What Is a Designated Market Area (DMA)? U.S. Map, List, Rankings & Lookup

🔎 What DMA Am I In?

If you’re looking for the DMA associated with your specific ZIP Code, use our DMA Lookup by ZIP Code to learn how to find your local television market.

The guide explains how ZIP Codes are matched to DMA regions, what a Nielsen DMA is, and how to verify your DMA using current data.

What Is a Nielsen DMA?

A Nielsen DMA is a geographic market defined by Nielsen for measuring local television viewing.

Nielsen describes DMA regions as proprietary geographic areas that group counties according to television viewing patterns. Each DMA represents a distinct local television market used for audience measurement.

Nielsen DMA data is used across the media industry for:

• Local television measurement
• Advertising planning
• Media buying
• Audience analysis
• Market research
• Geographic targeting

Because DMA boundaries and related data are proprietary to Nielsen, the source and data year are important when using a third-party DMA map, list, ranking, or lookup tool. Always check that the geographic assignments reflect the current Nielsen dataset.

Why Do Advertisers Use DMA Regions?

DMA regions give advertisers a standardized way to plan and analyze local television markets across the United States.

Instead of targeting only an individual city, advertisers can use a DMA to reach a broader television market that may include surrounding counties, cities, suburbs, and communities.

DMA data can help advertisers:

• Identify local television markets
• Compare market sizes
• Plan regional campaigns
• Analyze local audiences
• Select media markets
• Segment geographic data
• Evaluate potential advertising reach

DMA data can also support local advertising, direct marketing, media sales, research samples, audience analysis, and geographic market segmentation.

For advertisers working with location-based campaigns, understanding the DMA associated with a ZIP Code or county can help connect a specific location with the appropriate television market.

DMA vs. City: What’s the Difference?

A city is a geographic and governmental area.

A DMA is a local television market.

They are therefore not interchangeable.

One DMA can include:

• A major city
• Multiple smaller cities
• Multiple counties
• Suburban communities
• Rural areas

A DMA’s name is often based on its largest or best-known city, but the actual market can extend well beyond that city.

For example, someone may live outside the primary city associated with a DMA but still belong to the same television market because their location is part of that DMA’s geographic coverage.

In short:

City = where the location is

DMA = which local television market serves the location

DMA vs. ZIP Code: What’s the Difference?

A ZIP Code is part of the U.S. postal addressing system, while a DMA represents a local television market.

A ZIP Code can therefore be used as an input for a DMA lookup, but the ZIP Code itself is not the DMA.

The basic relationship is:

ZIP Code → Location → DMA

Nielsen’s ZIP Code-to-DMA data connects ZIP Codes with their corresponding DMA regions, making ZIP Code one of the most practical starting points for identifying a local television market.

DMA vs. Metro Area: What’s the Difference?

A DMA and a metro area are different geographic classifications used for different purposes.

A metro area generally describes the population and economic relationship between a central city and surrounding communities.

A DMA describes a local television market based on television viewing patterns.

Because they are based on different criteria, their geographic boundaries do not necessarily match.

For television advertising and local TV audience measurement, the DMA is the relevant geographic classification.

Why DMA Matters for Local Marketing

DMA data helps businesses understand audiences at the regional television-market level.

For example, a national advertiser can divide a campaign into multiple DMA regions instead of treating the entire United States as a single market.

This allows marketers to compare markets based on:

• Audience size
• Household characteristics
• Demographics
• Television viewing
• Local market conditions
• Advertising reach

DMA data can also be combined with ZIP Code, county, demographic, and audience information to analyze where specific television markets are located and how they differ.

For businesses planning local or regional campaigns, understanding the DMA associated with a location can provide a more relevant television-market view than using a city or ZIP Code alone.

Are DMA Boundaries the Same Every Year?

Not necessarily.

Nielsen periodically reviews DMA regions, and the counties assigned to a market can change as television viewing patterns and market conditions change.

This means an older DMA map, market list, ZIP Code lookup, or county-to-DMA database may not accurately reflect current market assignments.

When using DMA data for advertising, media buying, audience research, or geographic analysis, always check:

• The publication or data year
• The source of the DMA data
• Whether the market boundaries are current
• Whether ZIP Code and county assignments have been updated

For location-specific research, using the most current available DMA data is especially important because an outdated geographic assignment could place a ZIP Code or county in the wrong television market.

What Is a DMA Code?

A DMA code is a numerical identifier used to represent a designated market area in certain advertising, media, analytics, and geographic datasets.

Instead of identifying a market only by name, a DMA code provides a numerical value that can be used by databases and software systems.

DMA codes may appear in:

• Advertising platforms
• Audience databases
• Marketing datasets
• Analytics systems
• Media planning tools
• Geographic targeting data

A DMA code is not the same as a ZIP Code.

In practical terms:

ZIP Code → identifies the location

DMA code → identifies the television market

When working with DMA codes, check which coding system and data source are being used rather than assuming that every platform uses the same identifier.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does DMA stand for?

DMA stands for Designated Market Area.

What is a Designated Market Area?

A Designated Market Area (DMA) is a geographic region used to represent a local television market in the United States.

Who defines DMA regions?

DMA regions are defined and owned by Nielsen as part of its television market geography.

How many DMA regions are there?

There are currently 210 DMA regions in the Nielsen system.

How do I find my DMA?

You can identify your DMA using your ZIP Code, city, or county and matching the location to the applicable DMA region.

For the most accurate result, use current DMA data because geographic assignments can change over time.

Can I find my DMA using my ZIP Code?

Yes. A ZIP Code can be used to identify the corresponding DMA, although a ZIP Code and DMA represent different types of geography.

The basic relationship is:

ZIP Code → Location → DMA

Is a DMA the same as a city?

No. A DMA is a television market, while a city is a geographic and governmental area.

A single DMA can include multiple cities, counties, suburbs, and rural communities.

Is a DMA the same as a ZIP Code?

No. A ZIP Code identifies a postal area, while a DMA identifies a local television market.

A DMA can contain many ZIP Codes.

Is a DMA the same as a metro area?

No. A DMA represents a local television market based on television viewing patterns, while a metro area represents a metropolitan population and economic area.

Their geographic boundaries do not necessarily match.

What is a DMA map?

A DMA map shows the geographic boundaries of U.S. local television markets and can help identify which DMA covers a particular area.

What is a DMA code?

A DMA code is a numerical identifier associated with a designated market area in certain media, advertising, analytics, and geographic datasets.

It should not be confused with a ZIP Code.

What are DMA rankings?

DMA rankings compare television markets using measurements such as television households, population, demographics, or other market data.

The ranking can vary depending on the metric and dataset being used.

Why are DMA regions important to advertisers?

DMA regions provide a standardized way for advertisers and media buyers to organize campaigns around local television markets, compare audiences, and analyze geographic markets.

Do DMA boundaries change?

They can. Nielsen may revise DMA geographic assignments as television viewing patterns and market conditions change.

When using a DMA map, list, ranking, or lookup, check the data source and publication year to make sure the information reflects the applicable market definitions.

Bottom Line

A Designated Market Area (DMA) is a standardized U.S. television-market geography defined by Nielsen. It identifies the local television market associated with a particular geographic area and is widely used for television audience measurement, advertising, media buying, market research, and geographic analysis.

The easiest way to understand the system is:

Location → ZIP Code / County → DMA Region → Local Television Market

A DMA is different from a city, ZIP Code, county, state, or metropolitan area because it is specifically designed around local television viewing and media markets. One DMA can include multiple cities, counties, suburbs, rural communities, and thousands of ZIP Codes.

There are currently 210 DMA regions in the Nielsen system, covering the continental United States, Hawaii, and parts of Alaska. Because DMA boundaries and geographic assignments can change, the data source and publication year should always be checked when using a DMA map, list, ranking, or lookup.

If you’re trying to find your specific DMA, a ZIP Code is one of the most practical starting points. You can use your ZIP Code, city, or county to identify the corresponding DMA, then check the market name, DMA code, geographic coverage, and applicable ranking data.

DMA information is particularly useful when you need to:

• Find the local television market for a ZIP Code or county
• Understand U.S. DMA map boundaries
• Look up a specific DMA market
• Compare DMA rankings
• Identify a DMA code
• Determine which counties and ZIP Codes belong to a market
• Plan local or regional television advertising
• Analyze audiences and demographics by television market
• Compare DMA geography with ZIP Codes, counties, metro areas, and other geographic classifications
• Work with DMA data in advertising, analytics, research, and media planning

When using third-party DMA lists or lookup tools, verify that the information comes from a reliable source and reflects the appropriate Nielsen data year. An older DMA assignment may not reflect the current geographic definition.

For a specific location, start with the ZIP Code lookup, then use the DMA market, code, map, rankings, and geographic information to understand the full television market associated with that location.

If you already know your ZIP Code and simply want to find the corresponding television market, see our DMA Lookup by ZIP Code guide.