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Population tables of U.S. cities
Cities
Population Area Density Ethnic identity Foreign-born Income Spanish speakers By decade
Urban areas
Populous cities and metropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas
574 Primary Statistical Areas 174 Combined Statistical Areas 929 Core Based Statistical Areas 389 Metropolitan Statistical Areas 541 Micropolitan Statistical Areas
Megaregions
See also North American metro areas World cities
v t e

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states; because of this, the precise definition of any given metropolitan area can vary with the source. A typical metropolitan area is centered on a single large city that wields substantial influence over the region (e.g., New York City or Philadelphia). However, some metropolitan areas contain more than one large city with no single municipality holding a substantially dominant position (e.g., Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Norfolk-Virginia Beach (Hampton Roads), Riverside–San Bernardino (Inland Empire) or Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities)). MSAs are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and used by the Census Bureau and other federal government agencies for statistical purposes.^[1]

Map

An enlargeable map of the 955 core based statistical areas (CBSAs) of the United States and Puerto Rico, Feb 2013. The 374 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are shown in medium green.

Definitions

U.S. Census statistics for metropolitan areas are reported according to the following definitions.

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines a set of core based statistical areas (CBSAs) throughout the country. CBSAs are delineated on the basis of a central urban area or urban cluster – in other words: a contiguous area of relatively high population density. CBSAs are composed of counties and county equivalents.^[2] The counties containing the core urban area are known as the central counties of the CBSA. A central county is a county in which 50% of its population lives in urban areas of at least 10,000 in population, or where a population of 5,000 are located in a single urban area of at least 10,000 in population where that urban area is split between more than one county.^[3] Additional surrounding counties, known as outlying counties, can be included in the CBSA if these counties have strong social and economic ties to the central counties as measured by commuting and employment. Outlying counties are included in the CBSA if the employment interchange measure (total of in- and out-commuting) is 25% or more, although these numbers are estimates and exceptions are made. Some areas within these outlying counties may be rural in nature. All counties in a CBSA must be contiguous, and a county can only be included within one CBSA.^[3] In New England, towns have precedence over counties, so statistically similar areas are defined in terms of town-based units known as New England city and town areas (NECTAs).

Adjacent CBSAs are merged into a single CBSA when the central county or counties of one CBSA qualify as an outlying county or counties to the other CBSAs.^[3] One or more CBSAs may be grouped together to form a larger statistical entity known as a combined statistical area (CSA) when the employment interchange measure reaches 15% or more.

As well as MSAs, CBSAs are also subdivided into micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) for CBSAs built around an urban cluster of at least 10,000 in population but less than 50,000 in population.^[3] Previous terms that are no longer used include standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) and primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA).^[4]

See also

• 
  United States of America
  
  • Outline of the United States
  
  
  • Index of United States-related articles
  
  
  • Book:United States
  
  


• 
  Demographics of the United States
  
  • 
    United States Census Bureau
    
    • List of U.S. states and territories by population
    
    
    • List of metropolitan areas of the United States
    
    
    • List of United States cities by population
    
    
    • List of United States counties and county-equivalents
    
    
  
  
  • 
    United States Office of Management and Budget
    
    • The OMB has defined 1098 statistical areas comprising 388 MSAs, 541 μSAs, and 169 CSAs
      
      • 
        Primary statistical area (list)
        
        • 
          Combined Statistical Area (list)
        
        
        • 
          Core Based Statistical Area (list)
          
          • 
            Metropolitan Statistical Area (list)
          
          
          • 
            Micropolitan Statistical Area (list)
          
          
        
        
  
  

References

External links

• US Census Metropolitan Statistical Area Delineations


• 
  United States Government
  
  • 
    United States Census Bureau
    
    • 2010 United States Census
    
    
    • USCB population estimates
    
    
  
  
  • United States Office of Management and Budget