Statistics, Stat!
No matter how you crunch the numbers, the San Francisco Bay Area is a top five metropolitan area/media market in America.
Republic of Bay Area
If the Bay Area were a state, it would be the country’s thirteenth-most populous—right between Virginia and Washington. If the Bay Area were a country, its population would rival that of Switzerland. With San Francisco, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, sandwiched between Silicon Valley to the south and Wine Country to the north, the Bay Area’s diversity is reflected in its residents, food scene, and economy.
Weather Report
Thanks to its location and topography, even the local climate is “diverse.” The meteorological term is “microclimates.” This means the difference in temperature in summer from one end of the Bay Area to another could be as much as 30 degrees Fahrenheit (or 16.7 degrees Celsius). The fog acts as the region’s natural air conditioner, cooling the western portion of the Bay Area—and surprising tourists in their T-shirts and shorts. While most places in the continental U.S. are too humid, too cold, or too wet, the Bay Area is devoid of such extremes.
Bluer Than Blue
In terms of politics, California is currently a blue (liberal) state; the Bay Area is a deeper shade of blue. This nine-county region voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama in 2008. Only Washington, D.C., was more solidly behind Obama.
Population
7,420,453
| No. | County | Population (thousand) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | 1,869 |
| 2 | Alameda | 1,573 |
| 3 | Contra Costa | 1,087 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 837 |
| 5 | San Mateo | 745 |
| 6 | Sonoma | 490 |
| 7 | Solano | 424 |
| 8 | Marin | 256 |
| 9 | Napa | 139 |
Source: California Dept. of Finance, 2014
| No. | City | County | Population (thousand) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | Santa Clara | 1,001 |
| 2 | San Francisco | San Francisco | 837 |
| 3 | Oakland | Alameda | 404 |
| 4 | Fremont | Alameda | 224 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa | Sonoma | 170 |
| 6 | Hayward | Alameda | 151 |
| 7 | Sunnyvale | Santa Clara | 147 |
| 8 | Concord | Contra Costa | 125 |
| 9 | Santa Clara | Santa Clara | 121 |
| 10 | Vallejo | Solano | 118 |
| 11 | Berkeley | Alameda | 117 |
| 12 | Fairfield | Solano | 110 |
| 13 | Antioch | Contra Costa | 106 |
| 14 | Richmond | Contra Costa | 106 |
| 15 | Daly City | San Mateo | 105 |
| 16 | San Mateo | San Mateo | 100 |
| 17 | Vacaville | Solano | 94 |
| 18 | San Leandro | Alameda | 88 |
| 19 | Livermore | Alameda | 85 |
| 20 | Redwood City | San Mateo | 81 |
Source: California Dept. of Finance, 2014
| No. | State | Population (million) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39.1 |
| 2 | Texas | 27.5 |
| 3 | Florida | 20.3 |
| 4 | New York | 19.8 |
| 5 | Illinois | 12.9 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12.8 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11.6 |
| 8 | Georgia | 10.2 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10.0 |
| 10 | Michigan | 9.9 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9.0 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8.4 |
| - | Bay Area | 7.4 |
| 13 | Washington | 7.2 |
| 14 | Arizona | 6.8 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6.7 |
| 16 | Indiana | 6.6 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 6.6 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6.1 |
| 19 | Maryland | 6.0 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5.8 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2015
Market Rankings (Two Views)
| No. | Area | Population (thousand) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Bridgeport | 23,724 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside | 18,680 |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City | 9,923 |
| 4 | Washington (D.C.)-Baltimore-Northern Virginia | 9,625 |
| 5 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland* | 8,714 |
| 6 | Boston-Worcester-Manchester | 8,153 |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 7,504 |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland | 7,183 |
| 9 | Houston-Baytown-Huntsville | 6,855 |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach | 6,655 |
| 11 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville | 6,365 |
| 12 | Detroit-Warren-Flint | 5,320 |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia | 4,603 |
| - | Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale | 4,330 |
| 14 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud | 3,867 |
| 15 | Cleveland-Akron-Elyria | 3,494 |
| 16 | Denver-Aurora-Boulder | 3,419 |
| - | San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos | 3,177 |
| 17 | Orlando-The Villages | 3,129 |
| 18 | Portland (Ore.)-Vancouver-Beaverton | 3,111 |
| 19 | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 2,916 |
| - | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 2,843 |
| 20 | Pittsburgh-New Castle | 2,649 |
| 21 | Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury | 2,584 |
| 22 | Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Truckee | 2,544 |
| 23 | Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield | 2,468 |
| 24 | Kansas City (Mo.)-Overland Park-Kansas City (Kan.) | 2,428 |
| 25 | Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe | 2,425 |
| 26 | Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus | 2,373 |
| 27 | Las Vegas-Paradise-Pahrump | 2,362 |
| - | San Antonio | 2,234 |
| 28 | Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington | 2,217 |
| 29 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 2,117 |
| 30 | Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 2,046 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2015
* Bay Area + Santa Cruz-Watsonville metropolitan area.
Note that we’ve added some large metropolitan areas that are not defined as combined statistical areas: Phoenix, San Diego, Tampa, and San Antonio.
| No. | Market | 12+ Population (thousand) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 16,278 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 11,420 |
| 3 | Chicago | 7,975 |
| 4 | San Francisco* | 6,601 |
| 5 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 5,794 |
| 6 | Houston-Galveston | 5,546 |
| 7 | Washington, D.C. | 4,851 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 4,646 |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 4,572 |
| 10 | Boston | 4,238 |
| 11 | Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood | 3,969 |
| 12 | Detroit | 3,808 |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma | 3,704 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 3,504 |
| 15 | Puerto Rico | 3,029 |
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul | 2,911 |
| 17 | San Diego | 2,810 |
| 18 | Denver-Boulder | 2,611 |
| 19 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 2,584 |
| 20 | Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island) | 2,478 |
| 21 | Baltimore | 2,400 |
| 22 | St. Louis | 2,338 |
| 23 | Portland, Ore. | 2,257 |
| 24 | Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill | 2,205 |
| 25 | Riverside-San Bernardino | 2,048 |
| 26 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | 2,003 |
| 27 | San Antonio | 1,991 |
| 28 | Sacramento | 1,963 |
| 29 | Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo | 1,844 |
| 30 | Cincinnati | 1,811 |
| 31 | Las Vegas | 1,786 |
| 32 | Cleveland | 1,775 |
| 33 | Orlando | 1,762 |
| 34 | Kansas City | 1,704 |
| 35 | Austin | 1,679 |
| 36 | San Jose** | 1,631 |
| 37 | Columbus, Ohio | 1,623 |
| 38 | Indianapolis | 1,511 |
| 39 | Hudson Valley | 1,510 |
| 40 | Raleigh-Durham | 1,507 |
| - | Santa Rosa | 431 |
Source: Nielsen, 2015
* All Bay Area counties except Santa Clara and Sonoma (and more?).
** Santa Clara County.
The bottom line: Neither ranking system recognizes the nine-county Bay Area as a logical unit. The U.S. Census Bureau’s definition includes a part of the Monterey Peninsula while the other one ignores a big chunk of the Bay Area.
Area
6,952 square miles (land)
7,416 square miles (land + water)
| No. | State | Land (sq. miles) | Total (sq. miles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 1,231 | 1,545 |
| 2 | Delaware | 2,397 | 2,489 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 5,544 | 5,544 |
| - | Bay Area | 6,952 | 7,416 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 8,215 | 8,722 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 9,241 | 10,555 |
| 6 | Hawaii | 6,459 | 10,932 |
General Election 2008
President: 75.3 percent for Barack Obama
| No. | County | Obama (percent) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 84.2 |
| 2 | Alameda | 78.6 |
| 3 | Marin | 78.1 |
| - | Bay Area | 75.3 |
| 4 | Sonoma | 73.8 |
| 5 | San Mateo | 73.6 |
| 6 | Santa Clara | 69.7 |
| 7 | Contra Costa | 68.1 |
| 8 | Napa | 65.2 |
| 9 | Solano | 63.6 |
| - | Statewide | 60.8 |
Source: California Secretary of State, 2008
| No. | State | Obama (percent) | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 92 | 3 |
| - | Bay Area | 75 | - |
| 2 | Hawaii [H] | 72 | 4 |
| 3 | Vermont | 67 | 3 |
| 4 | New York | 63 | 31 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 63 | 4 |
| 6 | Illinois [H] | 62 | 21 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 62 | 12 |
| 8 | Maryland | 62 | 10 |
| 9 | Delaware [H] | 62 | 3 |
| 10 | California | 61 | 55 |
| 11 | Connecticut | 61 | 7 |
| 12 | Washington | 58 | 11 |
| 13 | Maine | 58 | 4 |
| 14 | Michigan | 57 | 17 |
| 15 | New Jersey | 57 | 15 |
| 16 | Oregon | 57 | 7 |
| 17 | New Mexico* | 57 | 5 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 56 | 10 |
| 19 | Nevada* | 55 | 5 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania [H] | 54 | 21 |
| 21 | Minnestoa | 54 | 10 |
| 22 | Colorado* | 54 | 9 |
| 23 | Iowa* | 54 | 7 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 54 | 4 |
| 25 | Virginia* | 53 | 13 |
| 26 | Ohio* | 52 | 20 |
| 27 | Florida* | 51 | 27 |
| 28 | North Carolina* | 50 | 15 |
| 29 | Indiana* | 50 | 11 |
| - | Nebraska | - | 1 |
| Total | 53 | 365 |
| No. | State | McCain (percent) | Electoral Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma | 66 | 7 |
| 2 | Wyoming | 65 | 3 |
| 3 | Utah | 63 | 5 |
| 4 | Idaho [H] | 62 | 4 |
| 5 | Alabama | 60 | 9 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 59 | 9 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 59 | 6 |
| 8 | Alaska [H] | 59 | 3 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 57 | 11 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 57 | 8 |
| 11 | Kansas | 57 | 6 |
| 12 | Nebraska | 57 | 4 |
| 13 | Mississippi | 56 | 6 |
| 14 | West Virginia | 56 | 5 |
| 15 | Texas | 55 | 34 |
| 16 | Arizona [H] | 54 | 10 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 54 | 8 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 53 | 3 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 53 | 3 |
| 20 | Georgia | 52 | 15 |
| 21 | Montana | 50 | 3 |
| 22 | Missouri | 49 | 11 |
| Total | 46 | 173 |
Source: Federal Election Commission, 2009
* Voted for George W. Bush in 2004.
H – Candidates’ home/birth states.
Note that Maine and Nebraska have the option to split their electoral votes between candidates.
California State Proposition 8: 61.4 percent against
| No. | County | No (percent) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 75.1 |
| 2 | Marin | 75.0 |
| 3 | Sonoma | 66.1 |
| 4 | Alameda | 62.2 |
| 5 | San Mateo | 61.8 |
| - | Bay Area | 61.4 |
| 6 | Santa Clara | 55.7 |
| 7 | Contra Costa | 55.4 |
| 8 | Napa | 55.1 |
| - | Statewide | 47.8 |
| 9 | Solano | 43.8 |
Source: California Secretary of State, 2008
Business
| County | Number | City (Number) |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 14 | San Jose (3), Santa Clara (3), Mountain View (2), Sunnyvale (2), Cupertino (1), Los Gatos (1), Milpitas (1), Palo Alto (1) |
| San Francisco | 6 | San Francisco (6) |
| San Mateo | 6 | Foster City (2), Menlo Park (1), Redwood City (1), San Mateo (1), South San Francisco (1) |
| Alameda | 4 | Dublin (1), Fremont (1), Oakland (1), Pleasanton (1) |
| Contra Costa | 1 | San Ramon (1) |
| County | Number | City (Number) |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 17 | San Jose (5), Sunnyvale (4), Mountain View (3), Palo Alto (2), Santa Clara (2), Milpitas (1) |
| San Francisco | 3 | San Francisco (3) |
| San Mateo | 3 | Redwood City (2), Menlo Park (1) |
| Alameda | 2 | Fremont (1), San Leandro (1) |
| Marin | 1 | San Rafael (1) |
Source: Fortune, 2015
| County | Number | Revenue (billion) |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 112 | $294.7 |
| San Francisco | 24 | 168.0 |
| Contra Costa | 6 | 164.0 |
| Alameda | 29 | 69.5 |
| San Mateo | 20 | 32.0 |
| Marin | 4 | 2.6 |
| Solano | 1 | 0.4 |
| Napa | 0 | 0 |
| Sonoma | 0 | 0 |
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 2005
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