[Phillip]

Fresno isn't landlocked by its suburbs like Sacramento. Clovis, with about 80,000 people, is Fresno's only real suburb. The city of Fresno has been able to grow by annexing vast tracts of unincorporated Fresno county.

Sacramento and Fresno areas population exploded over the last 20 years and mostly for the same reasons. (Also Stockton, Modesto, and Bakersfield.) But most of Fresno area's growth went to the city of Fresno or areas that were later annexed into the city of Fresno, while most of Sacramento area's growth went to the suburbs.

More than 50% of Fresno MSA's population lives in the city of Fresno. Less than 25% of Sacramento MSA's population lives in the city of Sacramento. If Elk Grove had become part of Sacramento rather than its own incorporated city then Sacramento would be larger than Fresno today.