Original: The Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) ( officially known as the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale MSA ) , is the 12th largest in the United States , with a total population of 4,281,899 as of the July 2008 update of the 2000 U.S. Census .
Simplified: As of 2006 , the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) was the 13th-largest in the United States , with an estimated population of 4,039,182 people .