| Montgomery metropolitan area | |
| Official Name: | Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan Statistical Area |
| Map Alt: | Montgomery Metropolitan Area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Alabama |
| Subdivision Type2: | Largest city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Montgomery |
| Subdivision Type3: | Other cities |
| Subdivision Name3: | - Prattville - Millbrook - Wetumpka - Selma |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2,786 |
| Population Total: | 386,047 (2020)[1] |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 131.4 |
| Population Density Km2: | 81.63 |
| Population Rank: | 142nd in the U.S. |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
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.
As of the census[2] 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.
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).[3] 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.[4]
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.[5]
The current CSA (Montgomery–Selma, AL CSA) consists of one metropolitan area and one micropolitan area, totaling five counties:
| Year | DEM | GOP | Others | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 47.4% 78,178 | 49.5% 81,560 | 3.1% 5,057 | |
| 2012 | 49.8% 84,149 | 49.5% 83,720 | 0.7% 1,240 | |
| 2008 | 48.2% 82,009 | 51.2% 87,020 | 0.5% 948 | |
| 2004 | 42.0% 60,622 | 57.6% 83,135 | 0.5% 675 | |
| 2000 | 44.3% 56,522 | 54.3% 69,235 | 1.4% 1,826 | |
| 1996 | 44.7% 53,897 | 51.1% 61,599 | 4.1% 4,980 | |
| 1992 | 40.8% 51,884 | 48.8% 62,141 | 10.4% 13,248 | |
| 1988 | 39.3% 40,205 | 59.8% 61,216 | 0.9% 944 | |
| 1984 | 39.1% 42,337 | 60.0% 65,001 | 0.8% 913 | |
| 1980 | 42.7% 41,837 | 53.3% 52,249 | 4.0% 4,000 | |
| 1976 | 47.8% 39,659 | 50.6% 42,044 | 1.6% 1,338 | |
| 1972 | 26.1% 18,540 | 71.7% 50,968 | 2.2% 1,584 | |
| 1968 | 23.8% 16,513 | 12.1% 8,387 | 64.1% 44,476[7] | |
| 1964 | - | 78.0% 33,708 | 22.0% 9,515 | |
| 1960 | 48.6% 14,981 | 49.6% 15,278 | 1.8% 555 |
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.