wasn't chicago's metropolitan over 9 million not too long ago. People must be leaving chicago in droves
It depends how you calculate the metro. I suspect Nielsen uses a smaller area than other statistical surveys.
From what I see, the city population has been in decline for 40 years, but the metro area has been fairly constant, up around 9 million, as you say.
wasn't chicago's metropolitan over 9 million not too long ago. People must be leaving chicago in droves
2014 population was 9.391 million. 2019 was 9.523 million.
And Nielsen's MSA is:
Population: 7,978,400 (Black: 1,344,800) (Hispanic: 1,660,100)
Last Updated: 08-03-20 (Nielsen Subscribing Stations Only)
The city has been losing population for years, but the metro is holding and growing some.