Tag Archives: Metro area population

2015 Metro Area Population Estimates and Peer Comparison

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As promised, here are the 2015 metro area population estimates for Columbus and its regional and national peers.

2015 Metro Population Estimates
Chicago, IL: 9,551,031
Detroit, MI: 4,302,043
Minneapolis, MN: 3,524,583
St. Louis, MO: 2,811,588
Charlotte, NC: 2,426,363
Portland, OR: 2,389,228
Orlando, FL: 2,387,138
San Antonio, TX: 2,384,075
Pittsburgh, PA: 2,353,045
Sacramento, CA: 2,274,194
Cincinnati: 2,157,719
Las Vegas, NV: 2,114,801
Kansas City, MO: 2,087,471
Cleveland: 2,060,810
Columbus: 2,021,632
Austin, TX: 2,000,860
Indianapolis: 1,988,817
San Jose, CA: 1,976,836
Nashville, TN: 1,830,345
Virginia Beach, VA: 1,724,876
Providence, RI: 1,613,070
Milwaukee, WI: 1,575,747
Grand Rapids, MI: 1,038,583
Omaha, NE: 915,312
Dayton: 800,909
Akron: 704,243
Toledo: 605,956
Youngstown: 549,885
2015 metro area population estimates

Components of Metro Area Population Change



As you can see, while Columbus has a middle of the road birth rate for its peers, its relatively low death rate means that it manages to be near the top of the its peer group in natural growth.




It seems that while international migration is competitive with peers in the Columbus metro, domestic migration would need to improve to truly be at the upper peer level. At the very least, it is positive.

For more local and national population and demographic data, visit:
Demographics and Population
US Census




Peer and Columbus Metro Diversity Trends

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In a related post to the recent metro population comparison of Columbus to its peer 1.5-2.5 million group, I wanted to see where the metros stood as far as their current racial makeup as well as where they are trending. So here are the current Columbus metro diversity trends, along with 17 other peer metros, according to the US Census.

First, let’s take a look at the breakdown of race by metro in 2012, the last year that data is available.

Metro diversity trends
Columbus had the 5th highest % of its metro population as White, non-Hispanic.

Columbus came in at #8 for the % of its metro population being Black, non Hispanic.

Columbus ranks 9th for its % of metro population that is Asian, non-Hispanic.

Columbus ranked poorly in this group, coming in at 15th of 18.

Finally, Columbus ranked 7th in the population of Other, non-Hispanic as a % of the total metro population.

So currently, what is the overall diversity ranking of the 18 metros? To find out, I used a simple formula: Each metro would be assigned points (1-18) based on the ranking position in each racial group. Here are the final rankings.

Overall, Columbus comes in as the 8th most-diverse metro in its 18-peer group. So a bit better than average and perhaps a bit surprising to some.

But what about where this diversity is trending? To find out, I looked at 2005 and 2012 and calculated how each racial group had changed over the period.

Columbus did relatively well with Non-Hispanic Whites, growing at the 5th best pace.
Metro diversity trends non-Hispanic Black
The Columbus metro came in the top 10, at #7, for Non-Hispanic Black population growth.

The metro didn’t fare as well on growth in the Asian population, coming in at 10th.

Columbus came in at #6 for this group.

So using the same point system from above, what were the fastest diversifying metros as of 2012?

The Columbus metro was the 5th fastest diversifying metro in its peer group in 2012.

Overall, Columbus ranks higher than and much higher than average in both current racial diversity and the rate of racial diversity growth, respectively. The Columbus vs. Other Cities page examines many types of similar population and demographic comparisons.