what is the purpose of a Metro area? (live in, legally)

[missymomof3]

Call me ignorant but I don't understand city proper vs. metro area. Can someone KINDLY fill me in please?

[anonymous]

A city is everything within the legally defined "city limits" of a city, nothing more.

A metro area is that legally defined city, plus surrounding communities where people are commuting in high enough numbers. I live in the city of Wilmington, NC, and the Wilmington Metropolitan Area actually includes the cities of Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Leland, etc., and various unincorporated areas of the county, because so much of their populations commute into Wilmington for work.

The U.S. Census determines what smaller cities are included in a major city's metropolitan area. It is determined by what % of a city's population commutes to another city for work.

[SEAandATL]

The metro area is more important because that it is what defines the entire city, the total area (the "big picture"). The city limits is "limiting".

[BSL63087]

Louisville metro area consists of Louisville and all surrounding areas including New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville, etc. on the Indiana side and places like St. Matthews, PRP, J-Town, etc...

Louisville city proper would be just Louisville itself and not including any of the aformentioned suburbs.

Hope that helps.

[SpeedyAZ]

The metro area is more important because that it is what defines the entire city, the total area (the "big picture"). The city limits is "limiting".

Exactly when people move they look at the BIG picture, not the small picture. For example look at Dallas. The city proper of Dallas is 1.3 million while the metro population is 6.2 million. See the difference?

[BobbyDigital85]

City borders are pretty arbitrary and are pretty useless for statistical purposes.

The Metro area gives the full spectrum of the city.

Example: which city is bigger, Boston or Jacksonville?
Techincally Jacksonville is, by about 200 thousand!

Jacksonville area: 885 square miles
Jacksonville population: 794,555
metro population: 1.3 million

Boston area: 89.6 square miles
Boston population: 590,763
metro population:4.45 million

in reality Boston is far bigger and far more urban with a pop density of 12,327/sq mile while Jacksonville is only 1,048.7/sq mile

[missymomof3]

oh. I guess I just didn't understand because I just simply don't really RELATE to the surrounding areas. Thanks all for the explanation.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

Exactly when people move they look at the BIG picture, not the small picture. For example look at Dallas. The city proper of Dallas is 1.3 million while the metro population is 6.2 million. See the difference?

Yes, but those 4.9 million are there because of the city proper, regardless of its relative size.

[BobbyDigital85]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Yes, but those 4.9 million are there because of the city proper, regardless of its relative size.

obviously... whats your point?

knowing that Dallas has metro pop of 6.2 million tells me alot more than knowing its city pop. of 1.3 million.

The city borders could be the size of Kansas or they 50 square miles like Boston, its completely arbitrary.


Also there are parts right outside of a city that are still urban and are still very much part of the city, it just so happens they lay outside the borders. (ie Yonkers, NY right outside the Bronx)

Metro areas take in the full scope of the city by including all the surrounding areas that are dependent on the city and therefore its more accurate.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by SEAandATL

The metro area is more important because that it is what defines the entire city, the total area (the "big picture"). The city limits is "limiting".

Beautiful definition.