The Atlanta metropolitan area is an area around the city of Atlanta. The United States Office of Management and Budget calls the area the "Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area". It is also unofficially known as Metro Atlanta. More people live in the Atlanta metropolitan area than any other metro area in Georgia. It is the ninth largest metro area in the United States. The Atlanta metropolitan area includes 29 counties in north Georgia. The US Census Bureau estimated that 5,457,831 people lived in the Atlanta metropolitan area in 2012.