In this study, we assessed whether the apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio (ApoB/ApoA1) is related to metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components in an urban Chinese population. A total of 709 community residents were enrolled. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation definition in 2005. The high ApoB/ApoA1 group was defined as the gender-specific upper quartile of the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio. Insulin resistance (IR) was defined as the upper quartile of Homa-IR. The ApoB/ApoA1 ratio was significantly higher in subjects with MS, compared to those without (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age and gender, subjects with MS (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5) or IR (OR = 2.3) were more likely to be in the high ApoB/ApoA1 group. The ApoB/ApoA1 ratio increased significantly as the number of MS components increased (p < 0.05). Taken together, these data demonstrate that the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio is strongly associated with MS and its components in an urban Chinese population.