PROVIDENCE METROPOLITAN AREA

The 'Providence metropolitan area' is a region covering ten counties in two states, and is the 35th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Update of Statistical area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses Providence Metropolitan Area:2000-2005 Population & Migration Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by about 60%. The area covers all of Rhode Island's five counties and extends into southern Massachusetts with an average population density of 2300 per mi² (888 per km²). July 1 2005 Population Estimates Providence: Least Sprawling Metropolitan Area: Colorado Springs Sprawls less than Portland Wendell Cox May 2006 OEC Metropolitan Statistical Area definitions In 2006, this area was officially added to the Boston Combined Statistical Area (CSA), the fifth-largest CSA in the country.
In 2004, Smart Growth America named the New York City the "Least Sprawling" metropolitan area in the country, though Wendell Cox, correcting for the fact that this is only true when New Jersey and Connecticut's contributions are ignored, asserts that this title should belong to the Providence metropolitan area.

Contents

Boundaries

Principal Cities

Transportation

Demographics

References

Boundaries

The Providence metropolitan area contains towns from a number of counties in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including:

★ Bristol County, Rhode Island

★ Kent County, Rhode Island

★ Newport County, Rhode Island

★ Providence County, Rhode Island

★ Washington County, Rhode Island (part)

★ Bristol County, Massachusetts (part)

★ Norfolk County, Massachusetts (part)

★ Worcester County, Massachusetts (part)

★ Plymouth County, Massachusetts (part)

★ Dukes County, Massachusetts (part)
The New Bedford metro area is not included in the Providence NECTA, but is included in the Combined NECTA^[1] and MSA definitions.

Principal Cities

★ Providence, Rhode Island

★ Fall River, Massachusetts

★ New Bedford, Massachusetts

★ Warwick, Rhode Island

★ Cranston, Rhode Island

Transportation

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates a commuter rail connecting the metropolitan area to Boston. There are commuter rail stations in Providence, South Attleboro, and Attleboro. An extension of the commuter rail to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick is expected to be completed in 2009. Amtrak provides regional rail service to the Providence train station as well.

Demographics

'Providence Metropolitan Area Population by year[2]'
'Census year'	'Population'	'U.S. rank'
2000	1,582,997	32
2006	1,612,989 (est.)	35

Primarily between Fall River and New Bedford, the Providence metropolitan area has the highest number of immigrants from the Portuguese empire of any metropolitan area in the country. The area also contains a high percentage of Catholics from its large Portuguese population as well as high concentrations of Irish and Italian descendants.

References

1. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metrodef.html
2. http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/CBSA-est2006-pop-chg.html