3-D View of KCMO Population

A map showing the center points constructed from 2010 census blocks within Kansas City, Missouri. The block points loosely follow the pattern of population density within Kansas City. 

The same map as above, but with a regular grid of polygons added to it along with a few labels for the cities enveloped by Kansas City.

In this map, the population values have been transferred from the block points to the grid cells, totaled for each cell, and the cells symbolized by total population. The result is a generalized map of population density.

The cells from the above map extruded and color coded by total population and observed from a southeast perspective.

The 3-D view of population observed from a southwest perspective.

Greater Kansas City, by the Counties

Greater (insert your city name here) is an overused term that loosely defines a place around a central city. It’s a way to describe a general area, but it is not too good for pinning down the boundaries.

Here are some common definitions of Greater Kansas City that  use counties as the geographic building blocks.

Designated Market Area or Television Market Area

The Designated Market Area (DMA) and the Television Market Area (TMA) are the area of common reach by local television broadcasters. Each county in the area receives access to the same cable channels and mostly the same over-the-air television and radio signals. DMAs are defined by the Nielsen company. TMAs are defined by the FCC. Both agencies use the same extent for Greater Kansas City.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

A Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is constructed from a set of counties that are bonded together economically. MSAs are defined by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and are used by Federal agencies such as the Census Bureau to collect, aggregate, and analyze demographics and other statistics at regional scales. The regional boundaries are defined around a primary urban area that has a measurable influence on the economic activities across all of the counties in the MSA. (The economic influence is based mostly in terms of daily commuters.)

Council of Governments

A Council of Governments (COG) or Regional Planning Commission (RPC) includes multiple counties and cities working together through bureaucratic systems on cross border issues such as transportation, environment, public safety, and social welfare. The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) is the COG for Greater Kansas City.

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated and federally funded entities that exist to determine how to allocate federal transportation funds across the member jurisdictions. An MPO exists for every urban area in the US with a population greater than 50,000. MARC is the coordinating body for the Kansas City area MPO.