Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019

What the Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019 Mean for Your PR Communication Campaigns

One of the primary goals of public relations is to get a specific message out to as many people in the targeted demographic as possible and in the most cost-efficient manner. Public relations professionals utilize the Internet, social media, broadcast and print as primary tools for message dissemination. Among the broadcast choices are Audio News Releases (ANRs) and Radio Media Tours (RMTs). Non-profit organizations also rely on the communication capabilities of radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs).

Whether you choose ANRs, RMTs or PSAs, it’s critical to the success of a public relations campaign to target the best media outlets. There are two routes for radio placement: earned and paid. Which you use depends on content. If you’re talking about new data, exciting research, breakthrough technology or a major announcement, you could pitch and rely on earned placement, as stations will want to broadcast your story. If your content is more sales-focused or branded, you may want to take the paid placement route to ensure it will be picked up.

What tools can the PR professionals use to identify target market opportunities? Nielsen is the venerable ranker and rater of all things media and the Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019 is a highly accurate list of the nation’s markets ranked by population.

According to the Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019, the top five DMAs are:

New York with 7,100,300 TV homes representing 6.441% of the US
Los Angeles with 5,276,600 TV homes representing 4.786% of the US
Chicago with 3,251,370 TV homes representing 2.949% of the US
Philadelphia with 2,816,850 TV homes representing 2.555% of the US
Dallas-Ft. Worth with 2,622,070 TV homes representing 2.378% of the US

RANK	DESIGNATED MARKET AREA (DMA)	TV HOMES	% OF U.S.
1	New York	7,100,300	6.441
2	Los Angeles	5,276,600	4.786
3	Chicago	3,251,370	2.949
4	Philadelphia	2,816,850	2.555
5	Dallas-Ft. Worth	2,622,070	2.378
6	Washington, DC (Hagrstwn)	2,482,480	2.252
7	Houston	2,423,360	2.198
8	San Francisco-Oak-San Jose	2,414,470	2.19
9	Boston (Manchester)	2,364,870	2.145
10	Atlanta	2,341,390	2.124
11	Tampa-St. Pete (Sarasota)	1,875,420	1.701
12	Phoenix (Prescott)	1,864,420	1.691
13	Seattle-Tacoma	1,854,810	1.682
14	Detroit	1,777,240	1.612
15	Minneapolis-St. Paul	1,713,310	1.554
16	Miami-Ft. Lauderdale	1,697,840	1.54
17	Denver	1,585,270	1.438
18	Orlando-Daytona Bch-Melbrn	1,565,890	1.42
19	Cleveland-Akron (Canton)	1,399,470	1.269
20	Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto	1,357,690	1.232
21	St. Louis	1,164,400	1.056
22	Portland, OR	1,141,770	1.036
23	Charlotte	1,129,900	1.025
24	Pittsburgh	1,108,780	1.006
25	Raleigh-Durham (Fayetvlle)	1,108,710	1.006
26	Baltimore	1,084,180	0.983
27	Nashville	1,021,780	0.927
28	Indianapolis	999,790	0.907
29	San Diego	987,760	0.896
30	Salt Lake City	935,810	0.849
31	San Antonio	923,990	0.838
32	Kansas City	909,420	0.825
33	Hartford & New Haven	897,870	0.814
34	Columbus, OH	889,600	0.807
35	Cincinnati	850,030	0.771
36	Milwaukee	848,420	0.77
37	West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce	829,880	0.753
38	Greenvll-Spart-Ashevll-And	805,920	0.731
39	Las Vegas	766,500	0.695
40	Austin	751,650	0.682
41	Harrisburg-Lncstr-Leb-York	705,190	0.64
42	Jacksonville	681,330	0.618
43	Birmingham (Ann and Tusc)	679,550	0.616
44	Norfolk-Portsmth-Newpt Nws	678,210	0.615
45	Oklahoma City	676,720	0.614
46	Greensboro-H.Point-W.Salem	675,130	0.612
47	Albuquerque-Santa Fe	650,890	0.59
48	Louisville	647,190	0.587
49	Grand Rapids-Kalmzoo-B.Crk	639,410	0.58
50	New Orleans	624,020	0.566
51	Memphis	623,390	0.565
52	Buffalo	586,930	0.532
53	Providence-New Bedford	580,120	0.526
54	Fresno-Visalia	568,920	0.516
55	Ft. Myers-Naples	554,430	0.503
56	Richmond-Petersburg	551,850	0.501
57	Little Rock-Pine Bluff	527,090	0.478
58	Mobile-Pensacola (Ft Walt)	524,390	0.476
59	Albany-Schenectady-Troy	520,540	0.472
60	Knoxville	512,160	0.465
61	Tulsa	508,550	0.461
62	Wilkes Barre-Scranton-Hztn	481,390	0.437
63	Lexington	464,340	0.421
64	Dayton	463,430	0.42
65	Flint-Saginaw-Bay City	430,660	0.391
66	Honolulu	425,800	0.386
67	Green Bay-Appleton	421,480	0.382
68	Roanoke-Lynchburg	417,200	0.378
69	Omaha	405,260	0.368
70	Charleston-Huntington	402,140	0.365
71	Toledo	401,510	0.364
72	Springfield, MO	395,870	0.359
73	Tucson (Sierra Vista)	392,920	0.356
74	Columbia, SC	389,590	0.353
75	Des Moines-Ames	383,590	0.348
76	Wichita-Hutchinson Plus	382,780	0.347
77	Spokane	382,690	0.347
78	Harlingen-Wslco-Brnsvl-McA	375,600	0.341
79	Huntsville-Decatur (Flor)	372,770	0.338
80	Rochester, NY	352,070	0.319
81	Syracuse	350,730	0.318
82	Champaign&Sprngfld-Decatur	344,500	0.313
83	Chattanooga	341,190	0.31
84	Portland-Auburn	339,980	0.308
85	El Paso (Las Cruces)	338,770	0.307
86	Madison	338,240	0.307
87	Cedar Rapids-Wtrlo-IWC&Dub	330,340	0.3
88	Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg	324,020	0.294
89	Waco-Temple-Bryan	322,820	0.293
90	Shreveport	322,610	0.293
91	Colorado Springs-Pueblo	319,930	0.29
92	Jackson, MS	306,770	0.278
93	Savannah	303,390	0.275
94	Charleston, SC	302,330	0.274
95	Myrtle Beach-Florence	302,040	0.274
96	Burlington-Plattsburgh	294,260	0.267
97	Baton Rouge	287,430	0.261
98	Davenport-R.Island-Moline	280,420	0.254
99	South Bend-Elkhart	274,380	0.249
100	Boise	273,500	0.248
101	Ft. Smith-Fay-Sprngdl-Rgrs	272,240	0.247
102	Tri-Cities, TN-VA	266,110	0.241
103	Evansville	265,790	0.241
104	Ft. Wayne	265,420	0.241
105	Augusta-Aiken	264,350	0.24
106	Johnstown-Altoona-St Colge	262,840	0.238
107	Greenville-N.Bern-Washngtn	261,830	0.238
108	Springfield-Holyoke	251,660	0.228
109	Reno	246,190	0.223
110	Lansing	241,940	0.219
111	Lincoln & Hastings-Krny	240,660	0.218
112	Tallahassee-Thomasville	237,940	0.216
113	Peoria-Bloomington	234,050	0.212
114	Tyler-Longview(Lfkn&Ncgd)	232,180	0.211
115	Sioux Falls(Mitchell)	231,540	0.21
116	Montgomery-Selma	229,330	0.208
117	Fargo	228,740	0.208
118	Macon	224,180	0.203
119	Yakima-Pasco-Rchlnd-Knnwck	223,450	0.203
120	Traverse City-Cadillac	218,520	0.198
121	Lafayette, LA	216,420	0.196
122	Bakersfield	215,360	0.195
123	Eugene	215,070	0.195
124	SantaBarbra-SanMar-SanLuOb	213,510	0.194
125	Youngstown	213,380	0.194
126	Monterey-Salinas	206,300	0.187
127	Columbus, GA (Opelika, AL)	198,740	0.18
128	Corpus Christi	193,070	0.175
129	Wilmington	190,390	0.173
130	La Crosse-Eau Claire	186,870	0.17
131	Amarillo	175,880	0.16
132	Chico-Redding	171,220	0.155
133	Columbus-Tupelo-W Pnt-Hstn	168,210	0.153
134	Wausau-Rhinelander	157,180	0.143
135	Medford-Klamath Falls	156,520	0.142
136	Columbia-Jefferson City	156,430	0.142
137	Monroe-El Dorado	156,410	0.142
138	Salisbury	152,980	0.139
138	Salisbury	152,980	0.139
139	Rockford	152,800	0.139
140	Beaumont-Port Arthur	152,710	0.139
141	Topeka	151,860	0.138
142	Odessa-Midland	150,430	0.136
143	Lubbock	150,270	0.136
144	Duluth-Superior	148,870	0.135
145	Palm Springs	147,170	0.134
146	Minot-Bsmrck-Dcknsn(Wlstn)	145,200	0.132
147	Anchorage	142,000	0.129
148	Wichita Falls & Lawton	139,590	0.127
149	Sioux City	135,660	0.123
150	Panama City	135,550	0.123
151	Erie	133,260	0.121
152	Albany, GA	130,950	0.119
153	Joplin-Pittsburg	129,600	0.118
154	Rochestr-Mason City-Austin	128,700	0.117
155	Bangor	124,190	0.113
156	Biloxi-Gulfport	122,100	0.111
157	Gainesville	120,580	0.109
158	Terre Haute	120,350	0.109
159	Sherman-Ada	118,390	0.107
160	Binghamton	115,960	0.105
161	Idaho Fals-Pocatllo(Jcksn)	115,750	0.105
162	Wheeling-Steubenville	113,690	0.103
163	Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill	109,900	0.1
164	Missoula	109,440	0.099
165	Abilene-Sweetwater	104,440	0.095
166	Yuma-El Centro	101,040	0.092
167	Billings	100,330	0.091
168	Hattiesburg-Laurel	99,680	0.09
169	Utica	91,520	0.083
170	Clarksburg-Weston	90,960	0.083
171	Rapid City	90,940	0.083
172	Lake Charles	90,570	0.082
173	Dothan	90,420	0.082
174	Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk	88,510	0.08
175	Harrisonburg	84,950	0.077
176	Elmira (Corning)	83,190	0.075
177	Jackson, TN	83,010	0.075
178	Watertown	79,690	0.072
179	Alexandria, LA	79,250	0.072
180	Jonesboro	75,220	0.068
181	Bowling Green	74,500	0.068
182	Marquette	74,070	0.067
183	Charlottesville	71,370	0.065
184	Laredo	70,220	0.064
185	Butte-Bozeman	67,190	0.061
186	Bend, OR	65,900	0.06
187	Grand Junction-Montrose	64,160	0.058
188	Lafayette, IN	63,660	0.058
189	Twin Falls	59,990	0.054
190	Lima	59,440	0.054
191	Meridian	59,030	0.054
192	Great Falls	56,270	0.051
193	Greenwood-Greenville	55,640	0.05
194	Parkersburg	53,750	0.049
195	Eureka	53,630	0.049
196	San Angelo	52,790	0.048
197	Cheyenne-Scottsbluff	51,200	0.046
198	Casper-Riverton	48,240	0.044
199	Mankato	47,370	0.043
200	Ottumwa-Kirksville	40,840	0.037
201	St. Joseph	40,200	0.036
202	Fairbanks	32,880	0.03
203	Victoria	30,540	0.028
204	Zanesville	29,180	0.026
205	Helena	26,440	0.024
206	Presque Isle	24,740	0.022
207	Juneau	22,940	0.021
208	Alpena	14,430	0.013
209	North Platte	12,830	0.012
210	Glendive	3,590	0.003
	NSI TOTAL U.S.	110,244,659	100

Originally known for the “Nielsen boxes” attached to TVs in a representative segment of homes nationwide, their data has been used to determine ratings and advertising costs for decades. The company is evolving to keep up with the demands of modern technology, but one thing advertisers, marketers and PR pros look forward to each year is the release of the latest Nielsen DMA Rankings.

DMA stands for Designated Market Area. The term is generally used to identify a geographic area where most of the population has the ability to receive the same media content. While media may overlap in some areas, such as people in one city receiving television/radio stations or newspapers from a nearby city, the DMA incorporates the viewing and listening habits of most residents in a specific defined region. Sometimes several cities may fall within a DMA, such as the Tampa/St. Petersburg area in Florida. Nielsen has delineated 210 DMA regions which cover the entire United States, using TV-equipped homes as a marker for comparative size.

Understanding the importance of DMAs can help public relations professionals better target their national communication campaigns across multiple media markets. DMAs also play an important role in regional and local campaigns. Large market stations are often the most targeted for pitches, so it can be harder to generate coverage than in some of the medium and smaller market areas. A new curveball comes into play with the ability to access almost any media outlet through a digital device. Nielsen is continuing to refine its reporting methodology to include these listeners and viewers, even when they’re not located in the market that originates the content.

Reaching the largest target audience for your PR client involves understanding geographic and demographic constraints and media opportunities within them. It can be confusing without a professional media services company to help guide you through the media jungle and get your message out to the right audience in the right markets. MediaTracks Communications is a leading provider of audio and radio services for the public relations industry. Call 847-299-9500 or email [email protected] to learn more about using Nielsen DMA Rankings to plan a broadcast public relations campaign.

Author
Recent Posts

AdeptPlus

COVID-19: MediaTracks Is Ready To Help.

What the Nielsen DMA Rankings 2019 Mean for Your PR Communication Campaigns

Want more FREE resources just like the Nielsen DMA Rankings?

Enter your email address to receive tips, guides and more!

Become a Broadcast Media Insider