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U.S. Cities with the Biggest Economies

Name the American metro areas with the largest economies.
Based on metro areas (MSA), not city proper. 2018 data.
Some answers are are in the same urban area (CSA). They have been color-coded.
Quiz by relessness
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Last updated: February 1, 2020
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First submittedOctober 17, 2012
Times taken52,577
Average score79.2%
Rating4.87
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GDP ($)
City
2007 bil
New York City
1207 bil
Los Angeles
771 bil
Chicago
621 bil
Dallas
612 bil
Washington D.C.
606 bil
San Francisco
584 bil
Houston
515 bil
Boston
GDP ($)
City
505 bil
Philadelphia
452 bil
Atlanta
435 bil
Seattle
403 bil
Miami
335 bil
San Jose
296 bil
Minneapolis
294 bil
Phoenix
291 bil
Detroit
GDP ($)
City
272 bil
San Diego
245 bil
Denver
219 bil
Baltimore
205 bil
Charlotte
191 bil
Portland
180 bil
St. Louis
174 bil
Austin
172 bil
Tampa
+18
Level 67
Jul 25, 2016
It could be a big help to know the NBA
+1
Level 36
May 27, 2022
agreed LOL
+5
Level 46
Sep 1, 2016
I am surprised that Pittsburgh made the cut, but not Austin.
+26
Level ∞
Feb 1, 2020
Austin has now replaced Pittsburgh.
+24
Level 71
Sep 1, 2016
I'm surprised that Las Vegas isn't here.
+12
Level 88
Sep 1, 2016
Yeah, I tried Las Vegas, Orlando, and New Orleans thinking the tourism industry may get them on the list. I also thought Nashville might make the cut with the music industry. I was wrong about all of them though, but got all the correct answers with a little guessing.
+5
Level 47
Sep 1, 2016
According to the source, in 2014, Las Vegas had a GDP of $94 billion.
+2
Level 67
Sep 13, 2020
same
+2
Level 55
Sep 1, 2016
Boise ? Juneau ?? Des Moines ?!
+20
Level 88
Sep 1, 2016
hahaha...no kidding - potatoes, fish, and wheat. What else do you need!
+10
Level 88
Jul 2, 2018
Bangor was the "lumber capital of the world". Back when 5,000 people were a big population in the US.
+19
Level 92
May 9, 2019
I'll swap wool and bricks for lumber and wheat
+3
Level 46
Sep 11, 2020
Definitely not Boise or Juneau 90minutes
+13
Level 82
Sep 1, 2016
Surprised that Detroit and Saint Louis are still rocking
+2
Level 66
Sep 1, 2016
Same. I guess a surprisingly large amount of economic activity can happen even in a city that has been largely abandoned
+10
Level 47
Sep 1, 2016
Also this is the metropolitan area not just the city itself. While the city has lost 60% of its population since 1950, Metro Detroit has gained 30%
+3
Level 61
Mar 4, 2020
With Ford and GM still headquartered in Detroit and suburban Dearborn, and Fiat Chrysler USA headquartered in suburban Auburn Hills, it isn't that surprising.
+17
Level 82
Sep 4, 2016
In the United States, if a city is considered decaying, bankrupt and abandoned, that means it still has a bigger GDP than New Zealand or 50% of the countries in Europe.
+6
Level 78
Nov 4, 2020
Are you implying that big and decaying is somehow better than small and sustainable?
+2
Level 82
Feb 22, 2021
Just that poverty, economic relevance, and most other things are relative, and that the US is still by any measure among the wealthiest countries in the world. Even its cities that are known to be struggling and often thought of as derelict and bankrupt are still "rocking," to an extent, comparatively speaking.
+1
Level 82
Feb 22, 2021
Also, I'm pretty sure that the average resident of Moldova or Albania probably isn't too happy with the economy being "sustained" as current levels. Anemic or stagnant would be better adjectives than sustainable.
+1
Level 26
Jan 25, 2023
it's the metro area. Detroit's automotive industry is still pretty steady even though people have moved out of the inner city parts
+2
Level 37
Sep 3, 2016
Good to see Boston so high up! I tried Tampa and New Orleans and surprised they don't beat Pittsburgh, and also quite surprised Detroit is still so high up. Good quiz!
+4
Level 45
Jan 1, 2018
Colorado Springs? Salt Lake City? las Vegas? Where are they?

Surprised they aren't here

+45
Level 83
Jan 4, 2018
They are in Colorado, Utah and Nevada.
+2
Level 79
Oct 9, 2019
Indeed.
+6
Level 79
Oct 9, 2019
Aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh.... typed 'Pennsylvania' when I meant to type 'Philadelphia'........
+3
Level 77
Mar 3, 2020
Same here
+1
Level 68
Dec 7, 2023
Always happens to me, too.

lol

+2
Level 75
Feb 2, 2020
The link doesn't work.
+2
Level ∞
Feb 2, 2020
Weird. It worked for me when I clicked from Google, but now it is behind a paywall. I really hate that site (statista). They get their data from other sources but won't tell you where they get it unless you pay. In any case, I removed the link. Sorry there is no listed source now.
+3
Level 73
Feb 2, 2020
There's a lot of time in this quiz. One can easily guess all the major cities in the US with plenty of time left. I just went systematically through the country starting on the west coast then going east. Finished with 1:48 left. Maybe cut a minute from the quiz?
+2
Level 61
Feb 2, 2020
Can you add how they are color coded?
+2
Level 64
Mar 4, 2020
Being a native Texan who is a Geographer and Environmental Protection Specialist (Coastal & Marine issues) I’m familiar with the state and the economies. Houston is a megalopolis that is the fourth most populous city in the nation. It has one of the two large ports in the state, a large number of petrochemical plants, which Dallas doesn’t have. There are many corporations headquartered in Houston and the Port Authority of Houston merged with maritime transit, management... of the Port of Galveston.

It’s obvious to me that Houston has a more robust economy than Dallas. For some reason Dallas is higher on the list than Houston.

+3
Level 62
Jun 27, 2020
Houston is only 4th by city proper which is a meaningless statistic. By metro it isn’t even the largest in Texas
+1
Level 26
Jan 25, 2023
exactly. Dallas metro is a bigger area and more attractive for most industries with the exception of oil
+2
Level 61
Mar 4, 2020
I figured San Jose was lumped in with San Francisco. Guess I was wrong.
+2
Level 66
Mar 4, 2020
I read the caveat first and from that assumed they were both on here. Color coding of blue told me if I guessed one of those the other one was a nearby city. Same as the two red ones. They are usually lumped together as a part of the same MSA.
+2
Level 46
Sep 11, 2020
I always forget that Tampa has a high GDP
+2
Level 59
Nov 17, 2020
i can not fathom how st louis has a bigger economy than orlando and las vegas
+1
Level 65
Jan 13, 2021
I only missed Baltimore, I've never seen it used on a JetPunk quiz before.
+1
Level 58
Jun 26, 2021
I'm so pissed I spelt Houston houstin and missed it omg
+1
Level 63
Jan 26, 2022
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa i missed San Fran but got San Jose
+1
Level 77
Nov 1, 2022
Really surprised that Orlando, Honolulu, and Vegas are not on here. I guess tourism doesn't have as much impact on the local economy as i thought.
+1
Level 65
Feb 28, 2023
St Louis has almost 3x more murders than Vegas (64 vs 23 per 100k)

Which is in third-world Mexico/Brazil/Venezuela/South Africa territory. I guess the worst in America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_homicide_rate

I've never been to St Louis, but don't understand how it makes the list while Vegas & Orlando (way down at 7/100k) don't. I assume it's something like a tax haven. Who would want to take their business there otherwise?

I think both Vegas & Orlando have plenty of air traffic & transportation as well.