U.S. Regional Media Markets

Nielsen defines 210 Designated Market Areas (DMAs) representing distinct regional media markets across the United States. Each DMA comprises counties where local television stations hold dominant viewership share, creating geographic boundaries for media monitoring, advertising placement, and news coverage analysis. Markets are ranked by total television households.

Major Markets (Rank 1-50)

These top 50 markets represent approximately 70% of U.S. television households and serve as primary hubs for national and regional media operations.

1. New York - 7.4M households - View Details
2. Los Angeles - 5.7M households - View Details
3. Chicago - 3.5M households - View Details
4. Philadelphia - 3.0M households - Coming Soon
5. Dallas-Fort Worth - 2.9M households - Coming Soon
6. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose - 2.6M households - Coming Soon
7. Atlanta - 2.6M households - Coming Soon
8. Houston - 2.5M households - Coming Soon
9. Boston (Manchester) - 2.5M households - Coming Soon
10. Washington DC (Hagerstown) - 2.5M households - Coming Soon
11. Phoenix (Prescott) - 2.0M households
12. Seattle-Tacoma - 2.0M households
13. Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) - 2.0M households
14. Minneapolis-St. Paul - 1.8M households
15. Detroit - 1.8M households
16. Miami-Fort Lauderdale - 1.7M households
17. Denver - 1.7M households
18. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne - 1.6M households
19. Cleveland-Akron (Canton) - 1.5M households
20. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto - 1.5M households
21. St. Louis - 1.3M households
22. Portland, OR - 1.3M households
23. Pittsburgh - 1.2M households
24. Charlotte - 1.2M households
25. Indianapolis - 1.2M households
26. Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville) - 1.2M households
27. Baltimore - 1.2M households
28. Nashville - 1.2M households
29. San Diego - 1.1M households
30. Hartford & New Haven - 1.0M households
31. Kansas City - 1.0M households
32. Columbus, OH - 1.0M households
33. Salt Lake City - 1.0M households
34. Milwaukee - 0.95M households
35. Cincinnati - 0.94M households
36. San Antonio - 0.93M households
37. West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce - 0.91M households
38. Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson - 0.88M households
39. Birmingham (Anniston-Tuscaloosa) - 0.77M households
40. Las Vegas - 0.77M households
41. Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek - 0.75M households
42. Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News - 0.75M households
43. Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York - 0.74M households
44. Oklahoma City - 0.74M households
45. Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem - 0.73M households
46. Louisville - 0.72M households
47. Albuquerque-Santa Fe - 0.71M households
48. Austin - 0.71M households
49. Memphis - 0.70M households
50. Jacksonville, FL - 0.70M households

Large Markets (Rank 51-100)

51. Buffalo - 0.67M households
52. Providence-New Bedford - 0.66M households
53. New Orleans - 0.65M households
54. Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Hazleton - 0.55M households
55. Little Rock-Pine Bluff - 0.54M households
56. Richmond-Petersburg - 0.54M households
57. Mobile-Pensacola (Fort Walton Beach) - 0.53M households
58. Knoxville - 0.53M households
59. Tulsa - 0.52M households
60. Lexington - 0.52M households
61. Dayton - 0.52M households
62. Charleston-Huntington - 0.51M households
63. Wichita-Hutchinson Plus - 0.44M households
64. Green Bay-Appleton - 0.44M households
65. Fresno-Visalia - 0.43M households
66. Des Moines-Ames - 0.43M households
67. Albany-Schenectady-Troy - 0.43M households
68. Omaha - 0.43M households
69. Tucson (Sierra Vista) - 0.43M households
70. Honolulu - 0.43M households
71. Springfield, MO - 0.42M households
72. Rochester, NY - 0.40M households
73. Shreveport - 0.39M households
74. Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg - 0.39M households
75. Flint-Saginaw-Bay City - 0.38M households
76. Portland-Auburn, ME - 0.38M households
77. Spokane - 0.38M households
78. Huntsville-Decatur (Florence) - 0.38M households
79. Roanoke-Lynchburg - 0.37M households
80. Toledo - 0.37M households
81. Madison - 0.37M households
82. Champaign & Springfield-Decatur - 0.36M households
83. Chattanooga - 0.36M households
84. Tri-Cities, TN-VA - 0.35M households
85. Waco-Temple-Bryan - 0.35M households
86. Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City & Dubuque - 0.34M households
87. Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen - 0.34M households
88. Columbia, SC - 0.34M households
89. Colorado Springs-Pueblo - 0.34M households
90. Baton Rouge - 0.34M households
91. Savannah - 0.33M households
92. South Bend-Elkhart - 0.33M households
93. Charleston, SC - 0.33M households
94. Davenport-Rock Island-Moline - 0.32M households
95. Johnstown-Altoona-State College - 0.32M households
96. Jackson, MS - 0.32M households
97. Burlington-Plattsburgh - 0.31M households
98. El Paso (Las Cruces) - 0.31M households
99. Fort Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers - 0.31M households
100. Evansville - 0.30M households

Medium Markets (Rank 101-150)

101. McAllen-Brownsville - 0.30M households
102. Boise - 0.29M households
103. Fort Wayne - 0.29M households
104. Peoria-Bloomington - 0.29M households
105. Syracuse - 0.29M households
106. Lincoln & Hastings-Kearney - 0.28M households
107. Myrtle Beach-Florence - 0.28M households
108. Springfield-Holyoke, MA - 0.28M households
109. Tyler-Longview (Lufkin & Nacogdoches) - 0.27M households
110. Monterey-Salinas - 0.27M households
111. Tallahassee-Thomasville - 0.27M households
112. Youngstown - 0.27M households
113. Eugene - 0.26M households
114. Reno - 0.26M households
115. Sioux Falls (Mitchell) - 0.26M households
116. Montgomery-Selma - 0.25M households
117. Augusta-Aiken - 0.25M households
118. Lafayette, LA - 0.25M households
119. Fargo-Valley City - 0.25M households
120. Lansing - 0.24M households
121. Columbus, GA (Opelika, AL) - 0.24M households
122. Corpus Christi - 0.24M households
123. Ft. Myers-Naples - 0.24M households
124. Traverse City-Cadillac - 0.24M households
125. Amarillo - 0.23M households
126. La Crosse-Eau Claire - 0.23M households
127. Bakersfield - 0.23M households
128. Topeka - 0.23M households
129. Columbia-Jefferson City, MO - 0.22M households
130. Duluth-Superior - 0.22M households
131. Wausau-Rhinelander - 0.22M households
132. Anchorage - 0.22M households
133. Rockford - 0.22M households
134. Lubbock - 0.21M households
135. Minot-Bismarck-Dickinson (Williston) - 0.21M households
136. Macon - 0.21M households
137. Odessa-Midland - 0.21M households
138. Beaumont-Port Arthur - 0.21M households
139. Columbus-Tupelo-West Point-Houston - 0.21M households
140. Biloxi-Gulfport - 0.20M households
141. Chico-Redding - 0.20M households
142. Monroe-El Dorado - 0.20M households
143. Erie - 0.20M households
144. Joplin-Pittsburg - 0.20M households
145. Wilmington - 0.20M households
146. Sioux City - 0.19M households
147. Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick - 0.19M households
148. Medford-Klamath Falls - 0.19M households
149. Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk - 0.19M households
150. Abilene-Sweetwater - 0.19M households

Small Markets (Rank 151-210)

151. Columbus-Starkville-West Point - 0.19M households
152. Wheeling-Steubenville - 0.18M households
153. Greenwood-Greenville - 0.18M households
154. Terre Haute - 0.18M households
155. Dothan - 0.18M households
156. Marquette - 0.18M households
157. Laredo - 0.18M households
158. Panama City - 0.18M households
159. Watertown - 0.17M households
160. Clarksburg-Weston - 0.17M households
161. Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill - 0.17M households
162. Lake Charles - 0.17M households
163. Wichita Falls & Lawton - 0.17M households
164. Sherman-Ada - 0.17M households
165. Utica - 0.16M households
166. Meridian - 0.16M households
167. Bend, OR - 0.16M households
168. Twin Falls - 0.16M households
169. Missoula - 0.16M households
170. Yuma-El Centro - 0.16M households
171. Rapid City - 0.15M households
172. Harrisonburg - 0.15M households
173. Albany, GA - 0.15M households
174. Hattiesburg-Laurel - 0.15M households
175. Billings - 0.15M households
176. Elmira (Corning) - 0.15M households
177. Salisbury - 0.15M households
178. Jonesboro - 0.14M households
179. Bangor - 0.14M households
180. Eureka - 0.14M households
181. Rochester-Mason City-Austin - 0.14M households
182. Jackson, TN - 0.14M households
183. Alexandria, LA - 0.14M households
184. San Angelo - 0.14M households
185. Parkersburg - 0.14M households
186. Butte-Bozeman - 0.14M households
187. Charlottesville - 0.14M households
188. Mankato - 0.13M households
189. Lima - 0.13M households
190. Grand Junction-Montrose - 0.13M households
191. Lafayette, IN - 0.13M households
192. Idaho Falls-Pocatello - 0.13M households
193. Great Falls - 0.13M households
194. Bowling Green - 0.13M households
195. Casper-Riverton - 0.13M households
196. Cheyenne-Scottsbluff - 0.12M households
197. Presque Isle - 0.12M households
198. Zanesville - 0.12M households
199. Abilene-Sweetwater - 0.12M households
200. Victoria - 0.12M households
201. Ottumwa-Kirksville - 0.12M households
202. St. Joseph - 0.12M households
203. Gainesville - 0.12M households
204. Juneau - 0.11M households
205. Helena - 0.11M households
206. Bend - 0.11M households
207. Fairbanks - 0.11M households
208. Alpena - 0.11M households
209. North Platte - 0.10M households
210. Glendive - 0.10M households

About DMAs

Designated Market Areas are defined and maintained by Nielsen, the television ratings company. DMA boundaries are based on measured viewing patterns rather than political or geographic boundaries. Counties are assigned to the DMA where they receive the strongest television signal and where residents watch programming most frequently. These designations affect advertising rates, media planning, and broadcast rights for local stations.

Markets with detailed coverage pages include comprehensive information about local television stations, radio broadcasters, newspaper outlets, digital publishers, media consumption patterns, and regional characteristics affecting news coverage and advertising strategies.