What Is a Metro Area?
As defined by the federal government, a metropolitan area is a dense cluster of 50,000 or more people, together with the surrounding jurisdictions from which it draws the bulk of its workers. America's 363 metropolitan areas encompass large cities, old and new suburbs, and even exurban and rural areas that, by virtue of their interwoven labor and housing markets, share common economic destinies.
We Are Metropolitan
More than four out of every five Americans live in metropolitan areas. Hear from some of these people and from the founders of the Blueprint for American Prosperity initiative.
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MetroNation: How U.S. Metropolitan Areas Fuel American Prosperity
Despite facing new and unprecedented challenges—economic, environmental, and demographic—America stands in a position of great strength. To achieve economic prosperity that is broadly shared and environmentally sustainable, our nation must leverage the key assets—innovation, human capital, infrastructure, and quality places—that principally concentrate in our major metropolitan areas.
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Percentage of National Activity in Metro Areas
America's metropolitan areas aggregate its key drivers of prosperity. Learn what percent of the nation's jobs, innovative activity, educated workers, and critical infrastructure were based in the 100 largest metro areas in 2005.
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Additional Resources
Unleashing the Potential of Metropolitan America
Read Bruce Katz's "Unleashing the Potential of Metropolitan America" on the web site of Next Street, a Metropolitan Leadership Council member.
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Rural-Urban Interdependence: Why Metropolitan and Rural America Need Each Other
Brian Dabson, President and CEO, Rural Research and Policy Institute. There is a high degree of connectedness and interdependence between metropolitan and rural America. If metropolitan America is to drive national prosperity, metropolitan areas will need a healthy and sustainable rural economy and culture.
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To find more trends for the 100 largest cities and metro areas, please check out Census Plus.