Please follow this link for the latest and most up-to-date Metropolitan Area population estimates.

Metropolitan Areas Population Estimates

Late last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released their biennial population estimates for July 1, 1998 for the metropolitan areas in the United States. The data shows that metropolitan area growth is still very high, especially in the Sun Belt of the western and southern portions of the country. All of the 10 fastest-growing metropolitan areas between 1990 and 1998 were located in the West or in the South.

The big news is that the Las Vegas, Nevada-Arizona metropolitan area grew 55%, from a mere 852,646 people in 1990 to 1,321,546 in 1998 and from a rank in the mid-50s in 1990 to the 33rd largest metro area in 1998! The Los Angeles metro area had the largest numerical gain in population - 231,659 moved into the huge five-county metropolitan region. The 10 largest metropolitan areas in 1998 contained 31.5% of the country's population.

From 1990 to 1998, six new metropolitan areas crossed the 1 million mark. One of these, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Florida, grew to over one million in the two years from 1996 to 1998.

While the U.S. population as a whole grew by 8.7 percent between 1990 and 1998, the metropolitan area population increased by 9.1 percent. The non-metropolitan area population grew by 7.0 percent during the same period.

Some metropolitan areas are losing population - Utica-Rome, New York lost over 21,000 people from 1990 to 1998 and dropped in size 6.9 percent. Other cities in the northeast continue to decline - Buffalo, New York had the largest numerical drop in the year 1997 to 1998, a net of 10,608 people left the area.

Here's a short definition from the Census Bureau of Metropolitan Areas and related abbreviations you'll see in the linked tables...

The general concept of an Metropolitan Areas is that of a core area containing a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core.

MAs include metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), consolidated metropolitan statistical areas (CMSAs), and primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs). An area that qualifies as an MSA and has a population of one million or more may be recognized as a CMSA if separate component areas that demonstrate strong internal, social, and economic ties can be identified within the entire area and local opinion supports the component areas. Component areas, if recognized, are designated PMSAs. If no PMSAs are designated within the area, then the area remains an MSA.

Counties are the components of MAs, except in the New England states, where the components of MAs are cities and towns.

• The 48 Metropolitan Areas With a Population Above One Million, Alphabetical
  
• The 48 Metropolitan Areas With a Population Above One Million, Ranked
  
• 10 Fastest-Growing Metropolitan Areas 1990-1998, by Rate of Growth
  
• Five Fastest-Growing Metropolitan Areas 1997-1998, by Rate of Growth
  
• Four Fastest-Decreasing Metropolitan Areas 1990-1998, by Rate of Decrease

• For detailed lists of all metropolitan areas and their component populations for 1998, visit the Census Bureau's Metropolitan Area Population Estimates site.
• Visit my Largest Cities collection of links for related data about cities.
• Vist my Census, Population, & Demographics collection of links for a plethora of online resources.

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