(NEWSnet/AP) – Anyone who has suspected that there are more women than men where they live, or the reverse, might find validation in the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Women do outnumber men in the largest urban counties east of the Mississippi River, along the Eastern Seaboard and in the Deep South, according to data released last week from the 2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the most comprehensive source of data on American life.

Among U.S. counties with 500,000 residents or more, the areas where adult women outnumber adult men most noticeably were in Baltimore, New York, Atlanta and Philadelphia, as well as Birmingham, Alabama; and Memphis, Tennessee; where the ratios ranged in the mid-80s.

The biggest imbalances of men to women, with ratios above 103 for those age 18 and over, were recorded in the West, in counties that are home to Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Austin, as well as California counties that are home to San Francisco, San Jose and Bakersfield, where agriculture and energy are two of the biggest industries.

Those numbers were backed up by data amid the 2020 census released earlier this year.

An equal ratio of men to women would be 100. At birth, the sex ratio in the U.S. has historically been 105 men for every 100 women. The ratio inverts around age 30. As a result, across the U.S., there are 96.6 adult men for every 100 adult women.

The ratio doesn’t reflect sexual preference, gender identity or whether those surveyed are actually looking for partners. But it can have both reflect on, and have an impact on, the social experiences of those living in the communities.

For example, San Diego, has several male-dominated military bases, which is reflected in the ratio. In Austin, San Francisco, Seattle and San Jose there are plentiful jobs in tech, a sector where men account for around three-quarters of the workforce.

This is in contrast to areas with large numbers of colleges or universities, which typically have more women, according to a Census Bureau report from May.

Adding to the imbalance are the effects of historic racism in the U.S., including high rates of incarceration and the mortality gap, which have lowered the number of men in some communities, said Karen Guzzo, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina.

Copyright 2023 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.