults who live along the creeks and highway right-of-ways. I suppose that’s not unique to San Jose, but it wasn’t that way when I lived here in the 70s and 80s. Now I live on the edge of fairly-affluent Willow Glen, and there are places within a few blocks that I wouldn’t walk at night. If you want to get a taste of the current political discourse here, you could start by checking out the blog at [San Jose Inside](http://www.sanjoseinside.com/).