A Case Study of a Metropolitan Area

A case study of Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
A case study of Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA Introduction The Providence Metropolitan Area is a region that covers eight counties within two states, and it is ranked the 38th largest among metropolitan areas in the U.S. The area is anchored by the City of Providence, which is in Rhode Island, and currently has a population estimated at 1,622,520 people. The population exceeds that of Rhode Island by approximately 60%, with the Metropolitan Area extending to almost all of Rhode Island's area. The area further extends into the southern part of Massachusetts, with the area having a population density of 888 people per km2. It has a Gross Metropolitan Product of $64.7 billion, ranked the 42nd largest in the country, and slightly higher than Hawaii's. The Metropolitan Area was included in the Greater Boston Combined Statistical Area (CSA) in 2006; Greater Boston has more than 8 million people and is ranked the 6th largest CSA in the United States of America. The case study presented analyzes the present structure (spatial, jurisdictional, socioeconomic, and political) and the development that led to the metropolitan area's present structure. Major cities constituting this metropolitan area The principal cities in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA include Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, and Warwick in Rhode Island, Fall River, and Attleboro Massachusetts. Providence city has the highest population, and it is among the oldest cities in the country. Roger Williams founded the city in 1636, and it was among the earliest to industrialize. It also became famous for manufacturing textiles, leading to the growth of silverware, jewelry, and machine tool industries. It has a population of 179,883 people, and it is ranked the third most populous city. Pawtucket city is found in Providence County in Rhode Island. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 71,148 people. It is ranked 4th in terms of size in the state. It borders Central Falls, Providence, Lincoln, North Providence, and East Providence (all in Rhode Island) and Attleboro and Seekonk in Massachusetts State.
Fall River city is found in Massachusetts (in Bristol County). According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 88,857 people, thus being ranked the 10th largest in the state. It is located along the shore of Mount Hope Bay, and it became famous during the 19th century as it was the leading manufacturing center for textile in the U.S. It is currently known for its Portuguese culture, the cult murders at Fall River, the Lizzie Borden case, the Battleship cove and textile mills from the 19th century, the collection of naval vessels used in the Second World War, and hosting the USS Massachusetts battleship. It plays a major role in the history of the country. New Bradford is also found in Bristol County in Massachusetts. The population of the city as per the 2010 census was 95,072 people, and so it was ranked the 6th largest in the state. It is among the most crucial whaling ports and hence nicknamed The Whaling City. The city remains famous because of its fishing fleet and the seafood sector associated with it, and the high population of Portuguese Americans. Warwick city is in Kent County in Rhode Island. It is the largest city in the county and has a population of 80,487 people. It is 19km from Providence, 101km from Boston, and 275km from New York City. Samuel Gorton founded the city in 1642, and it has played a major role in shaping American history. It hosts the main port in Rhode Island, T.F Green Airport, which also serves other states. Its growth has mainly been due to the transport industry. Cranston city is in Providence in Rhode Island. The population during the 2010 Census was 80,559 people, ranking it the 2nd largest within the state. In 2006, it featured in the list of the ‘100 Best Places to Live', which was released by Money magazine. It is also among the safest cities, making it a major and preferred city of residence for many. On the other hand, Attleboro city is in Bristol County in Massachusetts. It was initially called 'The Jewelry Capital of the World' because it has a high number of industries manufacturing jewelry. The 2010 Census showed the city had a population of 43,593 people. The city lies 16km from Taunton, 10 miles from Providence, 29km from Fall River, and 63km from Boston. Its strategic location has also played a major role in its growth and industrialization. What are the major industries of this metropolitan area? What is the geographical distribution of economic activity within the metropolitan area? Major industries The value of industries in the Metropolitan Area in 2018 was 812k± 15,280, and this was a 1.35%± 2.66% decline compared to the previous year. Notably, the rate of employment in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA between 2017 and 2018 declined at a 1.35% rate, with the number of workers reducing from 823k to 812k. However, it is also important to note that the most common industries that create employment opportunities for the residents in the Metropolitan Area are Health Care and Social Assistance (they employ 133,677 people), Retail Trade (it employs 99,195 people), and the Manufacturing Sector, which employs 87,333 people. The chart presented below highlights a breakdown of the major industries that create employment opportunities for the Metropolitan Area people. However, some of the people living in the area work in other areas. As such, the Census data that was collected and used to come up with the rates was tagged to the people's residential address and not their work address.
Ethnic and Age Distribution Ethnicity Providence-Warwick, RI-MA MSA is a wide area with notable demographic variations to mark its uniqueness. In 2018, the population was estimated to be 1.62 million people. The number has been increasing considerably. However, using the 2018 statistics as the base year for this analysis, Providence's demographic factors bear unique variations. The median age for the people of Providence-Warwick stood at 40.3 years. 95% of Providence-Warwick's population are citizens. As of 2018, 14.2% of Providence-Warwick's population were born outside the country. That represented about 230,000 individuals. Ethnicity is another aspect of uniqueness in Providence-Warwick. In 2018, there were 10.3 times more non-Hispanic whites than any other ethnicity. The ethnic constitution is that whites are 1.21 million, Hispanics are 118,000, and African Americans are84,900 individuals. Non-English Speakers There are other languages spoken in Providence-Warwick, even though English is the dominant language. At least 22% of the Providence-Warwick population are speakers of non-English languages. That number is higher than the national average that stands at 21.9%. Spanish was the most spoken non-English language in 2018, standing at 10.1% of the total language use. Portuguese was the second highly spoken non-English language standing at 5.71%. At least 0.926% of the Providence-Warwick population spoke French in 2018. The distribution of languages in Providence-Warwick is highly linked to the increasing number of foreign-born populations. As of 2018, 14.2% of the population were born outside the U.S. That was a 0.1% increase from the previous year. The number of people born outside the U.S. in Providence-Warwick is higher than the national average that stood at 13.7% in 2018. The following tables show changes in foreign-born populations in Providence-Warwick between 2015 and 2018 in comparison to neighboring geographies: In the 2018 table above, the foreign-born populations constituted 14.2% of the Providence-Warwick population. The only geographical regions with bigger numbers were Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Massachusetts, which stood at 17.1% and 15.5%. The increase in foreign-born populations in Providence-Warwick is notable when the 2018 numbers are compared with the 2015 numbers as indicated in the 2015 table below: Only 13.8% of the Providence-Warwick population were foreign-born. That number represents a considerable increment in comparison to the 2018 numbers. The growth is even more significant considering that surrounding regions such as Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Massachusetts majorly maintained their populations. Boston-Cambridge-Newton and Massachusetts had foreign-born populations representing 17.1% and 15.5%, respectively, just like in 2018 (George Mason University). While other metropolitan regions majorly maintained their foreign-born populations in three years, Providence-Warwick's population increased considerably. The nativity in Providence-Warwick extends beyond the basic tenets of population growth. The median age of the Providence-Warwick population is highly influenced by its foreign-born population. While the Providence-Warwick population's median age stood at 40.3 in 2018, the median a...