July 27, 2006
Metroplex now ranks as fourth largest U.S. metropolitan area

				
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that Dallas/Fort Worth became the fourth largest metropolitan area 
in the United States, trailing only New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, one year ago. The region's new position 
will not be official until next spring, when the Bureau releases its July 2006 population estimates. However, as 
of July 1, 2005, DFW was a mere 4,000 residents shy of fourth position and growing at a rate destined to have 
surpassed Philadelphia by about July 15, 2005.
 		

The Census Bureau reports that 5.819 million residents lived in the DFW metro area compared to 5.823 million in greater Philadelphia on July 1, 2005. DFW, however, gains some 365 net new residents every day since the year 2000 decennial census according to the Bureau, compared to Philadelphia's daily increases of 72. At this pace, DFW overtook Philadelphia in mid July last year and now is well ahead of Philadelphia in population.

DFW should report a population count of approximately 5.95 million in the 2006 estimates, based upon the Bureau's five-year growth rates for the top metros, This will show the region with a substantial lead of approximately 100,000 residents over Philadelphia's 2006 count of 5.85 million.

"We expect companies around the world to see Dallas/Fort Worth with new eyes. Can you imagine a major corporation without a presence in the fourth largest market in the United States, especially one that remains among the fastest-growing?" says Dr. Lyssa Jenkens, chief economist at the Greater Dallas Chamber.

Miami, Houston, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Detroit round out the remaining top ten U.S. metros. Only Houston has any likelihood of improving its ranking by the end of this decade, when it could overtake Miami to become the sixth largest U.S. metropolitan area.

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