> Statistics junkies like me might want to check out this series of web pages on major U.S. cities. The first page is a listing of the 50 most populous U.S. cities, and if you keep following the chain of "next" buttons at the bottom, you'll be taken to still more interesting numbers.
>

I thought that the way they broke down the cost of living index was helpful. NYC Housing: 486.3!

I'm not certain about the accuracy of the population numbers. According to the US Census, New York City has about 8,546,846 people, not 7,322,564 as this site says. (see http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/metro-city/ma99-01.txt ) There was a big deal made about having over 8 million people a few weeks ago.

In response to a question Sam had about where the Metropolitan area end, it looks like that page I referenced has included Austin, TX, and San Marcos, TX in one "metropolitan area". I'd say that it's where the houses start thinning out.

Of course, that makes Newark, NJ, and New Haven, CT, part of the New York City Metro Area.

-Faux "'thinning out' is subjective" Pas