Greater Pittsburgh Region

The Greater Pittsburgh region, Pennsylvania’s second largest metropolitan area after Philadelphia, centers around a core region of seven counties. Hosting a population of about 2.3 million people, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties are part of the narrowest definition of the region. In the broadest definition, the Greater Pittsburgh region includes 54 counties in four states, including Monongalia in West Virginia, Garrett in Maryland, and Jefferson in Ohio. Pittsburgh is the largest population center in the region, with notable suburbs including Penn Hills and Mt. Lebanon. Long known as “Steel City,” Pittsburgh and its surrounding area no longer play host to the same levels of industrial activity as they once did. Today, biomedical sciences, healthcare, and service-based sectors dominate the regional economy. Major employers based in the area include Kraft-Heinz, GNC, FedEx, and StarKist.

Jacksonville Metropolitan Area

Anchored by a major Atlantic port city and home to one of Florida’s most diversified economies, the Jacksonville metropolitan area dominates the northeast corner of the state. Sometimes called Metro Jacksonville, the area contains 1.5 million residents across five counties: Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, and Saint Johns.

Metro Detroit

Metro Detroit, the densely-populated urban zone anchored by the center of the American automotive industry, is home to about 4.2 million people spread across six counties. These counties–Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St Clair and Wayne–cluster together in southeastern Michigan. The core of the region is the city of Detroit, with its urban sprawl dominating Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland counties. Though Detroit itself is home to most of the metro region’s population, other large cities exist nearby, including Dearborn, Troy, Pontiac, and Livonia.