I'm cross-posting this in the three Expansion forums. Forgive me. This is a list of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. and Canada that contain over one million population according to the 2011 U.S. and Canadian Census data. Additionally, I've added three markets closing in on one million, El Paso (which like other border markets only includes U.S. population), and other cities with professional clubs. Additionally I've noted how long each market has had a team at its current highest level. Hopefully this list is a good reference point when discussing various markets. The U.S. data is for Combined Statistical Areas for markets with multiple Metropolitan Statistical Areas. The deltas are between the 2010 Census data and the 2011 Census estimates. Code: Rk Current Metropolitan Area 2011 Census change 1 D1 1996 New York 22,214,083 0.58% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 2 D1 1996 Los Angeles 18,081,569 1.14% MLB NBA NHL MLS 3 D1 1998 Chicago 9,729,825 0.45% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 4 D1 1996 Washington-Baltimore 8,718,083 1.69% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 5 D1 1996 Boston 7,601,061 0.56% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 6 D1 2008 San Jose (Bay Area) 7,563,460 1.27% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 7 D1 1996 Dallas-Fort Worth 6,887,383 2.32% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 8 D1 2010 Philadelphia 6,562,287 0.44% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 9 D1 2006 Houston 6,191,434 2.31% NFL MLB NBA MLS 10 D2 2011 Atlanta 5,712,148 1.67% NFL MLB NBA 11 D2 2006 Miami-Ft Lauderdale 5,670,125 1.90% NFL MLB NBA NHL 12 D1 2007 Toronto 5,583,064 CFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 13 Detroit (U.S. only) 5,207,434 -0.22% NFL MLB NBA NHL 14 D1 2009 Seattle 4,269,349 1.67% NFL MLB MLS 15 Phoenix 4,262,236 1.65% NFL MLB NBA NHL 16 D1 2012 Montreal 3,824,221 CFL NHL MLS 17 D2 1995 Minneapolis-St. Paul 3,655,558 1.10% NFL MLB NBA NHL 18 D1 1996 Denver 3,157,520 2.16% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 19 San Diego (U.S. only) 3,140,069 1.45% NFL MLB 20 St. Louis 2,882,932 0.16% NFL MLB NHL 21 Cleveland 2,871,084 -0.38% NFL MLB NBA 22 D3 2011 Orlando 2,861,296 1.53% NBA 23 D2 2010 Tampa (Bay Area) 2,824,724 1.49% NFL MLB NHL 24 Sacramento 2,489,230 1.12% NBA 25 D2 2004 San Juan 2,478,905 26 D3 2008 Pittsburgh 2,450,281 0.12% NFL MLB NHL 27 D3 2004 Charlotte 2,442,564 1.66% NFL NBA 28 D1 2011 Vancouver 2,313,328 CFL NHL MLS 29 D1 2011 Portland 2,262,605 1.64% NBA MLS 30 D2 2012 San Antonio 2,194,927 2.45% NBA 31 Cincinnati 2,179,965 0.36% NFL MLB 32 D1 1996 Kansas City 2,122,908 0.86% NFL MLB MLS 33 Indianapolis 2,103,574 1.10% NFL NBA 34 D1 1996 Columbus 2,093,185 1.07% NHL MLS 35 Las Vegas 2,013,326 0.91% 36 Austin 1,826,636 3.84% 37 D2 2007 Raleigh-Durham 1,795,750 2.64% NHL 38 D1 2005 Salt Lake City 1,776,528 1.81% NBA MLS 39 Milwaukee 1,757,604 0.36% NFL MLB NBA 40 Nashville 1,698,651 1.66% NFL NHL 41 Virginia Beach 1,679,894 0.49% 42 Greensboro Triad 1,602,693 0.85% 43 Louisville 1,440,607 0.92% 44 Jacksonville, FL 1,360,251 1.09% NFL 45 Oklahoma City 1,348,333 1.96% NBA 46 Hartford 1,331,406 0.04% 47 Grand Rapids 1,328,440 0.52% 48 Memphis 1,325,605 0.72% NBA 49 Greenville SC 1,281,394 1.14% 50 D3 2006 Richmond 1,269,380 0.88% 51 New Orleans 1,238,228 1.92% NFL NBA 52 Ottawa 1,235,324 NHL 53 Calgary 1,214,839 CFL NHL 54 Buffalo (U.S. only) 1,213,871 -0.16% NFL NHL 55 Birmingham 1,212,800 0.36% 56 Albany 1,168,120 -0.03% 57 D2 2010 Edmonton 1,159,869 CFL NHL 58 D3 2011 Rochester 1,150,469 0.07% 59 Fresno 1,095,829 1.34% 60 D3 2011 Dayton 1,075,683 0.26% 61 Knoxville 1,063,354 0.78% 62 Tulsa 998,438 1.01% 63 Tuscon 989,569 0.95% 64 Honolulu 963,607 1.09% El Paso (U.S. only) 820,970 2.54% Winnipeg 730,105 CFL NHL D3 2004 Harrisburg, PA 687,222 0.61% D3 2010 Charleston, SC 682,121 2.64% D3 2011 Wilmington, NC 369,685 2.03% D3 2011 St. George, Antigua U.S./Mexico cross-border metro areas Tijuana - San Diego 5,009,170 El Paso - Juarez 2,461,538 Reynosa - McAllen 1,700,000 Updated Aug 25, 2012
Wouldn't this make more sense as the MSAs instead of the CSAs? The New York number includes places like New Haven, CT and Trenton, NJ. The USSF 2nd division requirements are that at least 75% of the teams are in MSAs that are 750k or bigger. MSAs of 750k and up would be a much more beneficial list.
Knock yourself out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas There's no easy answer. The Census bureau currently splits Raleigh and Durham into seperate MSAs - yet keeps Fort Lauderdale and Miami together. The two Kansas Citys used to be in separate MSAs. Having looked at these lists for years, my personal feeling is that without manually working through it, the CSA list better maps to metropolitan areas than the MSA list. YMMV.
Code: Rk Current Metropolitan Area 2011 Census change 1 D1 1996 New York 22,214,083 0.58% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS NASL 2 D1 1996 Los Angeles 18,081,569 1.14% MLB NBA NHL MLS USLP 3 D1 1998 Chicago 9,729,825 0.45% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 4 D1 1996 Washington-Baltimore 8,718,083 1.69% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS NASL** 5 D1 1996 Boston 7,601,061 0.56% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 6 D1 2008 San Jose (Bay Area) 7,563,460 1.27% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 7 D1 1996 Dallas-Fort Worth 6,887,383 2.32% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 8 D1 2010 Philadelphia 6,562,287 0.44% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 9 D1 2006 Houston 6,191,434 2.31% NFL MLB NBA MLS 10 D2 2011 Atlanta 5,712,148 1.67% NFL MLB NBA NASL 11 D2 2006 Miami-Ft Lauderdale 5,670,125 1.90% NFL MLB NBA NHL NASL 12 D1 2007 Toronto 5,583,064 CFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 13 Detroit (U.S. only) 5,207,434 -0.22% NFL MLB NBA NHL 14 D1 2009 Seattle 4,269,349 1.67% NFL MLB MLS 15 D3 Phoenix 4,262,236 1.65% NFL MLB NBA NHL USLP 16 D1 2012 Montreal 3,824,221 CFL NHL MLS 17 D2 1995 Minneapolis-St. Paul 3,655,558 1.10% NFL MLB NBA NHL NASL 18 D1 1996 Denver 3,157,520 2.16% NFL MLB NBA NHL MLS 19 San Diego (U.S. only) 3,140,069 1.45% NFL MLB 20 St. Louis 2,882,932 0.16% NFL MLB NHL 21 Cleveland 2,871,084 -0.38% NFL MLB NBA 22 D3 2011 Orlando 2,861,296 1.53% NBA USLP 23 D2 2010 Tampa (Bay Area) 2,824,724 1.49% NFL MLB NHL NASL 24 Sacramento 2,489,230 1.12% NBA USLP* 25 2004 San Juan 2,478,905 26 D3 2008 Pittsburgh 2,450,281 0.12% NFL MLB NHL USLP 27 D3 2004 Charlotte 2,442,564 1.66% NFL NBA USLP 28 D1 2011 Vancouver 2,313,328 CFL NHL MLS 29 D1 2011 Portland 2,262,605 1.64% NBA MLS 30 D2 2012 San Antonio 2,194,927 2.45% NBA NASL 31 Cincinnati 2,179,965 0.36% NFL MLB 32 D1 1996 Kansas City 2,122,908 0.86% NFL MLB MLS 33 Indianapolis 2,103,574 1.10% NFL NBA NASL* 34 D1 1996 Columbus 2,093,185 1.07% NHL MLS 35 Las Vegas 2,013,326 0.91% 36 Austin 1,826,636 3.84% 37 D2 2007 Raleigh-Durham 1,795,750 2.64% NHL NASL 38 D1 2005 Salt Lake City 1,776,528 1.81% NBA MLS 39 Milwaukee 1,757,604 0.36% NFL MLB NBA 40 Nashville 1,698,651 1.66% NFL NHL 41 Virginia Beach 1,679,894 0.49% 42 Greensboro Triad 1,602,693 0.85% 43 Louisville 1,440,607 0.92% 44 Jacksonville, FL 1,360,251 1.09% NFL NASL* 45 Oklahoma City 1,348,333 1.96% NBA NASL* 46 Hartford 1,331,406 0.04% 47 Grand Rapids 1,328,440 0.52% 48 Memphis 1,325,605 0.72% NBA 49 Greenville SC 1,281,394 1.14% 50 D3 2006 Richmond 1,269,380 0.88% USLP 51 New Orleans 1,238,228 1.92% NFL NBA 52 Ottawa 1,235,324 NHL NASL* 53 Calgary 1,214,839 CFL NHL 54 Buffalo (U.S. only) 1,213,871 -0.16% NFL NHL 55 Birmingham 1,212,800 0.36% 56 Albany 1,168,120 -0.03% 57 D2 2010 Edmonton 1,159,869 CFL NHL NASL 58 D3 2011 Rochester 1,150,469 0.07% USLP 59 Fresno 1,095,829 1.34% 60 D3 2011 Dayton 1,075,683 0.26% USLP 61 Knoxville 1,063,354 0.78% 62 Tulsa 998,438 1.01% 63 Tuscon 989,569 0.95% 64 Honolulu 963,607 1.09% El Paso (U.S. only) 820,970 2.54% Winnipeg 730,105 CFL NHL Hamilton 721,053 CFL D3 2004 Harrisburg, PA 687,222 0.61% USLP D3 2010 Charleston, SC 682,121 2.64% USLP D3 2011 Wilmington, NC 369,685 2.03% USLP D3 2011 St. George, Antigua *2014 or 2015 expansion ** Northern VA A little update with NASL and USLPRO teams.
Personally I think the DMAs are a better way to go. http://www.tvb.org/media/file/TVB_Market_Profiles_Nielsen_Household_DMA_Ranks2.pdf
Come on create a list then. Edit: it would be hard to see the 750K Population cut off that USSF is asking for.
Colorado Springs looks to be getting an MLS Reserves/USLP team in 2015 http://gazette.com/usl-soccer-franchise-coming-to-colorado-springs/article/1510347