Researchers from the University of Utah’s Metropolitan Research Center and Smart Growth America, an organization that advocates for sustainable growth, followed up their 2002 report on suburban sprawl by expanding the number of areas included and finding correlations between rankings and quality of life measures.
The report measures 221 metropolitan areas and 994 counties using 2010 statistics in four key areas: residential and employment density, diversity of land use, the proportion of people and businesses located near each other and measures of physical infrastructure, such as the average length of street blocks and the percentage of four-or-more-way intersections.
Since the original 2002 report, a growing body of research has linked development that encourages communities to spread out across great geographical distances to obesity, traffic fatalities, inefficient energy use, even depression.
Researchers weighed the four factors equally, producing an index with an average of 100, meaning metro areas that scored above that tend to be more compact while those scoring below 100 are more sprawling.
The report cautioned against making comparisons between the two decades because the lines of metropolitan statistical areas change, sometimes dramatically.
Four California cities made the top 10 list, with San Francisco ranking second. But the New York City metro area, which stretches into New Jersey, ranked first. Atlantic City finished third, while Trenton finished seventh. Illinois cracked the top 10 list twice, with Champaign at fifth and Springfield at 9th.
The rankings change, though, when controlling for population. For example, Miami jumps to third when filtering for metro areas with populations that exceed one million. Madison, Wis., finished first among medium-sized metro areas, defined as places with populations between 500,000 and one million people.
The most sprawling metro areas, on the other hand, came mostly from the South. Atlanta ranked first on the sprawl list, and the South claimed seven of the top 10. Reid Ewing, a professor of urban planning at the University of Utah, attributed the region’s greater sprawl to cultural values that are less focused on “ecological friendly development,” different investment strategies and a lack of geographical barriers to growth.
“Atlanta can sprawl outward pretty much without limitation,” he said. “Simply the availability of low-cost land at increasing distances may account for some of it.”
Using existing data, researchers also concluded there’s a direct relationship between compactness and economic mobility, finding that a 10-percent increase in a metro area’s overall index score translates to a 4.1 percent increase in the chances a child born in the bottom 20 percent of income distribution reaches the top 20 percent by age 30. Researchers also found that life expectancy increases by about four percent every time an overall index score doubles.
Read the full study here.
Sprawl Index Data
The following table lists Smart Growth's Sprawl Index rankings. Data shown are for metro areas unless otherwise indicated.| Rank | Metro area | Composite score | Density score | Land use mix score | Activity centering score | Street connectivity score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metro Division | 203.36 | 384.29 | 159.34 | 213.49 | 193.8 |
| 2 | San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metro Division | 194.28 | 185.97 | 167.17 | 230.92 | 162.83 |
| 3 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 150.36 | 96.33 | 100.1 | 154.52 | 130.71 |
| 4 | Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA | 146.59 | 112.28 | 148.85 | 109.48 | 122.05 |
| 5 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | 145.16 | 100 | 123.27 | 153.64 | 82.81 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 145.02 | 98.88 | 146.15 | 107.9 | 112.18 |
| 7 | Trenton-Ewing, NJ | 144.71 | 115.88 | 128 | 97.36 | 139.06 |
| 8 | Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metro Division | 144.12 | 160.18 | 136.41 | 117.91 | 166.9 |
| 9 | Springfield, IL | 142.24 | 90.39 | 100.51 | 160.03 | 96.74 |
| 10 | Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metro Division | 139.86 | 161.91 | 155.02 | 79.64 | 181.81 |
| 11 | Reading, PA | 137.90 | 102.22 | 121.83 | 129.72 | 113.76 |
| 12 | Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metro Division | 137.17 | 125.2 | 124.65 | 107.48 | 183.98 |
| 13 | Madison, WI | 136.69 | 101 | 115.83 | 168.11 | 94.85 |
| 14 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 135.06 | 88.32 | 102.21 | 168.79 | 70.68 |
| 15 | Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 134.18 | 113.31 | 126.73 | 153.4 | 130.35 |
| 16 | Boulder, CO | 133.68 | 106.89 | 115.32 | 100.09 | 118.95 |
| 17 | Appleton, WI | 132.69 | 90.65 | 99.81 | 156.72 | 79.92 |
| 18 | Lincoln, NE | 131.95 | 111.55 | 132.99 | 96.74 | 96.78 |
| 19 | Laredo, TX | 131.25 | 104.2 | 117.12 | 99.89 | 106.87 |
| 20 | Erie, PA | 130.39 | 97.73 | 130.61 | 113.69 | 88.92 |
| 21 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA | 130.33 | 187.39 | 160.18 | 115.66 | 154.4 |
| 22 | Spokane, WA | 129.40 | 98.98 | 115.82 | 108.57 | 128.26 |
| 23 | Medford, OR | 128.86 | 89.67 | 115.31 | 128.06 | 80.42 |
| 24 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 128.76 | 149.5 | 148.76 | 86.8 | 131.45 |
| 25 | Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metro Division | 127.24 | 136.28 | 145.75 | 88.11 | 159.44 |
| 26 | Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metro Division | 125.90 | 145.5 | 140.09 | 143.24 | 160.21 |
| 27 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | 125.63 | 95.35 | 125.7 | 116.84 | 91.29 |
| 28 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 124.40 | 98.76 | 128.59 | 101.1 | 135.97 |
| 29 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 124.16 | 105.38 | 132.03 | 79.32 | 115.9 |
| 30 | Salem, OR | 123.35 | 93.11 | 123.48 | 113.5 | 98.1 |
| 31 | Yakima, WA | 123.19 | 90.95 | 117.91 | 133.08 | 65.81 |
| 32 | Ann Arbor, MI | 122.76 | 103.27 | 105.04 | 123.11 | 89.95 |
| 33 | Philadelphia, PA Metro Division | 122.42 | 141.01 | 142.25 | 115.95 | 140.06 |
| 34 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 122.18 | 85.85 | 68.6 | 154.72 | 92.03 |
| 35 | Fargo, ND-MN | 121.82 | 99.18 | 118.65 | 106.96 | 73.56 |
| 36 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 121.71 | 90.94 | 94.08 | 111.91 | 118.68 |
| 37 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 121.64 | 110.63 | 132.86 | 118.02 | 100.81 |
| 38 | Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL Metro Division | 121.41 | 140.93 | 136.53 | 61.79 | 153.66 |
| 39 | Las Vegas-Paradise, NV | 121.20 | 142.12 | 105.02 | 136.42 | 114.29 |
| 40 | Reno-Sparks, NV | 120.85 | 100.78 | 93.69 | 137.29 | 94.06 |
| 41 | Stockton, CA | 120.28 | 106.54 | 135.75 | 82.11 | 121.04 |
| 42 | New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 119.74 | 104.84 | 117.83 | 96.09 | 149.94 |
| 43 | Charlottesville, VA | 119.08 | 91.16 | 86.08 | 141.81 | 71.77 |
| 44 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 118.90 | 89.9 | 119.8 | 103.87 | 88.53 |
| 45 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 118.43 | 84.25 | 67.73 | 142.77 | 108.91 |
| 46 | Bellingham, WA | 118.01 | 85.29 | 92.75 | 113.43 | 96.89 |
| 47 | Corpus Christi, TX | 117.29 | 98.68 | 118.31 | 90.15 | 110.41 |
| 48 | Waco, TX | 117.11 | 87.96 | 96.1 | 100.62 | 107.83 |
| 49 | Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metro Division | 117.04 | 123.33 | 144.75 | 81.01 | 155.85 |
| 50 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 116.76 | 99.56 | 110.42 | 115.34 | 95.11 |
| 51 | Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, MI | 116.62 | 86.77 | 93.77 | 110.97 | 93.62 |
| 52 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 116.29 | 106.86 | 127.52 | 113.51 | 97.82 |
| 53 | Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metro Division | 116.11 | 121.27 | 123.99 | 121.68 | 131.86 |
| 54 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 115.84 | 91.28 | 116.46 | 95.07 | 123.01 |
| 55 | Savannah, GA | 115.81 | 90.08 | 84.94 | 115.36 | 115.03 |
| 56 | Charleston, WV | 115.68 | 83.81 | 67.01 | 136.8 | 112.05 |
| 57 | Baltimore-Towson, MD Metro Division | 115.62 | 115.97 | 123.21 | 123.12 | 136.35 |
| 58 | Salinas, CA | 115.19 | 101.65 | 116 | 102.94 | 90.7 |
| 59 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 115.15 | 94.53 | 106.3 | 96.44 | 100.59 |
| 60 | Rockford, IL | 114.98 | 94.78 | 110.04 | 91.83 | 107.05 |
| 61 | Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metro Division | 114.66 | 115.08 | 123.84 | 98.97 | 118.94 |
| 62 | Olympia, WA | 114.63 | 89.23 | 80.87 | 121 | 98.73 |
| 63 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 113.92 | 93.7 | 132.31 | 91.91 | 96.82 |
| 64 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 113.87 | 107.91 | 133.35 | 78.01 | 118.31 |
| 65 | Lubbock, TX | 113.41 | 97.23 | 116.7 | 87.56 | 90.44 |
| 66 | Modesto, CA | 113.28 | 109.91 | 140.69 | 62.32 | 102.89 |
| 67 | Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ Metro Division | 112.94 | 102.42 | 109.29 | 96.53 | 120.29 |
| 68 | Lancaster, PA | 112.64 | 95.61 | 110.05 | 124.31 | 84.74 |
| 69 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | 112.19 | 95.1 | 104.38 | 114.15 | 89.28 |
| 70 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 111.81 | 92.94 | 105.64 | 104.67 | 81.25 |
| 71 | College Station-Bryan, TX | 111.72 | 102.49 | 94.65 | 91.03 | 91.47 |
| 72 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 111.61 | 101.03 | 92.21 | 141.56 | 72.8 |
| 73 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 111.54 | 85.37 | 88.45 | 112.62 | 113.76 |
| 74 | Lafayette, LA | 111.44 | 90.03 | 87.35 | 115.9 | 92.72 |
| 75 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 111.4 | 93.54 | 102.14 | 99.29 | 119.17 |
| 76 | Gainesville, FL | 111.36 | 94.58 | 87.63 | 102.79 | 99.45 |
| 77 | Tyler, TX | 110.66 | 85.76 | 72.48 | 122.62 | 93.19 |
| 78 | Peoria, IL | 110.49 | 88.93 | 100.39 | 109.76 | 97.72 |
| 79 | Chico, CA | 109.94 | 91.18 | 114.46 | 88.79 | 79.93 |
| 80 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 109.85 | 111.14 | 136.12 | 100.81 | 124.98 |
| 81 | Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metro Division | 109.62 | 126.86 | 139.67 | 90.43 | 113.76 |
| 82 | Las Cruces, NM | 109.17 | 89.33 | 84.27 | 108.16 | 89.06 |
| 83 | Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 108.86 | 90.48 | 87.55 | 112.87 | 86.2 |
| 84 | Norwich-New London, CT | 108.85 | 87.22 | 84.71 | 137.44 | 71.04 |
| 85 | Provo-Orem, UT | 108.45 | 104.53 | 123.55 | 77.37 | 100.08 |
| 86 | Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 108.42 | 102.64 | 120.53 | 99.67 | 103.54 |
| 87 | Columbus, GA-AL | 108.38 | 94.45 | 84.78 | 125.19 | 77.79 |
| 88 | Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME | 107.72 | 86.06 | 79.09 | 157.47 | 80.24 |
| 89 | Amarillo, TX | 107.49 | 96.16 | 109.27 | 76.98 | 91.56 |
| 90 | Tacoma, WA Metro Division | 107.48 | 103.62 | 105.56 | 92.25 | 119.05 |
| 91 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Division | 107.21 | 122.35 | 117.61 | 133.16 | 125.91 |
| 92 | Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO | 107.10 | 118.31 | 119.44 | 109.11 | 125.16 |
| 93 | Canton-Massillon, OH | 106.99 | 90.54 | 106.64 | 76.45 | 117.92 |
| 94 | Salt Lake City, UT | 106.96 | 117.77 | 125.49 | 93.32 | 97.63 |
| 95 | Lafayette, IN | 106.55 | 95.46 | 90.63 | 94.82 | 83.1 |
| 96 | Flint, MI | 106.48 | 89.57 | 90.58 | 114.82 | 97.49 |
| 97 | Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY | 106.36 | 107.94 | 127.67 | 102.46 | 95.1 |
| 98 | Colorado Springs, CO | 106.33 | 102.94 | 108.37 | 75.94 | 121.76 |
| 99 | Merced, CA | 105.86 | 93.9 | 114.76 | 96.48 | 66.25 |
| 100 | El Paso, TX | 105.64 | 114.9 | 99.42 | 73.41 | 128.66 |
| 101 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 105.59 | 91.78 | 121.21 | 70.03 | 102.95 |
| 102 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 105.49 | 97.45 | 101.45 | 84.95 | 126.69 |
| 103 | San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 105.18 | 125.08 | 130.37 | 100.9 | 119.95 |
| 104 | York-Hanover, PA | 105.12 | 90.92 | 95.83 | 113.2 | 90.32 |
| 105 | Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 105.03 | 92.84 | 108.63 | 81.96 | 85.86 |
| 106 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 104.90 | 97.68 | 120.63 | 99.46 | 82.83 |
| 107 | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 104.45 | 106.41 | 105.24 | 102.38 | 131.6 |
| 108 | Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA | 104.34 | 105.4 | 83.28 | 112.77 | 141.95 |
| 109 | Greeley, CO | 103.61 | 87.33 | 99.05 | 94.05 | 85.82 |
| 110 | Camden, NJ Metro Division | 103.22 | 105.39 | 125.72 | 78.53 | 120.07 |
| 111 | Akron, OH | 103.15 | 94.55 | 113.13 | 90.69 | 106.81 |
| 112 | Duluth, MN-WI | 103.14 | 85.24 | 89.56 | 117.03 | 77.22 |
| 113 | Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metro Division | 103.10 | 101.65 | 112.39 | 67.78 | 132.08 |
| 114 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 102.44 | 100.42 | 99.66 | 138.78 | 102.88 |
| 115 | Sioux Falls, SD | 101.75 | 97.68 | 104.85 | 95.96 | 60.16 |
| 116 | Dayton, OH | 101.48 | 93.65 | 114.4 | 95.13 | 105.55 |
| 117 | Toledo, OH | 100.90 | 95.3 | 120.34 | 85.46 | 95.85 |
| 118 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 100.13 | 83.73 | 75.47 | 106.77 | 86.11 |
| 119 | Ogden-Clearfield, UT | 99.58 | 100.96 | 120.39 | 62.22 | 103.52 |
| 120 | Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, CA | 99.27 | 111.65 | 119.11 | 104.19 | 108.92 |
| 121 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 99.22 | 91.87 | 81.41 | 91.52 | 126.34 |
| 122 | Tallahassee, FL | 98.95 | 91.64 | 68.25 | 130.77 | 79.8 |
| 123 | Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, SC | 98.53 | 95.29 | 89.19 | 108.94 | 99.03 |
| 124 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 98.49 | 105.18 | 105.35 | 93 | 150.09 |
| 125 | West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach | 98.18 | 110.73 | 121.02 | 69.66 | 118.46 |
| 126 | Albuquerque, NM | 98.07 | 103.6 | 102.57 | 99.36 | 97.51 |
| 127 | Mobile, AL | 97.48 | 92.43 | 88.23 | 78.79 | 112.3 |
| 128 | Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metro Division | 96.77 | 109.41 | 125.05 | 69.02 | 137.91 |
| 129 | Gary, IN Metro Division | 96.70 | 94.53 | 107.73 | 82.31 | 106.33 |
| 130 | Syracuse, NY | 96.65 | 94.75 | 100.93 | 122.57 | 69.91 |
| 131 | Binghamton, NY | 95.97 | 89.7 | 88.92 | 102.07 | 69.84 |
| 132 | Pittsburgh, PA | 95.45 | 96.16 | 115.14 | 107.78 | 119.33 |
| 133 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 95.12 | 95.4 | 105.96 | 108.19 | 86.04 |
| 134 | Topeka, KS | 94.82 | 88.98 | 83.12 | 102.18 | 71.38 |
| 135 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, WV | 94.13 | 84.1 | 74.1 | 112.54 | 78.51 |
| 136 | Roanoke, VA | 93.77 | 90.65 | 85.88 | 83.67 | 93.21 |
| 137 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 93.50 | 100.12 | 113.1 | 119.54 | 72.59 |
| 138 | Columbus, OH | 93.00 | 101.58 | 112.24 | 95.56 | 112.19 |
| 139 | Fresno, CA | 92.24 | 101.75 | 126.18 | 81.45 | 82.42 |
| 140 | Wichita, KS | 91.74 | 95.63 | 107.27 | 88.57 | 83.65 |
| 141 | Evansville, IN-KY | 91.67 | 91.57 | 92.59 | 86.07 | 84.34 |
| 142 | Visalia-Porterville, CA | 91.55 | 91.94 | 106.37 | 79.64 | 83.98 |
| 143 | Montgomery, AL | 91.20 | 90.01 | 85.97 | 98.71 | 80.5 |
| 144 | Boise City-Nampa, ID | 91.06 | 95.8 | 110.45 | 75.15 | 91.88 |
| 145 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 89.68 | 91.35 | 88.02 | 66.48 | 116.35 |
| 146 | Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | 88.70 | 83.43 | 54.95 | 104.88 | 95.4 |
| 147 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 88.69 | 105.92 | 110.34 | 111.41 | 108.6 |
| 148 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 87.64 | 87.51 | 54.24 | 95.32 | 128.15 |
| 149 | Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | 87.61 | 86.03 | 69.8 | 80.53 | 97.52 |
| 150 | Fort Wayne, IN | 86.67 | 92.42 | 93.7 | 89.9 | 73.85 |
| 151 | Tulsa, OK | 86.65 | 90.54 | 92.4 | 93.54 | 103.35 |
| 152 | Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metro Division | 86.15 | 111.46 | 105.9 | 94.21 | 129.74 |
| 153 | Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH | 85.62 | 105.11 | 123.72 | 95.54 | 84.96 |
| 154 | Utica-Rome, NY | 84.71 | 90.87 | 83.53 | 98.35 | 61.91 |
| 155 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | 84.25 | 96.99 | 87.3 | 109.43 | 88.16 |
| 156 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 83.97 | 102.4 | 85.79 | 89.29 | 129.14 |
| 157 | Springfield, MO | 83.96 | 89.1 | 89.25 | 75.99 | 91.87 |
| 158 | Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | 83.89 | 98.11 | 99.65 | 98.42 | 102.31 |
| 159 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 83.89 | 94.43 | 76.78 | 90.99 | 104.6 |
| 160 | Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX | 83.12 | 89.16 | 79.86 | 78.17 | 94.8 |
| 161 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 82.92 | 98.44 | 89.48 | 93.12 | 102.87 |
| 162 | Oklahoma City, OK | 82.07 | 94.64 | 96.26 | 89.86 | 100.38 |
| 163 | St. Louis, MO-IL | 82.06 | 97.68 | 108.29 | 93.86 | 113.8 |
| 164 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 81.78 | 101.29 | 114.13 | 76.82 | 73.14 |
| 165 | Jacksonville, FL | 80.85 | 96.81 | 82.5 | 90.17 | 111.76 |
| 166 | Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN | 80.75 | 98.75 | 107.8 | 98.95 | 93.67 |
| 167 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 80.75 | 92.74 | 77.05 | 62.73 | 106.43 |
| 168 | Macon, GA | 79.92 | 84.72 | 71.9 | 86.32 | 74.47 |
| 169 | Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY | 79.51 | 89.38 | 95.38 | 97.49 | 70.3 |
| 170 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 79.18 | 91.39 | 91.78 | 99.15 | 74.75 |
| 171 | Tucson, AZ | 78.92 | 100.79 | 90.96 | 78.71 | 94.72 |
| 172 | Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Division | 78.56 | 103.71 | 100.89 | 72.55 | 117.21 |
| 173 | Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ | 78.32 | 111.6 | 102.36 | 96.37 | 111.33 |
| 174 | Holland-Grand Haven, MI | 78.17 | 86.45 | 81.52 | 78.64 | 71.71 |
| 175 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 78.08 | 87.36 | 100.76 | 74.1 | 81.52 |
| 176 | Huntsville, AL | 78.02 | 86.18 | 58.29 | 89.43 | 99.31 |
| 177 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 77.91 | 96.94 | 79.64 | 60.02 | 105.42 |
| 178 | Kansas City, MO-KS | 77.60 | 96.84 | 109.49 | 80.45 | 103.52 |
| 179 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 77.37 | 100.67 | 93.56 | 95.15 | 102.43 |
| 180 | Wilmington, NC | 77.27 | 85.89 | 73.12 | 83.92 | 84.13 |
| 181 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 76.84 | 88.54 | 81.12 | 75.12 | 88.65 |
| 182 | Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 76.74 | 108.3 | 102.66 | 92.56 | 129.43 |
| 183 | Asheville, NC | 76.52 | 80.71 | 64.12 | 97.61 | 88.53 |
| 184 | Richmond, VA | 76.41 | 96.36 | 78.08 | 101.95 | 92.83 |
| 185 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 76.08 | 88 | 75.36 | 93.55 | 90.35 |
| 186 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | 75.23 | 91.57 | 81.95 | 55.19 | 90.69 |
| 187 | Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 74.69 | 90.92 | 77.74 | 51.43 | 105.96 |
| 188 | Ocala, FL | 74.67 | 80.8 | 41.3 | 105.49 | 91.78 |
| 189 | Rochester, NY | 74.50 | 96.12 | 103.86 | 96.77 | 62 |
| 190 | Spartanburg, SC | 74.00 | 81.26 | 68.26 | 91.26 | 72.48 |
| 191 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 73.84 | 91.59 | 74.84 | 80.27 | 84.98 |
| 192 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | 73.55 | 86.67 | 67.88 | 99.52 | 105.21 |
| 193 | Longview, TX | 73.06 | 81.66 | 71.62 | 81.06 | 68.46 |
| 194 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 72.63 | 87.79 | 76.94 | 72.39 | 84.53 |
| 195 | Jackson, MS | 72.30 | 87.35 | 64.41 | 105.46 | 73.8 |
| 196 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 70.77 | 96.6 | 77.76 | 94.23 | 90.62 |
| 197 | Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC | 70.45 | 94.55 | 84.71 | 103.05 | 86.93 |
| 198 | Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 70.32 | 85.55 | 75 | 85.58 | 64.97 |
| 199 | Knoxville, TN | 68.22 | 88.1 | 60.62 | 100.77 | 82.53 |
| 200 | Columbia, SC | 67.45 | 89.63 | 69.14 | 108.38 | 66.63 |
| 201 | Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metro Division | 67.03 | 97.88 | 110.33 | 70.54 | 96.17 |
| 202 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO | 66.26 | 84.55 | 67.95 | 80.67 | 81.81 |
| 203 | Fayetteville, NC | 66.02 | 91.13 | 71.69 | 72.57 | 71.77 |
| 204 | Green Bay, WI | 65.35 | 89.9 | 90.49 | 66.77 | 53.34 |
| 205 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | 64.84 | 80.74 | 56.78 | 75.3 | 86.02 |
| 206 | Lynchburg, VA | 63.97 | 81.51 | 57.07 | 76.38 | 77.42 |
| 207 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | 63.63 | 86.14 | 61.15 | 94.27 | 72.9 |
| 208 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | 63.50 | 88.22 | 80.57 | 84.94 | 70.7 |
| 209 | Winston-Salem, NC | 63.44 | 86.43 | 68.62 | 87.42 | 68.47 |
| 210 | Florence, SC | 61.06 | 81.22 | 51.13 | 87.85 | 61.44 |
| 211 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 60.13 | 85.24 | 55.15 | 73.04 | 65.97 |
| 212 | Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA | 60.00 | 78.73 | 40.53 | 89.67 | 82.87 |
| 213 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 59.18 | 85.25 | 60.69 | 88.47 | 73.85 |
| 214 | Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC | 58.98 | 86.69 | 72.89 | 81.15 | 71.4 |
| 215 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 56.25 | 103.72 | 111.18 | 77.03 | 80.33 |
| 216 | Baton Rouge, LA | 55.60 | 91.27 | 72.03 | 69.74 | 80.4 |
| 217 | Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN | 51.74 | 91.54 | 63.92 | 96.17 | 77 |
| 218 | Prescott, AZ | 48.96 | 82.33 | 53.19 | 58.15 | 69.96 |
| 219 | Clarksville, TN-KY | 41.49 | 84.48 | 39.67 | 74.47 | 60.83 |
| 220 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA | 40.99 | 97.8 | 85.47 | 89.89 | 75.92 |
| 221 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 24.86 | 78.64 | 40.46 | 67 | 56.95 |
Source: Smart Growth America, 2014 metro area Sprawl Index ranking
