The Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area is the 106th-largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in the United States. It was originally formed by the United States Census Bureau in 1950 and consisted solely of Fayette County until 1980 when surrounding counties saw increases in their population densities and the number of their residents employed within Lexington–Fayette, which led to them meeting Census criteria to be added to the MSA.

The Lexington–Fayette MSA is the primary MSA of the Lexington–Fayette–Richmond–Frankfort combined statistical area which includes the Micropolitan Statistical Areas of Frankfort (Franklin and Anderson counties), Mount Sterling (Montgomery, Bath, and Menifee counties), and Richmond–Berea (Madison and Rockcastle counties). The Lexington–Fayette–Frankfort–Richmond combined statistical area has a July 1, 2012 Census Bureau estimated population of 703,271.

Demographics

Cities

The following is a list of cities in the Lexington–Fayette metropolitan area with 2012 United States Census Bureau estimates of their population. Cities in bold are considered principal cities of the metropolitan area by the Census Bureau, which represent significant employment centers:

Lexington, consolidated with Fayette County, is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 61st largest in the United States. Known as the "Horse Capital of the World", it is the heart of the state's Bluegrass region. With a mayor-alderman form of government, it is one of two cities in Kentucky designated by the state as first-class; the other is the state's largest city of Louisville. In the 2014 U.S. Census Estimate, the city's population was 310,797, anchoring a metropolitan area of 489,435 people and a combined statistical area of 708,677 people.

Lexington ranks tenth among US cities in college education rate, with 39.5% of residents having at least a bachelor's degree. It is the location of the Kentucky Horse Park, The Red Mile and Keeneland race courses, Rupp Arena, the world's largest basketball-specific arena, Transylvania University, the University of Kentucky and Bluegrass Community & Technical College.

History

This area of fertile soil and abundant wildlife was long occupied by varying tribes of Native Americans. European explorers began to trade with them but settlers did not come in force until the late 18th century.

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states. As such, the precise definition of any given metropolitan area can vary with the source. A typical metropolitan area is centered on a single large city that wields substantial influence over the region (e.g., Chicago or Atlanta). However, some metropolitan areas contain more than one large city with no single municipality holding a substantially dominant position (e.g., Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Norfolk-Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads), Riverside–San Bernardino or Minneapolis–Saint Paul).

MSAs are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and used by the Census Bureau and other federal government agencies for statistical purposes.