Metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core (Census Bureau-defined Urban Area) and close economic ties throughout the region.[1] Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be and are not legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states. That makes the precise definition of any given metropolitan area vary with the source. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983.[2]
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A typical metropolitan area is polycentric and no longer monocentric due to suburbanization of employment and has a large historic core city (such as New York City or Chicago).[3] However, some metropolitan areas contain more than one large historic core city such as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News (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 are used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal government agencies for statistical purposes.[4]
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, which are composed of counties and county equivalents.[5] CBSAs are delineated on the basis of a central contiguous area of relatively high population density, known as an urban area or urban cluster. The counties containing the core urban area are known as the central counties of the CBSA; these are defined as having at least 50% of their population living in urban areas of at least 10,000 in population.[6] 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 county or counties as measured by commuting and employment. Outlying counties are included in the CBSA if 25% of the workers living in the county work in the central county or counties, or if 25% of the employment in the county is held by workers who live in the central county or counties.
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.[6] One or more CBSAs may be grouped together or combined to form a larger statistical entity known as a combined statistical area (CSA) when the employment interchange measure (EIM) reaches 15% or more.
CBSAs are subdivided into MSAs (formed around urban areas of at least 50,000 in population) and micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs), which are CBSAs built around an urban cluster of at least 10,000 in population but less than 50,000 in population. Some metropolitan areas may include multiple cities below 50,000 people, but combined have over 50,000 people.[6] Previous terms that are no longer used include standard metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) and primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA).[7]
On January 19, 2021, OMB submitted a regulation for public comment that would increase the minimum population needed for an urban area population to be a metropolitan statistical area to be increased from 50,000 to 100,000.[8] It ultimately decided to keep the minimum at 50,000 for the 2020 cycle.[9] On July 21, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget released revised delineations of the various CBSAs in the United States.[10]
United States
The 387 MSAs of the United States (the 50 states and the District of Columbia) are ranked, including:
- The MSA rank by population as of July 1, 2022, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau[11]
- The MSA name as designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget[12]
- The MSA population as of July 1, 2022, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau[11][lower-alpha 1]
- The MSA population as of April 1, 2020, as enumerated by the 2020 United States census[11][lower-alpha 1]
- The percent MSA population change from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022[11]
- The combined statistical area (CSA)[13] if it is designated and the MSA is a component[14]
Puerto Rico
This sortable table lists the six metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) of Puerto Rico including:
- The MSA rank by population as of July 1, 2022, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau[11]
- The MSA name as designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget[12]
- The MSA population as of July 1, 2022, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau[11][lower-alpha 1]
- The MSA population as of April 1, 2020, as enumerated by the 2020 United States census[11][lower-alpha 1]
- The percent MSA population change from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022[11]
- The combined statistical area (CSA)[13] if the MSA is a component[14]
Rank | Metropolitan statistical area | 2022 estimate | 2020 census | Change | Encompassing combined statistical area |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas, PR MSA | 2,043,941 | 2,081,265 | −1.79% | San Juan–Bayamón, PR Combined Statistical Area |
2 | Ponce, PR MSA | 269,258 | 278,477 | −3.31% | Ponce–Coamo, PR Combined Statistical Area |
3 | Aguadilla, PR MSA | 250,941 | 253,768 | −1.11% | Mayagüez–Aguadilla, PR Combined Statistical Area |
4 | Mayagüez, PR MSA | 209,201 | 213,831 | −2.17% | Mayagüez–Aguadilla, PR Combined Statistical Area |
5 | Arecibo, PR MSA | 180,063 | 182,705 | −1.45% | San Juan–Bayamón, PR Combined Statistical Area |
6 | Guayama, PR MSA | 66,075 | 68,442 | −3.46% | San Juan–Bayamón, PR Combined Statistical Area |
See also
Footnotes
- Populations adjusted for new MSA delineations as redefined in 2023
References
- "Glossary". Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
- Caves, R. W. (2004). Encyclopedia of the City. Routledge. pp. 459. ISBN 9780415252256.
- Cox, Wendell (August 1, 2014). "Urban Cores, Core Cities and Principal Cities". newgeography.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- Nussle, Jim (November 20, 2008). "Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. pp. 1–2. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2017.
- Census Geographic Glossary Archived 2012-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, U.S. Census Bureau
- "Office of Management & Budget, 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas; Notice" (PDF). U.S. Government Publishing Office. National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-06-26. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 23, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
- "Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". Federal Register. January 19, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- The White House (July 13, 2021). "Office of Management and Budget Announces 2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas" (Press release). Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
- Executive Office of the President (July 21, 2023). "Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF) (Press release). Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
- "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines a CSA (CSA) as an aggregate of adjacent core-based statistical areas that are linked by commuting ties.
- "OMB Bulletin No. 20-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. March 6, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2020.