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This Giant Map Shows All the Metropolitan Areas in the U.S.

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This Giant Map Shows All the Metropolitan Areas in the U.S.

The United States is the third most populous country in the world, made up of close to 20,000 cities and towns, and 333 million individuals.

Dividing these population clusters into a coherent framework of statistical areas is no small feat, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest map shows just how complex of a task it is.

This enormous map—which covers the entire country, including Puerto Rico—includes 392 metropolitan statistical areas and 547 micropolitan statistical areas.

For reference, here are all the current metropolitan statistical areas in the United States, organized by population:

RankMetropolitan statistical areaPopulation (2020)Change since 2010
1New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA MSA20,140,4706.58%
2Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA13,200,9982.90%
3Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI MSA9,618,5021.66%
4Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA7,637,38719.96%
5Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX MSA7,122,24020.30%
6Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA6,385,16213.02%
7Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA6,245,0514.69%
8Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL MSA6,138,33310.31%
9Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA MSA6,089,81515.19%
10Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA4,941,6328.55%
11Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA4,845,83215.57%
12San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA MSA4,749,0089.54%
13Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA4,599,8398.88%
14Detroit–Warren–Dearborn, MI MSA4,392,0412.23%
15Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA4,018,76216.83%
16Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI MSA3,690,26110.26%
17San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA3,298,6346.57%
18Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA3,175,27514.09%
19Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA2,963,82116.53%
20Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA2,844,5104.94%
21St. Louis, MO-IL MSA2,820,2531.17%
22Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA2,673,37625.25%
23Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA2,660,32918.56%
24San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA2,558,14319.40%
25Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MSA2,512,85912.89%
26Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA MSA2,397,38211.55%
27Pittsburgh, PA MSA2,370,9300.62%
28Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX MSA2,283,37133.04%
29Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA2,265,46116.10%
30Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN MSA2,256,8845.58%
31Kansas City, MO-KS MSA2,192,0359.09%
32Columbus, OH MSA2,138,92612.46%
33Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN MSA2,111,04011.82%
34Cleveland-Elyria, OH MSA2,088,2510.53%
35San Juan-Bayamón-Caguas, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area2,002,906-14.77%
36San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA MSA2,000,4688.90%
37Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA1,989,51920.86%
38Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA1,799,6745.00%
39Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA1,676,5794.73%
40Jacksonville, FL MSA1,605,84819.34%
41Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA1,574,7311.21%
42Oklahoma City, OK MSA1,425,69513.78%
43Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA1,413,98225.08%
44Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA1,337,7791.65%
45Richmond, VA MSA1,314,43410.78%
46Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA1,285,4396.88%
47New Orleans-Metairie, LA MSA1,271,8456.89%
48Salt Lake City, UT MSA1,257,93615.63%
49Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT MSA1,213,5310.09%
50Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY MSA1,166,9022.76%
51Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA1,115,2895.11%
52Rochester, NY MSA1,090,1350.97%
53Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI MSA1,087,5929.45%
54Tucson, AZ MSA1,043,4336.44%
55Urban Honolulu, HI MSA1,016,5086.64%
56Tulsa, OK MSA1,015,3318.30%
57Fresno, CA MSA1,008,6548.40%
58Worcester, MA-CT MSA978,5296.71%
59Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA MSA967,60411.82%
60Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT MSA957,4194.43%
61Greenville-Anderson, SC MSA928,19512.63%
62Albuquerque, NM MSA916,5283.32%
63Bakersfield, CA MSA909,2358.29%
64Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA899,2623.28%
65Knoxville, TN MSA879,7737.96%
66McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA870,78112.39%
67Baton Rouge, LA MSA870,5695.41%
68El Paso, TX MSA868,8598.05%
69New Haven-Milford, CT MSA864,8350.27%
70Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MSA861,8894.96%
71Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA MSA843,8432.49%
72North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL MSA833,71618.72%
73Columbia, SC MSA829,4708.06%
74Dayton-Kettering, OH MSA814,0491.85%
75Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA799,63620.32%
76Stockton, CA MSA779,23313.71%
77Greensboro-High Point, NC MSA776,5667.29%
78Boise City, ID MSA764,71824.03%
79Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA760,82222.96%
80Colorado Springs, CO MSA755,10516.96%
81Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA748,0316.90%
82Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA725,04620.42%
83Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA MSA709,46616.98%
84Akron, OH MSA702,219-0.14%
85Springfield, MA MSA699,1620.90%
86Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY MSA697,2214.02%
87Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA694,86316.36%
88Madison, WI MSA680,79612.45%
89Winston-Salem, NC MSA675,9665.52%
90Provo-Orem, UT MSA671,18527.41%
91Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL MSA668,92113.32%
92Syracuse, NY MSA662,057-0.08%
93Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA649,90315.18%
94Wichita, KS MSA647,6103.94%
95Toledo, OH MSA646,604-0.74%
96Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC MSA611,0008.17%
97Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA606,61211.64%
98Jackson, MS MSA591,9780.97%
99Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA591,7127.69%
100Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA MSA585,78413.80%
101Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA567,5590.70%
102Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA562,6476.53%
103Lancaster, PA MSA552,9846.46%
104Modesto, CA MSA552,8787.47%
105Portland-South Portland, ME MSA551,7407.32%
106Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR MSA546,72524.22%
107Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA541,2971.24%
108Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA MSA541,243-4.34%
109Fayetteville, NC MSA520,3788.17%
110Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA516,8119.47%
111Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL MSA509,90513.57%
112Huntsville, AL MSA491,72317.75%
113Reno, NV MSA490,59615.32%
114Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA488,8631.03%
115Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC MSA487,72229.46%
116Port St. Lucie, FL MSA487,65714.98%
117Lafayette, LA MSA478,3842.49%
118Springfield, MO MSA475,4328.87%
119Killeen-Temple, TX MSA475,36717.29%
120Visalia, CA MSA473,1177.00%
121Asheville, NC MSA469,01510.39%
122York-Hanover, PA MSA456,4384.94%
123Vallejo, CA MSA453,4919.71%
124Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA MSA448,2295.74%
125Salinas, CA MSA439,0355.78%
126Salem, OR MSA433,35310.91%
127Mobile, AL MSA430,197-0.09%
128Reading, PA MSA428,8494.23%
129Manchester-Nashua, NH MSA422,9375.54%
130Corpus Christi, TX MSA421,9334.17%
131Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA421,0173.64%
132Fort Wayne, IN MSA419,6017.97%
133Salisbury, MD-DE MSA418,04611.84%
134Gulfport-Biloxi, MS MSA416,2597.15%
135Flint, MI MSA406,211-4.60%
136Savannah, GA MSA404,79816.45%
137Peoria, IL MSA402,391-3.33%
138Canton-Massillon, OH MSA401,574-0.70%
139Anchorage, AK MSA398,3284.60%
140Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA397,5652.27%
141Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA393,406-1.30%
142Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA387,3405.68%
143Montgomery, AL MSA386,0473.07%
144Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA384,3241.22%
145Tallahassee, FL MSA384,2984.60%
146Eugene-Springfield, OR MSA382,9718.89%
147Ocala, FL MSA375,90813.47%
148Naples-Marco Island, FL MSA375,75216.87%
149Ann Arbor, MI MSA372,2587.97%
150Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA365,276-0.06%
151Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA359,862-2.98%
152Fort Collins, CO MSA359,06619.84%
153Lincoln, NE MSA340,21712.60%
154Gainesville, FL MSA339,24711.20%
155Rockford, IL MSA338,798-3.04%
156Boulder, CO MSA330,75812.29%
157Greeley, CO MSA328,98130.12%
158Columbus, GA-AL MSA328,8836.85%
159Green Bay, WI MSA328,2687.19%
160Spartanburg, SC MSA327,99715.37%
161South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI MSA324,5011.65%
162Lubbock, TX MSA321,36810.51%
163Clarksville, TN-KY MSA320,53517.01%
164Roanoke, VA MSA315,2512.12%
165Evansville, IN-KY MSA314,0490.80%
166Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA307,614-0.62%
167Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA303,62219.85%
168Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA294,79316.86%
169Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA293,8449.18%
170Utica-Rome, NY MSA292,264-2.38%
171Duluth, MN-WI MSA291,6380.34%
172Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL MSA286,97321.67%
173Longview, TX MSA286,1842.21%
174Aguadilla-Isabela, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area286,064-15.72%
175Wilmington, NC MSA285,90512.17%
176San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA282,4244.74%
177Merced, CA MSA281,2029.93%
178Waco, TX MSA277,5479.80%
179Sioux Falls, SD MSA276,73021.23%
180Cedar Rapids, IA MSA276,5207.20%
181Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA275,6119.75%
182Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ MSA274,534-0.01%
183Erie, PA MSA270,876-3.45%
184Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA MSA270,8613.23%
185Amarillo, TX MSA268,7616.68%
186Tuscaloosa, AL MSA268,67412.32%
187Norwich-New London, CT MSA268,555-2.01%
188College Station-Bryan, TX MSA268,24817.31%
189Laredo, TX MSA267,1146.72%
190Kalamazoo-Portage, MI MSA261,6704.53%
191Lynchburg, VA MSA261,5933.55%
192Charleston, WV MSA258,859-6.89%
193Yakima, WA MSA256,7285.55%
194Fargo, ND-MN MSA249,84319.67%
195Binghamton, NY MSA247,138-1.82%
196Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA244,310-1.57%
197Appleton, WI MSA243,1477.75%
198Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ MSA236,20911.93%
199Macon-Bibb County, GA MSA233,8020.65%
200Tyler, TX MSA233,47911.33%
201Topeka, KS MSA233,152-0.31%
202Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MSA231,76727.16%
203Barnstable Town, MA MSA228,9966.07%
204Bellingham, WA MSA226,84712.78%
205Rochester, MN MSA226,3299.40%
206Burlington-South Burlington, VT MSA225,5626.77%
207Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN MSA223,7166.38%
208Medford, OR MSA223,2599.87%
209Champaign-Urbana, IL MSA222,5382.17%
210Lake Charles, LA MSA222,40211.42%
211Charlottesville, VA MSA221,5249.91%
212Las Cruces, NM MSA219,5614.94%
213Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC MSA215,90815.45%
214Athens-Clarke County, GA MSA215,41511.88%
215Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ MSA213,2676.53%
216Chico, CA MSA211,632-3.80%
217Ponce, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area211,465-19.48%
218Columbia, MO MSA210,86410.76%
219Springfield, IL MSA208,640-0.73%
220Johnson City, TN MSA207,2854.31%
221Houma-Thibodaux, LA MSA207,137-0.50%
222Monroe, LA MSA207,1041.31%
223Elkhart-Goshen, IN MSA207,0474.80%
224Jacksonville, NC MSA204,57615.08%
225Yuma, AZ MSA203,8814.15%
226Gainesville, GA MSA203,13613.05%
227Florence, SC MSA199,964-2.73%
228St. Cloud, MN MSA199,6715.59%
229Bend, OR MSA198,25325.69%
230Racine, WI MSA197,7271.19%
231Warner Robins, GA MSA191,61414.33%
232Saginaw, MI MSA190,124-5.02%
233Punta Gorda, FL MSA186,84716.80%
234Terre Haute, IN MSA185,031-2.49%
235Billings, MT MSA184,16710.17%
236Redding, CA MSA182,1552.78%
237Dover, DE MSA181,85112.04%
238Kingston, NY MSA181,851-0.35%
239Joplin, MO MSA181,4093.36%
240Yuba City, CA MSA181,2088.58%
241Jackson, TN MSA180,5040.45%
242St. George, UT MSA180,27930.53%
243El Centro, CA MSA179,7022.96%
244Bowling Green, KY MSA179,63913.27%
245Abilene, TX MSA176,5796.85%
246Muskegon, MI MSA175,8242.11%
247Iowa City, IA MSA175,41914.96%
248Midland, TX MSA175,22023.68%
249Panama City, FL MSA175,2163.77%
250Auburn-Opelika, AL MSA174,24124.24%
251Arecibo, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area173,218-13.16%
252Hattiesburg, MS MSA172,2316.05%
253Eau Claire, WI MSA172,0076.74%
254Oshkosh-Neenah, WI MSA171,7302.84%
255Burlington, NC MSA171,41513.42%
256Coeur d'Alene, ID MSA171,36223.73%
257Bloomington, IL MSA170,9540.81%
258Greenville, NC MSA170,2431.25%
259Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA MSA168,4610.38%
260East Stroudsburg, PA MSA168,327-0.89%
261Pueblo, CO MSA168,1625.72%
262Wausau-Weston, WI MSA166,4282.22%
263Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA MSA166,3782.10%
264Odessa, TX MSA165,17120.45%
265Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI MSA164,7546.41%
266Janesville-Beloit, WI MSA163,6872.09%
267Bloomington, IN MSA161,0390.93%
268Jackson, MI MSA160,3660.07%
269Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL MSA159,78815.76%
270State College, PA MSA158,1722.72%
271Idaho Falls, ID MSA157,42918.13%
272Decatur, AL MSA156,4941.73%
273Madera, CA MSA156,2553.57%
274Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA MSA155,9324.22%
275Grand Junction, CO MSA155,7036.12%
276Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY MSA155,5724.88%
277Santa Fe, NM MSA154,8237.39%
278Monroe, MI MSA154,8091.83%
279Niles, MI MSA154,316-1.59%
280Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ MSA154,152-1.75%
281Homosassa Springs, FL MSA153,8438.93%
282Hanford-Corcoran, CA MSA152,486-0.32%
283Bangor, ME MSA152,199-1.12%
284Alexandria, LA MSA152,192-1.12%
285Dothan, AL MSA151,0073.69%
286Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA150,7912.48%
287Jefferson City, MO MSA150,3090.34%
288Sioux City, IA-NE-SD MSA149,9404.43%
289Albany, GA MSA148,922-3.21%
290Wichita Falls, TX MSA148,128-2.10%
291Valdosta, GA MSA148,1266.12%
292Texarkana, TX-AR MSA147,519-1.13%
293Logan, UT-ID MSA147,34817.46%
294Flagstaff, AZ MSA145,1017.95%
295Rocky Mount, NC MSA143,870-5.59%
296Lebanon, PA MSA143,2577.25%
297Dalton, GA MSA142,8370.43%
298Morristown, TN MSA142,7094.47%
299Winchester, VA-WV MSA142,63211.02%
300Morgantown, WV MSA140,0387.96%
301La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN MSA139,6274.46%
302Wheeling, WV-OH MSA139,513-5.70%
303Rapid City, SD MSA139,07410.04%
304Napa, CA MSA138,0191.12%
305Sumter, SC MSA136,700-4.02%
306Springfield, OH MSA136,001-1.69%
307Harrisonburg, VA MSA135,5718.26%
308Sherman-Denison, TX MSA135,54312.13%
309Battle Creek, MI MSA134,310-1.35%
310Jonesboro, AR MSA134,19610.88%
311Manhattan, KS MSA134,0465.48%
312Bismarck, ND MSA133,62620.79%
313Johnstown, PA MSA133,472-7.10%
314Carbondale-Marion, IL MSA133,435-4.11%
315Hammond, LA MSA133,1579.96%
316The Villages, FL MSA129,75238.89%
317Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MSA129,52310.80%
318Pittsfield, MA MSA129,026-1.67%
319Albany-Lebanon, OR MSA128,61010.23%
320Glens Falls, NY MSA127,039-1.46%
321Lawton, OK MSA126,652-2.79%
322Cleveland, TN MSA126,1648.96%
323Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ MSA125,447-4.49%
324Staunton, VA MSA125,4335.85%
325Ames, IA MSA125,2528.12%
326Mansfield, OH MSA124,9360.37%
327San Angelo, TX MSA122,8888.78%
328Altoona, PA MSA122,822-3.36%
329New Bern, NC MSA122,168-3.65%
330Wenatchee, WA MSA122,01210.04%
331Farmington, NM MSA121,661-6.45%
332Owensboro, KY MSA121,5595.93%
333St. Joseph, MO-KS MSA121,467-4.60%
334San Germán, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area120,280-12.50%
335Lawrence, KS MSA118,7857.18%
336Sheboygan, WI MSA118,0342.19%
337Missoula, MT MSA117,9227.89%
338Goldsboro, NC MSA117,333-4.31%
339Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH MSA116,903-6.07%
340Watertown-Fort Drum, NY MSA116,7210.42%
341Anniston-Oxford, AL MSA116,441-1.80%
342Beckley, WV MSA115,079-7.86%
343Twin Falls, ID MSA114,28314.74%
344Williamsport, PA MSA114,188-1.66%
345California-Lexington Park, MD MSA113,7778.20%
346Brunswick, GA MSA113,4951.00%
347Michigan City-La Porte, IN MSA112,4170.85%
348Muncie, IN MSA111,903-4.90%
349Lewiston-Auburn, ME MSA111,1393.19%
350Longview, WA MSA110,7308.12%
351Kankakee, IL MSA107,502-5.24%
352Ithaca, NY MSA105,7404.11%
353Grand Forks, ND-MN MSA104,3625.99%
354Fond du Lac, WI MSA104,1542.48%
355Decatur, IL MSA103,998-6.11%
356Bay City, MI MSA103,856-3.63%
357Gettysburg, PA MSA103,8522.41%
358Mankato, MN MSA103,5667.06%
359Gadsden, AL MSA103,436-0.95%
360Lima, OH MSA102,206-3.88%
361Sebring-Avon Park, FL MSA101,2352.48%
362Cheyenne, WY MSA100,5129.56%
363Hot Springs, AR MSA100,1804.33%
364Dubuque, IA MSA99,2665.99%
365Rome, GA MSA98,5842.35%
366Victoria, TX MSA98,3314.60%
367Cape Girardeau, MO-IL MSA97,5171.29%
368Fairbanks, AK MSA95,655-1.97%
369Ocean City, NJ MSA95,263-2.06%
370Corvallis, OR MSA95,18411.22%
371Cumberland, MD-WV MSA95,044-7.99%
372Pocatello, ID MSA94,8964.68%
373Mayagüez, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area93,412-19.62%
374Parkersburg-Vienna, WV MSA89,490-3.43%
375Grants Pass, OR MSA88,0906.50%
376Pine Bluff, AR MSA87,751-12.47%
377Great Falls, MT MSA84,4143.80%
378Elmira, NY MSA84,148-5.27%
379Yauco, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area84,112-21.63%
380Kokomo, IN MSA83,6581.09%
381Midland, MI MSA83,494-0.16%
382Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA MSA82,863-3.15%
383Columbus, IN MSA82,2087.05%
384Hinesville, GA MSA81,4244.50%
385Casper, WY MSA79,9555.97%
386Grand Island, NE MSA77,0385.93%
387Danville, IL MSA74,188-9.11%
388Guayama, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area72,240-14.22%
389Lewiston, ID-WA MSA64,3755.73%
390Enid, OK MSA62,8463.74%
391Walla Walla, WA MSA62,5846.47%
392Carson City, NV MSA58,6396.09%

From Metro to Micro

The wide variety of population patterns around the country can make it tricky to divide regions up into uniform units. There are two main divisions to consider when viewing this map:

  1. Metropolitan Areas (metro areas) have at least one urban core area of at least 50,000 population. These are the largest population centers, sometimes encompassing many counties. In some instances, these metro areas are further subdivided into Metropolitan Divisions.
  2. Micropolitan Areas are the smallest areas measured on this map (indicated by a lighter shade of green). These smaller regions, which are generally located further away from large cities, have at least one urban core area of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 people.

One thing to note about all of these definitions is that the cities in these regions must have significant ties to a neighboring region—usually in the form of commuting ties. This is what warrants binding adjacent counties into a measurable area.

Another unique layer of data on this map is the shading that indicates the actual urbanized area within metro areas. In the example of Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, it’s easy to see how urban sprawl has expanded the urban area into a number of neighboring counties.

With this context in mind, we’ll take a closer look at three points of interest on the map that show this concept at work with varying degrees of complexity.

Level One: The Central City

The Texas Triangle offers what is perhaps the most straightforward example of metro areas.

central texas metro areas

As seen above, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio anchor their respective regions, and surrounding counties are bundled into a metro area. The surrounding counties have all been identified as having ties to the central county, and, in some cases, the urban area has spread into the neighboring county over time.

Level Two: The City Cluster

The region anchored by Salt Lake City requires more thought to divide into statistical areas.

salt lake city metro area

While there are a number of population centers in the area, including Salt Lake City, Provo, and Ogden, they all have enough of an economic “magnetic pull” to warrant splitting the region into distinct statistical areas.

Of course, regions are always evolving, and occasionally these areas are updated. Salt Lake City and Ogden were previously combined into a single metro area, but were separated in 2005.

Level Three: The Megaregion

New York City is the ultimate challenge for planners looking to categorize population centers into a neat and tidy statistical box.

For one, the contiguous urban area is massive, stretching from the west side of Long Island out to the east side of New Jersey. In addition to New York City itself, the metro area includes 19 other municipalities with over 100,000 people.

Next, NYC is an unparalleled economic magnet. Measuring commuting activity is a challenge because a wide variety of people visit the city for so many different reasons. The interconnectedness of the Northeast Megaregion also adds to the complexity.

new york city metro area

New York-Newark-Jersey City is such a big pie to carve up, that four of the country’s 11 metro divisions (as indicated by the italicized text and dotted lines) occur in this one area.

Blurring the Lines

Population patterns are constantly changing across the country, so the next version of this map may have a number of changes on it. Our “straightforward” Texas Triangle example may become tougher to divide up as the population boom continues in the region.

Here’s how the population of U.S. countries changed over the past decade:

population change U.S. 2010-2020

Further complicating matters is the rapid move to remote work and distributed teams. A key element of these census divisions are commuting ties. With work increasingly not bound by geographic limitations, it remains unclear how that trend will impact this type of statistical exercise in the future.

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Mapped: The World’s Minority Indigenous Peoples

This map by shows the population distribution of the roughly 476 million minority Indigenous groups around the world.

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Mapped: The World’s Minority Indigenous Peoples

Humanity has spread to almost every corner of Earth, and while some peoples have continued to move, others have grown roots in one region.

Generally the term indigenous peoples refers to social or cultural groups with strong ancestral ties to their land of origin. Many times these are tied to ethnicity and still live in their land of origin, but some have been displaced, diluted, or become minorities in their lands.

This map by Bhabna Banerjee uses data from the Indigenous World 2022 report to show the population distribution of the roughly 476 million minority Indigenous groups around the world. When 2022 data was unavailable, the latest available data was used.

Methodology: Indigenous vs. Minority Indigenous

Before diving in, it’s important to note that this map looks at minority Indigenous peoples as defined by the United Nations. This refers to groups of people who are not in a dominant position in their respective countries, or have a history of oppression or displacement by settlers.

Because of this, ethnic groups like the Han people in China, the Turks in Turkey, or the Scots in Scotland were not included in the dataset.

On the flip side, groups like Greenland’s Inuit were included, because of their long history of colonial control as well as Danish influence.

Indigenous Minority Populations Worldwide

Of all the countries included in the report, China has the highest number of minority Indigenous, with an estimated population of 125.3 million.

It’s worth noting that the Chinese government does not officially acknowledge the existence of Indigenous peoples. However, they do recognize 55 different ethnic minority groups across the nation, including the Zhuang, Mongolians, and the Hui.

CountryMinority Indigenous PopulationYear of Data
China125,332,3352022
India104,000,0002022
Indonesia60,000,0002022
Pakistan35,000,0002010
Mexico16,933,2832022
Ethiopia16,500,0002022
Myanmmar14,400,0002010
Vietnam14,100,0002022
Algeria12,000,0002022
Nepal10,872,0002022
Morocoo10,000,0002022
Phillippines10,000,0002022
Kenya9,650,0002021
Bolivia7,000,0002013
United States6,600,0002022
Guatemala6,500,0002022
Thailand6,100,0002022
Malaysia4,683,0002022
Peru4,000,0002022
Laos3,500,0002022
Niger2,690,0002022
Namibia2,678,1912022
Chile2,185,7922022
Colombia1,905,6172022
Canada1,673,7852022
Iran1,617,0002021
Bangladesh1,586,1412022
Japan1,400,0002021
Mali1,200,0002016
Uganda1,138,2392022
Ecuador1,100,0002022
Cameroon1,044,3002022
Libya1,000,0002022
Tunisia1,000,0002022
Argentina955,0322022
Brazil896,9002022
Venzuela896,0002022
Australia881,6002022
New Zealand775,5002022
DRC700,0002022
Nicaragua612,0002022
SouthAfrica590,0002022
Taiwan580,7582022
Tanzania524,2462022
Panama417,5592022
Israel300,0002022
Russia260,0002022
Cambodia250,0002022
French Polynesia222,4002022
Paraguay122,4612022
Costa Rica104,1432022
Guyana78,5002022
Burundi78,0712022
Iraq78,0002007
Botswana73,1002022
Greenland56,5232022
Norway50,0002021
Rep. of Congo43,3782022
CAR39,2992022
Jordan27,0002021
Rwanda25,0002022
Angola24,3002022
Suriname20,3442022
Sweden20,0002021
Gabon16,1622020
French Guiana10,0002022
Finland80002021
Zimbabwe45332022
Sri Lanka12292012

After China, India has the second largest Indigenous populations, with over 700 officially recognized ethnic groups. Many of these ethnic minorities are concentrated in the north-eastern region of India, from Rajasthan to West Bengal.

While different countries and territories have varying numbers of Indigenous peoples, one thing remains consistent across the board—on average, the world’s minority Indigenous populations typically face greater economic and social challenges than their non-Indigenous (or non-minority) counterparts.

Disadvantages Faced by Indigenous Peoples

Research by the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) found that, while minority Indigenous peoples make up only 6% of the world’s total population, they account for nearly 20% of the world’s extreme poor.

In addition, Indigenous peoples also have much lower average life expectancies than non-Indigenous people, according to a report by the United Nations.

Some countries and governments around the world are starting to implement laws and policies to support and recognize Indigenous communities, but there’s still work to be done.

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