About. Com: Geography Micropolitan and Metropolitan Areas of the U. S. A

About.Com: Geography

Micropolitan and Metropolitan Areas of the U.S.A.

Jul 13 2003  

A Metropolitan Statistical Area must have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more inhabitants.

It consists of no less than one county. There are 370 Metro Areas.

If specified criteria are met, a Metropolitan Statistical Area containing a single core with a population of 2.5 million or more may be subdivided to form smaller groupings of counties referred to as "Metropolitan Divisions." Eleven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.) have a total of 29 Metropolitan Divisions.

A Micropolitan Statistical Area must have at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population. It typically consists of one county. There are 565 Micro Areas - 71 of which include two counties or one county and a Virginia city, 18 of which include three counties, and two of which include four counties (the Paducah, KY-IL Micropolitan Statistical Area includes Massac County, IL; Ballard County, KY; Livingston County, KY; and McCracken County, KY while the Traverse City, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area includes Benzie County, Grand Traverse County, Kalkaska County, and Leelanau County).

Furthermore, there are 116 brand-new Combined Statistical Areas (CSA) which consist of adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. A CSA may comprise two or more Metro Areas, a Metro Area and a Micro Area, two or more Micro Areas, or multiple Metro and Micro Areas. They are not all huge population centers, by any stretch of the imagination. For example, the Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL Combined Statistical Area simply consists of the Paducah Micro Area and Mayfield Micro Area.

The terms Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area are purely historic; they no longer exist.

The name of the CSA lists the most populous component area first. Thus, in a dramatic upset, the historic San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA CMSA (Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area) has become the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA Combined Statistical Area. Ouch!

Let's take an example of how Metro areas and Micro areas come together. The Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of four California counties in the Sacramento area - El Dorado County (largest city South Lake Tahoe), Placer County (where the urban core of Roseville is located), Sacramento County (where the urban cores of Sacramento and Arden-Arcade are located), and Yolo County (largest city Davis).

However, the Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Truckee, CA-NV Combined Statistical Area includes a new place name (Truckee) in the CSA name. The CSA includes three components two Micropolitan Areas to the east of Sacramento proper - the Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Truckee-Grass Valley, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area along with the Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA Metro Area.

The Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area is simply Douglas County, Nevada and the Truckee-Grass Valley, CA Micropolitan Statistical Area is simply Nevada County, CA. This brings up some interesting questions - 1) Why is Douglas County, Nevada (near the Nevada state capital of Carson City) part of the Sacramento CSA while closer Alpine or Amador Counties (neither are in a Micro or Metro area at all) are not? 2) Why then isn't Reno or Carson City (closer to Sacramento than Douglas County) part of the CSA? Reno and Carson City (two separate Metro Areas) aren't in a CSA at all. Strange indeed but this is what the OMB has given us to work with and enjoy.

For your enjoyment, all 116 CSA names are listed for you on page two of this article.

Jul 13 2003

1. 
   Albany-Corvallis-Lebanon, OR CSA
   
2. 
   Albany-Schenectady-Amsterdam, NY CSA
   
3. 
   Ames-Boone, IA CSA
   
4. 
   Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI CSA
   
5. 
   Asheville-Brevard, NC CSA
   
6. 
   Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA CSA
   
7. 
   Baton Rouge-Pierre Part, LA CSA
   
8. 
   Beckley-Oak Hill, WV CSA
   
9. 
   Bend-Prineville, OR CSA
   
10. 
    Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL CSA
    
11. 
    Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH CSA
    
12. 
    Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, TX CSA
    
13. 
    Cape Girardeau-Sikeston-Jackson, MO-IL CSA
    
14. 
    Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC CSA
    
15. 
    Chattanooga-Cleveland-Athens, TN-GA CSA
    
16. 
    Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI CSA
    
17. 
    Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN CSA
    
18. 
    Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH CSA
    
19. 
    Clovis-Portales, NM CSA
    
20. 
    Columbia-Newberry, SC CSA
    
21. 
    Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA
    
22. 
    Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe, OH CSA
    
23. 
    Corbin-London, KY CSA
    
24. 
    Corpus Christi-Kingsville, TX CSA
    
25. 
    Dallas-Fort Worth, TX CSA
    
26. 
    Dayton-Springfield-Greenville, OH CSA
    
27. 
    Deltona-Daytona Beach-Palm Coast, FL CSA
    
28. 
    Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO CSA
    
29. 
    Des Moines-Newton, IA CSA
    
30. 
    Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI CSA
    
31. 
    Dothan-Enterprise-Ozark, AL CSA
    
32. 
    Eau Claire-Menomonie, WI CSA
    
33. 
    Fairmont-Clarksburg, WV CSA
    
34. 
    Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN CSA
    
35. 
    Findlay-Tiffin-Fostoria, OH CSA
    
36. 
    Fond du Lac-Beaver Dam, WI CSA
    
37. 
    Fort Polk South-De Ridder, LA CSA
    
38. 
    Fort Wayne-Huntington-Auburn, IN CSA
    
39. 
    Fresno-Madera, CA CSA
    
40. 
    Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI CSA
    
41. 
    Greensboro--Winston-Salem--High Point, NC CSA
    
42. 
    Greenville-Anderson-Seneca, SC CSA
    
43. 
    Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS CSA
    
44. 
    Harrisburg-Carlisle-Lebanon, PA CSA
    
45. 
    Hartford-West Hartford-Willimantic, CT CSA
    
46. 
    Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX CSA
    
47. 
    Huntsville-Decatur, AL CSA
    
48. 
    Idaho Falls-Blackfoot, ID CSA
    
49. 
    Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN CSA
    
50. 
    Ithaca-Cortland, NY CSA
    
51. 
    Jackson-Yazoo City, MS CSA
    
52. 
    Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA CSA
    
53. 
    Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS CSA
    
54. 
    Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN CSA
    
55. 
    Kokomo-Peru, IN CSA
    
56. 
    Lafayette-Acadiana, LA CSA
    
57. 
    Lafayette-Frankfort, IN CSA
    
58. 
    Lake Charles-Jennings, LA CSA
    
59. 
    Lansing-East Lansing-Owosso, MI CSA
    
60. 
    Las Vegas-Paradise-Pahrump, NV CSA
    
61. 
    Lexington-Fayette--Frankfort--Richmond, KY CSA
    
62. 
    Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR CSA
    
63. 
    Longview-Marshall, TX CSA
    
64. 
    Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA
    
65. 
    Louisville-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN CSA
    
66. 
    Lubbock-Levelland, TX CSA
    
67. 
    Lumberton-Laurinburg, NC CSA
    
68. 
    Macon-Warner Robins-Fort Valley, GA CSA
    
69. 
    Madison-Baraboo, WI CSA
    
70. 
    Mansfield-Bucyrus, OH CSA
    
71. 
    Mayagüez-San Germán-Cabo Rojo CSA
    
72. 
    Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI CSA
    
73. 
    Minneapolis-St.
    
74. 
    Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI CSA
    
75. 
    Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope, AL CSA
    
76. 
    Monroe-Bastrop, LA CSA
    
77. 
    Morristown-Newport, TN CSA
    
78. 
    Myrtle Beach-Conway-Georgetown, SC CSA
    
79. 
    Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Columbia, TN CSA
    
80. 
    New Orleans-Metairie-Bogalusa, LA CSA
    
81. 
    New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA
    
82. 
    Oklahoma City-Shawnee, OK CSA
    
83. 
    Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA CSA
    
84. 
    Orlando-The Villages, FL CSA
    
85. 
    Paducah-Mayfield, KY-IL CSA
    
86. 
    Peoria-Canton, IL CSA
    
87. 
    Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
    
88. 
    Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA CSA
    
89. 
    Ponce-Yauco-Coamo, PR CSA
    
90. 
    Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, ME CSA
    
91. 
    Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA
    
92. 
    Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA
    
93. 
    Rockford-Freeport-Rochelle, IL CSA
    
94. 
    Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Truckee, CA-NV CSA
    
95. 
    Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North, MI CSA
    
96. 
    St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL CSA
    
97. 
    Salisbury-Ocean Pines, MD CSA
    
98. 
    Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield, UT CSA
    
99. 
    San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA
    
100. 
     San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo, PR CSA
     
101. 
     Santa Fe-Espanola, NM CSA
     
102. 
     Savannah-Hinesville-Fort Stewart, GA CSA
     
103. 
     Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA CSA
     
104. 
     Shreveport-Bossier City-Minden, LA CSA
     
105. 
     Sioux City-Vermillion, IA-NE-SD CSA
     
106. 
     Spartanburg-Gaffney-Union, SC CSA
     
107. 
     Sunbury-Lewisburg-Selinsgrove, PA CSA
     
108. 
     Syracuse-Auburn, NY CSA
     
109. 
     Toledo-Fremont, OH CSA
     
110. 
     Tulsa-Bartlesville, OK CSA
     
111. 
     Tyler-Jacksonville, TX CSA
     
112. 
     Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA
     
113. 
     Wausau-Merrill, WI CSA
     
114. 
     Wichita-Winfield, KS CSA
     
115. 
     Williamsport-Lock Haven, PA CSA
     
116. 
     York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA CSA
     
117. 
     Youngstown-Warren-East Liverpool, OH-PA CSA