The Shreveport Paradox: Shreveport Is Bigger Than Half The Capital Cities In The US

Here in Shreveport, we sometimes get a reputation for being a "small city," especially from folks in Dallas or Houston. But that's a perspective problem. The reality is, our city is a major player when you look at the national map, and that size comes with some very real, very big-city problems.

It all starts with a simple fact: Shreveport is larger than you think... a lot larger.

Shreveport Is Bigger Than You Think

We're not just talking about population, though we'll get to that. Let's talk about physical size. The city of Shreveport covers over 123 square miles, with more than 107 square miles of that being land.

To put that in perspective, Shreveport's footprint is geographically larger than major cities like Boston (48.4 sq mi), Miami (36 sq mi), Pittsburgh (55.6 sq mi), and Seattle (83.9 sq mi).

Think about that for a second. We have more miles of road, more pipes in the ground, and more streetlights to maintain than all of those places. But we have to do it with a fraction of the tax base they enjoy. That's the core of the problem right there for Shreveport's economic issues

Shreveport is Bigger Than These State Capitals

We already covered that Shreveport is physically bigger than Boston, which is the capital city of Massachusetts. But that's not the only state capital Shreveport could swallow.

With a size of 123 square miles, Shreveport is physically larger than over half of the state capitals in the US. There are 38 state capitals that are smaller than Shreveport,. Those cities are...

Annapolis, Maryland
Trenton, New Jersey
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Montpelier, Vermont
Pierre, South Dakota
Helena, Montana
Frankfort, Kentucky
Hartford, Connecticut
Providence, Rhode Island
Dover, Delaware
Albany, New York
Jefferson City, Missouri
Bismarck, North Dakota
Lansing, Michigan
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Salem, Oregon
St. Paul, Minnesota
Springfield, Illinois
Augusta, Maine
Topeka, Kansas
Boise, Idaho
Concord, New Hampshire
Honolulu, Hawaii
Lincoln, Nebraska
Des Moines, Iowa
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Boston, Massachusetts
Tallahassee, Florida
Sacramento, California
Jackson, Mississippi
Salt Lake City, Utah
Raleigh, North Carolina
Little Rock, Arkansas
Olympia, Washington
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Columbia, South Carolina
Charleston, West Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

Over time, it seems like these cities all grew UP, while Shreveport grew OUT.

Shreveport's Population Is Bigger Than State Capitals

This is where it gets really interesting. This isn't a knock on our size, but we're spread thin. According to recent estimates, Shreveport's population is sitting around 176,500 people.

READ MORE: How Much You Need to Make Per Hour to Survive in Shreveport

In fact, the city of Shreveport has a larger population than almost half of all the state capitals in the United States.

The city is bigger than capitals like Hartford, Connecticut (around 120k) and Springfield, Illinois (around 113k). Shreveport's not a "small town" by any stretch...it's actually a significant American city. Here are the capital cities with smaller populations than Shreveport:

Albany, NY (approx. 101,317)
Annapolis, MD (approx. 40,812)
Augusta, ME (approx. 18,999)
Bismarck, ND (approx. 73,622)
Carson City, NV (approx. 58,639)
Charleston, WV (approx. 48,864)
Cheyenne, WY (approx. 65,132)
Columbia, SC (approx. 136,632)
Concord, NH (approx. 43,976)
Dover, DE (approx. 39,403)
Frankfort, KY (approx. 28,452)
Harrisburg, PA (approx. 50,099)
Hartford, CT (approx. 122,129)
Helena, MT (approx. 32,091)
Jackson, MS (approx. 143,633)
Jefferson City, MO (approx. 43,228)
Juneau, AK (approx. 32,255)
Lansing, MI (approx. 111,269)
Montpelier, VT (approx. 8,074)
Olympia, WA (approx. 55,605)
Pierre, SD (approx. 14,091)
Santa Fe, NM (approx. 89,157)
Springfield, IL (approx. 112,949)
Topeka, KS (approx. 126,587)
Trenton, NJ (approx. 90,871)

The Problem: Big City Size, Smaller City Budget

Here's the catch. Shreveport has the infrastructure needs of a physically massive city, but there's only about 176,000 people who live and work in the city. The amount of roads and sewer systems is for a footprint of a city that should have a much higher population.

READ MORE: A.I. To Replaces 200,000 Louisiana Jobs

Shreveport's budget is one of a city with about 176,000 people, but landmass larger than Boston or Miami.

However, unlike Boston or Miami, Shreveport doesn't have millions of residents or massive corporate tax bases to pay for the upkeep on all 120+ square miles of city. It's a tough spot to be in, and it's something a fiscal analysis of the city has pointed out directly. We have far too many people to just let the infrastructure go, but we're spread so thin that finding the money to fix it all is a constant battle.