Editing Southwestern United States (section)

==Cities and urban areas==
The area also contains many of the nation's largest cities and metropolitan areas, despite relatively low population density in rural areas. [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] is the fifth most populous city in the country, and [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]] and [[Las Vegas]] were some of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.<ref name="m1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.infoplease.com/us/cities/top-50-cities-us-population-and-rank|title=Top 50 Cities in the U.S. by Population and Rank|website=www.infoplease.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2014/02/14/americas-20-fastest-growing-cities/ | work=Forbes | title=America's 20 Fastest-Growing Cities | access-date=July 12, 2015}}</ref> Also, the region as a whole has witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States, and according to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], in 2008–2009, [[Utah]] was the fastest-growing state in America. As of the 2010 Census, [[Nevada]] was the fastest-growing state in the United States, with an increase of 35.1% in the last ten years. Additionally, Arizona (24.6%), Utah (23.8%), Texas (20.6%), and Colorado (16.9%) were all in the top ten fastest-growing states as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/pf/1012/gallery.fastest_growing_states/index.html|title=10 fastest-growing states - Winner: Nevada (1) - CNNMoney.com|website=money.cnn.com}}</ref>

The largest [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|metropolitan areas]] are centered around [[Phoenix metropolitan area|Phoenix]] (with an estimated population of more than 5 million {{as of|2020|lc=y}}), [[Las Vegas–Paradise, NV MSA|Las Vegas]] (more than 2.2 million), [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]] (more than 1 million), [[Albuquerque metropolitan area|Albuquerque]] (more than 900,000), and [[El Paso metropolitan area|El Paso]] (more than 840,000).<ref name=":0" /> Those five metropolitan areas have an estimated total population of more than 9.6 million {{as of|2017|lc=y}}, with nearly 60 percent of them living in the two [[Arizona]] cities—Phoenix and Tucson.

{{center|'''The five largest cities of the American Southwest (2020 census)'''}}
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Downtown_Phoenix_Aerial_Looking_Northeast.jpg|1. [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] (also the largest [[Metropolitan statistical area|MSA]])
File:Downtown El Paso at sunset.jpeg|2. [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]] (5th largest MSA)
File:Las Vegas 89.jpg|3. [[Las Vegas]] (2nd largest MSA)
File:Abqdowntown.jpg|4. [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]] (also the 4th largest MSA)
File:Tucson shab1.JPG|5. [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]] (3rd largest MSA)
</gallery>

===Largest cities and metropolitan areas (2020 census)===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Rank
! City
! State
! Population<ref name=Census1>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/AZ | title=2020 Census QuickFacts | publisher=U.S. Census Bureau | access-date=April 12, 2022 }}</ref>
! Metro Population<ref name=Census1 />
|-
| align=center | 1
| [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
| [[Arizona]]
| align=right | {{Nts|1,608,139}}
| align=right | {{Nts|4,845,832}}
|-
| align=center | 2
| [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]]
| [[Texas]]
| align=right | {{Nts|678,815}}
| align=right | {{Nts|868,859}}
|-
| align=center | 3
| [[Las Vegas]]
| [[Nevada]]
| align=right | {{Nts|641,903}}
| align=right | {{Nts|2,265,461}}
|-
| align=center | 4
| [[Albuquerque, New Mexico|Albuquerque]]
| [[New Mexico]]
| align=right | {{Nts|564,559}}
| align=right | {{Nts|916,528}}
|-
| align=center | 5
| [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]]
| [[Arizona]]
| align=right | {{Nts|542,629}}
| align=right | {{Nts|1,043,433}}
|-
| align=center | 6
| [[Mesa, Arizona|Mesa]]
| [[Arizona]]
| align=right | {{Nts|504,258}}
| align=right | {{Nts|4,845,832}}
|-
| align=center | 7
| [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
| [[Colorado]]
| align=right | {{Nts|478,961}}
| align=right | {{Nts|755,105}}
|-
| align=center | 8
| [[Henderson, Nevada|Henderson]]
| [[Nevada]]
| align=right | {{Nts|317,610}}
| align=right | {{Nts|2,265,461}}
|-
| align=center | 9
| [[Chandler, Arizona|Chandler]]
| [[Arizona]]
| align=right | {{Nts|275,987}}
| align=right | {{Nts|4,845,832}}
|-
| align=center | 10
| [[Gilbert, Arizona|Gilbert]]
| [[Arizona]]
| align=right | {{Nts|267,918}}
| align=right | {{Nts|4,845,832}}
|}