Raleigh Population Discrepancies (Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill: chapel, design, estimated)

[RayJ_011]

I have been trying to get the general population of certain areas around N. Carolina. I'm getting all kinds of numbers and its confusing the heck out of me! For example:

Raleigh Metro: 1.6 Million
Durham: 270,000
Cary: 125,000

I really need specific information on the population. Does anyone really think that Raleigh has 1.6 million people? This seems hard to beleive. I wonder if that includes Chapel Hill, Durham, Cary, etc.? Any help would be appreciated.

[betty78]

That number must include some large area.. side towns etc.

The population of the city of Raleigh is around 380,000 (see wikipedia).

[moedog2]

What is referred to as the "Raleigh-Durham Metro Area" has about 1.5 million people. It includes Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, Chatham, and I think, Franklin Counties. This is a standard statistical measure developed and designated by the federal government which allows the area to be compared with other metro areas around the country.

[mfrank2109]

The government has revised the Raleigh and Durham Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Raleigh and Durham were once combined but have now been split. There is the Raleigh-Cary MSA and the Durham-Chapel Hill MSA. For 2007, Raleigh-Cary is estimated to have a population of 1,047,629 and Durham-Chapel Hill 479,624. According to the Census Bureau, the 2007 estimated population for the city of Raleigh (i.e. just Raleigh) is 375,806 making it the 48th most populous city in the nation.