State / MSA Ranking Chart
The State / MSA Ranking Chart below includes the largest 33 MSA’s and the 50 States in descending order. The reason the top thirty three MSA’s have been selected for Senate inclusion under the reform and realignment effort is for political expediency. Thirty three represents the optimal number of MSA’s that could conceivably be approved in a Constitutional Amendment. A smaller number of MSA's would not have the remotest possibility of passing because they would not be supported on the national stage. Likewise, a larger number of MSA's would garner wider political support; but, unfortunately would also dilute the political quality of the MSA’s. It would be hard to justify the need for political acceptance for the lower echelon MSA’s. Therefore, the optimal number for political support is thirty three and that number represents the sweet spot for political acceptance and passage of a Constitutional Amendment. In addition, 33 represents one third of the existing U.S. Senate and would add enough imbalance and disruption to the U.S. Senate to keep the urban coalition at the center of any national debate. This new urban coalition would mark the beginning of a new era in American politics.
There are 14 states with populations of less 2 million inhabitants and the 28 Senators that represent these states may or may not have the best interest in mind of supporting the majority 80% urban population. The least populated states in ascending order are: Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Main, Hawaii, Idaho, West Virginia, and Nebraska. Wyoming, the least populated state has a population of 584,000 inhabitants and the State of California has a population of 38,802,000 and both have two senators each. By what stretch of the imagination, can this be an equitable solution to U.S. Senate representation. Even though the larger states, such as California, Texas and Ohio are adequately represented in the House of Representatives they are woefully underrepresented in the Senate.
Since 1789, differences in population between states have become more pronounced. At the time of the Grand Compromise, the largest state, Virginia, had only twelve times the population of the smallest state, Delaware. Today, the largest state, California has a population that is seventy times greater than the population of the smallest state, Wyoming. In 1790, it would take a theoretical 30% of the population to elect a majority of the Senate, today it would take 17%. Today, there are seven states with only one congressman Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Never in the past has there been as high a proportion of one-congressman states.
The MSA’s listed below include only the 33 largest macro sized MSA’s. By its very nature, the list is malleable, since it is inevitable that some MSA’s will rise in the rankings and some will fall based on either a growth or decline in their populations and/or a merger with another MSA which may improve the fortunes of both MSA’s since both would become more influential and powerful. Likewise there will be other MSA’s that will stagnate and wither away and drop down the pecking order on the list or drop from the list entirely. This dynamic fluidity to the list and changing potential of who will be on the list only adds to the credibility of the top 33 MSA’s.
State and Top Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
Population Comparison Chart
All Numbers are based on 2015 Rounded Up Estimates
Click on MSA to see Detailed Maps
1. California 38,803,000
2. Texas 26,957,000
3. Florida 19,894,000
4. New York 19,747,000
5. Illinois 12,880,000
6. Pennsylvania 12,787,000
7. Ohio 11,594,000
8. Georgia 10,097,000
9. North Carolina 9,944,000
10. Michigan 9,910,000
11. New Jersey 8,938,000
12. Virginia 8,326,000
13. Washington 7,062,000
14. Massachusetts 6,746,000
15. Arizona 6,732,000
16. Indiana 6,597,000
17. Tennessee 6,549,000
18. Missouri 6,064,000
19. Maryland 5,976,000
20. Wisconsin 5,758,000
21. Minnesota 5,457,000
22. Colorado 5,356,000
23. Alabama 4,849,000
24. South Carolina 4,833,000
25. Louisiana 4,650,000
26. Kentucky 4,414,000
27. Oregon 3,970,000
28. Oklahoma 3,878,000
29. Connecticut 3,597,000
30. Iowa 3,107,000
31. Arkansas 2,994,000
32. Mississippi 2,985,000
33. Utah 2,943,000
34. Kansas 2,904,000
35. Nevada 2,839,000
36. New Mexico 2,086,000
37. Nebraska 1,882,000
38. West Virginia 1,851,000
39. Idaho 1,635,000
40. Hawaii 1,420,000
41. Maine 1,330,000
42. New Hampshire 1,327,000
43. Rhode Island 1,055,000
44. Montana 1,024,000
45. Delaware 936,000
46. South Dakota 853,000
47. North Dakota 740,000
48. Alaska 738,000
49. Vermont 626,000
50. Wyoming 585,000