Abilene, TX Metro Area
The Abilene, TX metro area is made up of 3 counties in Texas: Taylor, Jones, and Callahan, largest first. About 185,429 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 5.0% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 185,429 5.0% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 1 central, 2 outlying
- Land area
- 2,744 sq mi (7,106 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Texas
- Combined statistical area
- Abilene-Sweetwater, TX
- CBSA code
- 10180
Counties in the Abilene, TX metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | Central | 150,077 | 80.9% |
| Jones County | Outlying | 20,861 | 11.3% |
| Callahan County | Outlying | 14,491 | 7.8% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Abilene128,053 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Abilene-Sweetwater, TX combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other area in this one is
- Sweetwater, TX Micro Area14,117 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Sweetwater, TX Micro Area39 mi west
- Brownwood, TX Micro Area68 mi southeast
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
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