RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 500 SHOWN OF 918
Largest by population, US metro areas · 2000
The most populous US metro areas as of the 2000 population estimates. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads at 18,276,700. 918 metro areas qualify in total. California carries 4 of the top 25 entries.
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RANKPLACESTATETOTAL POPULATIONVS 1990
USUnited States281,421,906–
UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS
Frequently asked
Which metro area has the highest total population?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ranks #1 with 18,276,700 (2000 Decennial Census).
What are the top 5 metro areas by total population?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX.
How many metro areas are in this ranking?
918 metro areas qualify after filtering for population minimums and data availability. The ranking covers 2000 Decennial Census data.
How is total population measured?
Total resident population. Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census.