In 2023, the metropolitan area of New York-Newark-Jersey City had the biggest population in the United States. Based on annual estimates from the census, the metropolitan area had around 19.5 million inhabitants, which was a slight decrease from the previous year. The Los Angeles and Chicago metro areas rounded out the top three. What is a metropolitan statistical area? In general, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a core urbanized area with a population of at least 50,000 inhabitants – the smallest MSA is Carson City, with an estimated population of nearly 56,000. The urban area is made bigger by adjacent communities that are socially and economically linked to the center. MSAs are particularly helpful in tracking demographic change over time in large communities and allow officials to see where the largest pockets of inhabitants are in the country. How many MSAs are in the United States? There were 421 metropolitan statistical areas across the U.S. as of July 2021. The largest city in each MSA is designated the principal city and will be the first name in the title. An additional two cities can be added to the title, and these will be listed in population order based on the most recent census. So, in the example of New York-Newark-Jersey City, New York has the highest population, while Jersey City has the lowest. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts an official population count every ten years, and the new count is expected to be announced by the end of 2030.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in St Louis, MO-IL (MSA) (STLPOP) from 1970 to 2024 about St. Louis, IL, MO, residents, population, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in San Diego-Carlsbad, CA (MSA) (SDIPOP) from 2000 to 2023 about San Diego, residents, CA, population, and USA.

Metropolitan DivisionsThis feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data from the U.S. Census Bureau (USCB), displays Metropolitan Divisions within the United States. According to the USCB, "Metropolitan Divisions subdivide a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) containing a single core urban area that has a population of at least 2.5 million to form smaller groupings of counties or equivalent entities. Not all MSAs with urban areas of this size will contain Metropolitan Divisions. Not all MSAs with urban areas of this size will contain Metropolitan Divisions. Metropolitan Division are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and consist of one or more main counties or equivalent entities that represent an employment center or centers, plus adjacent counties associated with the main county or counties through commuting ties."Data currency: This cached Esri federal service is checked weekly for updates from its enterprise federal source (Metropolitan Divisions) and will support mapping, analysis, data exports and OGC API – Feature access.Data.gov: TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2019, nation, U.S., Current Metropolitan Division NationalGeoplatform: TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2019, nation, U.S., Current Metropolitan Division NationalFor more information, please visit: Geographic LevelsFor feedback please contact: Esri_US_Federal_Data@esri.comNGDA Data SetThis data set is part of the NGDA Governmental Units, and Administrative and Statistical Boundaries Theme Community. Per the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC), this theme is defined as the "boundaries that delineate geographic areas for uses such as governance and the general provision of services (e.g., states, American Indian reservations, counties, cities, towns, etc.), administration and/or for a specific purpose (e.g., congressional districts, school districts, fire districts, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, etc.), and/or provision of statistical data (census tracts, census blocks, metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, etc.). Boundaries for these various types of geographic areas are either defined through a documented legal description or through criteria and guidelines. Other boundaries may include international limits, those of federal land ownership, the extent of administrative regions for various federal agencies, as well as the jurisdictional offshore limits of U.S. sovereignty. Boundaries associated solely with natural resources and/or cultural entities are excluded from this theme and are included in the appropriate subject themes."For other NGDA Content: Esri Federal Datasets

In 2021, the population of the New Orleans-Metairie metropolitan area in the United States was about 1.26 million people. This is consistent with the previous year, when the population was around 1.27 million.

In 2023, the population of the Cincinnati metropolitan area in the United States was about 2.27 million people. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when the population was about 2.26 million people.

In 2023, the population of the Los-Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area in the United States was about 12.8 million people. This is a slight decrease from the 12.87 million people who lived there the previous year.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (MSA) (LNAPOP) from 2010 to 2024 about Los Angeles, residents, CA, population, and USA.

In 2021, the population of the Memphis metropolitan area in the United States was about 1.34 million people. This is consistent with the previous year, when the population was also about 1.34 million people.

In 2023, the population of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach in the U.S. was about 6.18 million people. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when the population was about 6.14 million people.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (MSA) (DWLPOP) from 2000 to 2023 about Detroit, MI, residents, population, and USA.

In 2023, the population of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area in the United States was about 1.27 million people. This represented a slight increase when compared to the previous year.

In 2023, the population of the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metropolitan area in the United States was about 4.57 million people. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when the population was about 4.58 million people.

In 2022, the population of the Columbus metropolitan area in Ohio was about 2.18 million people. This was a small increase from the previous year, when the population was 2.16 million people.

In 2023, the population of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolitan area was about 6.3 million people. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when the population was about 6.26 million people.

In 2023, the population of the St. Louis metropolitan area in the United States was about 2.79 million people. This is a slight decrease in comparison to the previous year, when the population was 2.8 million people.

In 2022, the population of the Cleveland-Elyria metropolitan area in the United States was about 2.06 million people. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when the population was about 2.07 million people.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in Springfield, MO (MSA) (SPIPOP) from 1970 to 2024 about Springfield, MO, residents, population, and USA.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Washington DC metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Graph and download economic data for Resident Population in Tyler, TX (MSA) (TYLPOP) from 2000 to 2024 about Tyler, residents, TX, population, and USA.