What the 2020 census tells us about St. Louis’ changing demographics
Ask St. Louisans to define the geographic boundaries of the metro area and you’ll hear all kinds of answers, influenced by where in the region they live and work.
The U.S. Census Bureau has a simpler answer. It defines the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area as 15 counties across Missouri and Illinois.
The counties in Missouri include Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, St. Louis and Warren, plus the city of St. Louis — which has about 300,000 residents. The eight counties that make up the Metro East in Illinois are Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair.