Nationally, 12- to 17-year-olds make up 8 percent of the average U.S. market. Overall, about 26 million people now fall into that age group in the United States.
Texas and California have nine of the nation’s 10 top markets ranked by 12-17 population per capita.
| Markets with largest 12-17 population per capita |
| Rank | Market | Total population | % Total 12-17 |
| 1 | Merced, Calif. | 210,554 | 11.56% |
| 2 | Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, Calif. | 368,021 | 11.24% |
| 3 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas | 569,463 | 11.01% |
| 4 | Laredo, Texas | 193,117 | 10.99% |
| 5 | Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, Texas | 335,227 | 10.91% |
| 6 | Odessa-Midland, Texas | 237,132 | 10.74% |
| 7 | Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Wash. | 191,822 | 10.68% |
| 8 | El Paso, Texas | 679,622 | 10.56% |
| 9 | Bakersfield, Calif. | 661,645 | 10.54% |
| 10 | Fresno, Calif. | 922,516 | 10.51% |
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San Antonio, Houston and Dallas are home to 10 big league teams, and are all among the top markets in 12-17 population per capita.
| Big Four markets with largest 12-17 population per capita |
| (Ranked by market with the highest percent population age 12-17) |
| Rank | Market | Total population | % Total 12-17 |
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 1,333,914 | 10.45% |
| 2 | San Antonio | 1,592,383 | 9.47% |
| 3 | Houston | 4,669,571 | 9.44% |
| 4 | New Orleans | 1,337,726 | 9.33% |
| 5 | Memphis | 1,135,614 | 9.24% |
| 6 | St. Louis | 2,603,607 | 9.08% |
| 7 | Sacramento | 1,796,857 | 9.05% |
| 8 | Milwaukee | 1,689,572 | 8.99% |
| 9t | Dallas | 5,221,801 | 8.91% |
| 9t | Cincinnati | 1,979,202 | 8.91% |
| 9t | Los Angeles | 16,373,645 | 8.91% |
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Florida is home to three of the nation's bottom 10 markets ranked by the 12-17 population per capita.
| Markets with smallest 12-17 population per capita | | Rank | Market | Total population | % Total 12-17 |
| 1 | San Francisco | 1,731,183 | 6.04% |
| 2t | Athens, Ga. | 153,444 | 6.98% |
| 2t | Wilmington, N.C. | 233,450 | 6.98% |
| 4 | West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla. | 1,131,184 | 7.05% |
| 5 | Bryan-College Station, Texas | 152,415 | 7.07% |
| 6t | Gainesville, Fla. | 217,955 | 7.09% |
| 6t | Myrtle Beach, S.C. | 196,629 | 7.09% |
| 8 | Lafayette, Ind. | 182,821 | 7.18% |
| 9 | Daytona Beach, Fla. | 493,175 | 7.19% |
| 10 | Lexington, Ky. | 479,198 | 7.26% |
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San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose - California's Bay Area - are home to seven big league teams, but only 7.6 percent of their combined population is age 12-17.
| Big Four markets with smallest 12-17 population per capita |
| Rank | Market | Total population | % Total 12-17 |
| 1 | San Francisco | 1,731,183 | 6.04% |
| 2 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 2,395,997 | 7.29% |
| 3 | Raleigh | 1,187,941 | 7.46% |
| 4 | San Jose | 1,682,585 | 7.70% |
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 2,358,695 | 7.78% |
| 6 | Boston | 5,819,100 | 7.79% |
| 7 | New York | 21,199,865 | 7.87% |
| 8 | Charlotte | 1,499,293 | 8.01% |
| 9 | Washington, D.C. | 4,923,153 | 8.05% |
| 10t | Nashville | 1,231,311 | 8.09% |
| 10t | Miami-Fort Lauderdale | 3,876,380 | 8.09% |
| 10t | Oakland | 2,392,557 | 8.09% |
| Source: SportsBusiness Journal analysis of 2004 U.S. Census Bureau data |
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