San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area


San Francisco Metropolitan Area officially known as the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area is a Metropolitan Statistical Area within the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes a number of its core cities and counties. It is the twelfth-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is defined by the Office of Management and Budget to include core areas more directly economically influenced by San Francisco rather than other nearby cities such as San Jose which has its own MSA, the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA MSA. Until 2013, this MSA was known as the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA MSA, and from 2013 to 2018, the San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA MSA.
The Federal Government definition states that it consists of 5 counties, grouped into three divisions. Those 5 counties are San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa, and San Mateo County. The three divisions are Oakland–Berkeley–Livermore, San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City, and San Rafael.
The MSA is a subset of the 9 county San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the 14 county Combined Statistical Area, the San Jose–San Francisco–Oakland, CA CSA. Three North Bay counties are not in the MSA; instead Sonoma County comprises the Santa Rosa, CA MSA, Napa County comprises the Napa, CA MSA, and Solano County is the Vallejo, CA MSA.

Demographics

This region had a 2018 census-estimated population of 4,729,484. With a land area of, the MSA has an average population density of 1,912 people per square mile.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population of this five-county region as of July 1, 2018 as follows:
County2018 Estimates2010 CensusChangeAreaDensity
Alameda County1,666,7531,510,271+10.36%
Contra Costa County1,150,2151,049,025+9.65%
San Francisco883,305805,235+9.70%
San Mateo County769,545718,451+7.11%
Marin County259,666252,409+2.88%
Total4,729,4844,335,391+9.09%

Economy

The GDP of the region was $431.7 billion in 2015, a 5.8% annual increase. The region is the 7th largest MSA economy.
The real GDP per capita was $92,465 in 2015 adjusted for inflation, the fourth highest MSA nationally.
The real GDP per capita in the adjacent San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA MSA was $128,276 in 2015 adjusted for inflation, the second highest MSA nationally.

Geography

There is a vast geographic diversity within this MSA. The region is composed of at least six terrains pushed together over millions of years by the forces of plate tectonics. There are several fault lines running under the Bay Area, such as the San Andreas, Calaveras, and Hayward Faults. There are two distinct regions of the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA MSA which are separated by the San Francisco Bay. These landscapes range from cool foggy mountains and temperate rainforest on the Peninsula and Marin, to semi-arid, near desert terrain in the easternmost portions of the East Bay.

Transportation

serves all the counties except Marin. Golden Gate Transit serves Marin, with limited connections to San Francisco and Contra Costa, along with service to outlying Sonoma County. AC Transit serves Alameda and Contra Costa, with connections to San Francisco's transit hub. Commercial air travel is available via San Francisco International Airport, and Oakland International Airport.

Government

In addition to the city and county governments, there are a number of area-wide governmental bodies. Park organizations in the area include the East Bay Regional Parks District and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. East Bay Municipal Utility District provides water and sewer services to much of the East Bay, with the Marin Municipal Water District providing for parts of Marin County. The Association of Bay Area Governments provides for regional planning. The Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission coordinates transportation projects. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District monitors air quality.

Culture