San Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000-2006 and the fifth-fastest-growing from 2007 to 2008.Its metropolitan area has a population of 2,031,445 based on the 2008 U.S. Census estimate, making it the 28th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S and third in Texas (behind Dallas/ Fort Worth and Houston). The city is the seat of Bexar County with a population of 1,351,305 as of the 2008 U.S. Census estimate.