Montgomery metropolitan area

The Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area (commonly known as the Tri-Counties or the River Region) is a metropolitan area in central Alabama. As of 2020, the MSA had a population of 386,047, ranking it 142nd among United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas. That number is up +3.07% from the 2010 census number of 374,536.

Counties

 * Autauga
 * Elmore
 * Lowndes
 * Montgomery

Places with more than 200,000 inhabitants

 * Montgomery (Principal city)

Places with 10,000 to 35,000 inhabitants

 * Millbrook
 * Prattville

Places with 1,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

 * Blue Ridge (census-designated place)
 * Coosada
 * Eclectic
 * Fort Deposit
 * Hayneville
 * Mosses
 * Tallassee (partial)
 * Wetumpka
 * White Hall
 * Pike Road

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

 * Autaugaville
 * Benton
 * Billingsley
 * Deatsville
 * Elmore
 * Gordonville
 * Lowndesboro

Unincorporated places

 * Booth
 * Equality (part of Equality is in Elmore County)
 * Letohatchee
 * Davenport

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 346,528 people, 129,717 households, and 90,298 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 57.32% White, 40.27% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.20% of the population.

The median income for a household in the MSA was $35,567, and the median income for a family was $42,304. Males had a median income of $31,881 versus $22,995 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $16,996.

Combined Statistical Area
The original Montgomery–Alexander City Combined Statistical Area (CSA) was made up of six counties in central Alabama. The statistical area included the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical area and the former Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area, composed of Coosa and Tallapoosa Counties. As of the 2000 Census, the CSA had a population of 400,205 (though a July 1, 2009 estimate placed the population at 417,965). In 2013, the United States Office of Management and Budget removed the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area and Montgomery-Alexander City Combined Statistical Area from the list of metropolitan areas.

In September of 2018 the OMB reinstated Montgomery CSA. Officially named the Montgomery–Selma–Alexander City, AL CSA, it consisted of the 4 county Montgomery MSA, the Selma, AL (Dallas County) micropolitan area, and a re-added Alexander City (Coosa County and Tallapoosa County) micropolitan area. This seven-county area was, to date, the largest extent of the Montgomery area.

When the OMB revised its definitions in 2023, Alexander City was again removed from the CSA with Tallapoosa County added to the nearby Columbus–Auburn–Opelika combined statistical area and with Coosa County becoming part of the Talladega–Sylacauga Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The current CSA (Montgomery–Selma, AL CSA) consists of one metropolitan area and one micropolitan area, totaling five counties:


 * Montgomery, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area
 * Autauga County
 * Elmore County
 * Lowndes County
 * Montgomery County


 * Selma, AL Micropolitan Statistical Area
 * Dallas County

Politics
For the first half of the 20th century, the Montgomery metropolitan area leaned towards the Democratic Party, as did the rest of the Solid South. It was one of the first regions in Alabama to flip towards the Republican Party, narrowly voting for Richard Nixon in 1960. With the one exception of George Wallace's third-party win in 1968, the Montgomery MSA would continue voting for Republicans, by varying margins, until Barack Obama's narrow victory there in 2012. No candidate has won the MSA by more than 3 percentage points in the most recent three presidential elections.

Transportation

 * [[Image:I-65.svg|20px]] Interstate 65
 * [[Image:I-85.svg|20px]] Interstate 85
 * [[Image:US 31.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 31
 * [[Image:US 80.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 80
 * [[Image:US 82.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 82
 * [[Image:US 231.svg|24px]] U.S. Highway 231
 * [[Image:US 331.svg|23px]] U.S. Highway 331