| | Rank | 1950 | 1970 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | | MSA name | MSA name | MSA name | MSA name | MSA name |
| | 1 | New York—Northeastern NJ | New York, NY | New York (CMSA) | New York, NY (CMSA) | New York, NY (CSA) | | 2 | Chicago, IL | Los Angeles/Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles, CA (CMSA) | Los Angeles, CA (CMSA) | Los Angeles, CA (CSA) | | 3 | Los Angeles, CA | Chicago, IL | Chicago, IL (CMSA) | Chicago, IL (CMSA) | Chicago, IL (CSA) | | 4 | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia, PA | Washington, DC (CMSA) | Washington, DC (CMSA) | Washington, DC/Baltimore, (CSA) | | 5 | Detroit, MI | Detroit, MI | San Francisco/Oakland, CA (CMSA) | San Francisco/Oakland, CA (CMSA) | Boston, MA (CSA) |
| | 6 | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA | Philadelphia, PA (CMSA) | Philadelphia, PA (CMSA) | San Jose/San Francisco/Oakland, CA (CSA) | | 7 | San Fran/Oakland, CA | Washington, DC | Boston, MA (CMSA) | Boston, MA (CMSA) | Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX (CSA) | | 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | Boston, MA | Detroit, MI (CMSA) | Detroit, MI (CMSA) | Philadelphia, PA (CSA) | | 9 | St. Louis, MO | Pittsburgh, PA | Dallas, TX (CMSA) | Dallas, TX (CMSA) | Houston, TX (CSA) | | 10 | Cleveland, OH | St. Louis, MO | Houston, TX (CMSA) | Houston, TX (CMSA) | Atlanta, CSA |
| | 11 | Washington, DC | Baltimore, MD | Miami, FL (CMSA) | Atlanta, GA (CMSA) | Detroit, MI (CSA) | | 12 | Baltimore, MD | Cleveland, OH | Seattle, WA (CMSA) | Miami, FL (CMSA) | Seattle, WA (CSA) | | 13 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | Houston, TX | Atlanta, GA (CMSA) | Seattle, WA (CMSA) | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (CSA) | | 14 | Buffalo, NY | Newark, NJ | Cleveland, OH (CMSA) | Phoenix/Mesa, AZ (CMSA) | Denver, CO (CSA) | | 15 | Cincinnati, OH | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSA) | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSA) | Cleveland, OH (CSA) |
| | 16 | Milwaukee, WI | Dallas, TX | San Diego, CA | Cleveland, OH (CMSA) | St. Louis, MO (CSA) | | 17 | Kansas City, MO | Seattle, WA | St. Louis, MO | San Diego, CA | Orlando, FL (CSA) | | 18 | Houston, TX | Anaheim, CA | Pittsburgh (MSA) | St. Louis, MO | San Juan, PR (CSA) | | 19 | Providence, RI | Milwaukee, WI | San Juan, PR (CMSA) | Denver, CO (CMSA) | Sacramento, CA (CSA) | | 20 | Seattle, WA | Atlanta, GA | Phoenix/Mesa, AZ (CMSA) | San Juan, PR (CMSA) | Pittsburgh, PA (CSA) |
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