The Greater Manchester Guide

The “Greater” doesn’t mean “better”… although some might argue it is. It means more than just Manchester itself — a wider region that includes 10 boroughs that are linked by history, transport, industry, and culture. Some folk still say “I’m from Lancashire” or “I’m not part of Manchester” — and fair enough, that’s their pride talking. But in terms of governance and planning, it’s one big patch. United? Sometimes. Proud? Always.

As of 2024, Greater Manchester is home to just over 2.8 million people — making it the second-largest urban area in the UK after London. Each borough has its own demographic profile — from student-heavy Manchester to the family suburbs of Trafford to the post-industrial pride of Wigan and Oldham.

Greater Manchester covers around 493 square miles — about the size of London, but with more hills, fewer tourists, and slightly cheaper pints. Within that area you’ll find city centres, market towns, hills, moorland, suburbs, industrial estates, and greenbelt countryside — it’s more varied than people often realise.

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in the North West of England made up of ten boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan. It was officially created in 1974 to reflect how interconnected these towns and cities had become — socially, economically, and culturally. Despite the name, it’s not all about Manchester city centre. Greater Manchester is the red-brick terraces of Wigan, the moors of Saddleworth, the mills of Rochdale, the suburbs of Stockport — each borough has its own identity, history and pride, but they all contribute to the region’s shared story.

No — it’s not a city, it’s a region. Manchester is a city within Greater Manchester. The wider area includes other major centres like Salford (which is also a city), as well as historic market towns like Bury and Wigan, and large towns like Stockport, Rochdale and Oldham. So while the name can confuse people, Greater Manchester is more like a patchwork of places than one big urban sprawl.

There are 10 metropolitan boroughs, each with its own local council, distinct geography and strong sense of identity. They are:

• Bolton

• Bury

• Manchester

• Oldham

• Rochdale

• Salford

• Stockport

• Tameside

• Trafford

• Wigan

These aren’t just administrative lines — each borough has its own landmarks, accents, football clubs, food favourites, and community spirit.

Manchester is just one borough — the city itself. Greater Manchester is the wider region that includes Manchester plus nine other boroughs. So someone from Wigan, Stockport or Salford is part of Greater Manchester but not technically from the City of Manchester. In conversation, people often say “Manchester” as shorthand for the whole region — especially when talking to outsiders — but locals know the difference. The pride runs deep in every borough.