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From the Census Bureau

The Tampa Bay Rays will play the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series beginning Wednesday, Oct. 22, in St. Petersburg, Fla.

This will be the 104th edition of major league baseball’s best-of-seven championship series, marking the first World Series appearance for the American League champion Rays since entering the league in 1998.

The National League champion Phillies make their sixth appearance, with their only victory coming in 1980 over the Kansas City Royals.

To commemorate this occasion, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of statistics relating to the metropolitan areas — Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla., and Philadelphia — represented by the teams in this year’s Fall Classic. Unless otherwise indicated, the data come from the 2007 American Community Survey.

Our National Pastime

30 million

The estimated number of hot dogs consumed at major league ballparks in 2008.

Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council

$46 million

Retail sales of hot dogs in Philadelphia in 2007, the fourth largest total in the nation. Only New York, Los Angeles and Washington/Baltimore spent more on hot dogs.

Source: Information Statistics Inc.

1908

The year when the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written by Jack Norworth and composed by Albert Von Tilzer. Cracker Jack — a blend of peanuts, popcorn and caramel — is immortalized with the third line, “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.”

Source: Cracker Jack

$5

Price for a 21-ounce draft beer at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. This price is the cheapest in the major leagues, according to Team Marketing Report. At Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, $5 gets you 16 ounces of beer.

Source: 2008 Team Marketing Report

Tampa Bay (Rays)

19th

Where Tampa Bay (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.) ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous metropolitan areas. This area’s estimated population on July 1, 2007, was 2.7 million.

Source: Population estimates

26%

Percentage of Tampa Bay’s residents age 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007; 87 percent had at least graduated from high school.

18%

In 2007, the proportion of Tampa Bay’s residents age 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home.

25.6 minutes

Average amount of time it took Tampa Bay’s residents to get to work in 2007. Eighty-one percent of the metro area’s workers drove to work alone, 9 percent carpooled and 1 percent took public transportation.

$46,607

Median household income in 2007 for Tampa Bay. The national median income was $50,740.

$203,300

The median value for owner-occupied housing units in Tampa Bay in 2007. The national median value was $194,300.

11.3%

Tampa Bay’s poverty rate in 2007. The national poverty rate was 13 percent.

Philadelphia (Phillies)

5th

Where the Philadelphia metro area (Philadelphia-Camden, N.J.-Wilmington, Del.) ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous metropolitan areas.

This area’s estimated population on July 1, 2007, was 5.8 million. Source: Population estimates

31%

Percentage of the Philadelphia metro area’s residents ages 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007; 87 percent had at least graduated from high school.

14%

In 2007, the proportion of the Philadelphia metro area’s residents age 5 and older who spoke a language other than English at home.

28.2 minutes

Average amount of time it took Philadelphia metro area residents to get to work. Seventy-four percent of the area’s workers drove to work alone, 9 percent carpooled and 9 percent took public transportation.

$58,309

Median household income in 2007 for the Philadelphia metro area.

$240,300

The median value for owner-occupied housing units in the Philadelphia metro area in 2007.

11.5%

The Philadelphia metro area’s poverty rate in 2007.