The Abilene metropolitan statistical area is a

metropolitan statistical area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

in west-central Texas that covers three counties— Taylor, Jones, and Callahan. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 176,579.

Counties

* Callahan * Jones * Taylor

Communities

Places with more than 100,000 people

* Abilene (Principal city)

Places with 5,000 to 100,000 people

* Dyess AFB

Places with 2,500 to 5,000 people

* Clyde * Merkel * Stamford (partial)

Places with 1,000 to 2,500 people

* Anson * Baird * Hamlin (partial) * Potosi * Tye

Places with fewer than 1,000 people

* Buffalo Gap * Cross Plains * Hawley *

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...

* Lawn * Lueders * Putnam * Trent * Tuscola

Unincorporated places

* Avoca * Caps * Cottonwood *

Eula An end-user license agreement or EULA () is a legal contract between a software supplier and a customer or end-user, generally made available to the customer via a retailer acting as an intermediary. A EULA specifies in detail the rights and res ...

* Nugent * Ovalo * View * Hamby

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, 160,245 people, 58,475 households, and 40,799 families were residing within the MSA. The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the MSA was 81.52% White, 6.83% African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 7.84% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 17.15% of the population. The median income for a household in the MSA was $32,023 and for a family was $37,805. Males had a median income of $27,647 versus $19,523 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $19,523.

Transportation

Traffic problems

A few areas in the MSA are prone to traffic problems. These places are along the US 83 access roads (Clack and Danville) especially on the south side of Abilene, near the mall, on Southwest Drive from Elm Creek to the Winters Freeway, and on S 14th near the Winters Freeway.

Major highways

Interstates

Interstate 20 * Business Loop 20

I-20 has many business routes through the Abilene Metro Area.

US highways

US 80 (former) * US 83

US 83 *

US 84 U.S. Route 84 (US 84) is an east–west U.S. Highway that started as a short Georgia–Alabama route in the original 1926 scheme. Later, in 1941, it had been extended all the way to Colorado. The highway's eastern terminus is a short dist ...