The Ponce

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

 Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau

United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

 defined Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in south central Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

. A July 1, 2009 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 262,414, a 0.95% decrease from the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

 figure of 264,919.

Ponce

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

 is the third largest metropolitan area (by population) in Puerto Rico. Of the eight MSA areas in the Commonwealth, only Ponce and Mayagüez

Mayagüez metropolitan area

The Mayagüez Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in west central Puerto Rico...

 experienced population declines during the 2000-2009 period.

Municipalities

A total of three municipalities (Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

: municipios) are included as part of the Ponce Metropolitan Statistical Area. They are:

• Juana Díaz
  Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico
  Juana Díaz is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Jayuya, Ciales, Orocovis and Villalba; east of Ponce; and west of Coamo and Santa Isabel and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Juana Díaz is spread over 12 wards and Juana Diaz Pueblo...
  
  
• Ponce
  Ponce, Puerto Rico
  Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
  
  --Principal City
• Villalba
  Villalba, Puerto Rico
  Villalba is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region, northeast of Juana Díaz; south of Orocovis; and west of Coamo. Villalba is spread over 6 wards and Villalba Pueblo...
  
  

Combined Statistical Area

The Ponce–Yauco

Yauco, Puerto Rico

Yauco is a city and municipality in southwestern Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island by the Caribbean, south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande and Guánica; and west of Guayanilla. Yauco is spread over 20 wards and Yauco Pueblo...

–Coamo

Coamo, Puerto Rico

Coamo is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern region, north of Santa Isabel; south of Orocovis and Barranquitas; east of Villalba and Juana Díaz; and west of Aibonito and Salinas. Coamo is spread over 10 wards and Coamo Pueblo...

 Combined Statistical Area (CSA) includes two metropolitan areas

United States metropolitan area

In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...

, two micropolitan areas

United States micropolitan area

United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...

, and nine municipalities. A July 1, 2009 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 483,149, a 2.07% increase over the 2000 census

United States Census, 2000

The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...

 figure of 442,244. The Ponce–Yauco–Coamo Combined Statistical Area comprises 12.2% of Puerto Rico's total population.

Components

• Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
  • Ponce (3 Municipalities)
  • Yauco
    Yauco metropolitan area
    The Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area in southwestern Puerto Rico. A July 1, 2009 Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 125,266, a 6.10% increase over the 2000 census figure of 118,063.-Municipalities:A total of...
    
     (4 Municipalities)

• Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs)
  • Coamo (1 Municipality)
  • Santa Isabel (1 Municipality)