Core-Based Statistical Areas
New metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area definitions were announced by OMB on June 6, 2003,
based on application of the 2000 standards with Census 2000 data. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas are
collectively referred to as Core-Based
Metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas are defined in terms of whole counties or county equivalents, including the six New England states.
As of June 6, 2003, there are 362 metropolitan statistical areas and 560 micropolitan statistical areas in the
- Metropolitan statistical areas
have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus adjacent territory that has a
high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.
- Micropolitan statistical areas are a new set of statistical areas that have at least one urban
cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that has a high
degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.
The technical paper, The Effects of Using Newly-Defined Metropolitan Area Boundaries When Examining Residential Housing Patterns (PDF -- 182K)
discusses the effect of the most recent change in metropolitan area definitions on residential housing patterns.
Previous reports using Census 2000 data have employed metropolitan area boundaries defined by
the Office of Management (OMB) as of June 30, 1999 and based on 1990 standards.
Under the 1990 standards, each metropolitan area included a city of 50,000 or more
population or a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area of at least 50,000 population,
provided that the component county/counties had a population of at least 100,000.
Metropolitan areas consisted of one or more counties, except in the New England States,
where the components were cities and towns. Metropolitan areas included metropolitan statistical
areas (MSAs) and consolidated metropolitan statistical areas (CMSAs).
CMSAs were composed of primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs).
There were 258 MSAs, 73 PMSAs and 18 CMSAs in the United States.
Metropolitan statistical areas defined under the 2000 standards with Census 2000 data may not be
directly comparable to MSAs and CMSAs defined as of 1999. In addition to the designation of new
micropolitan statistical areas, the following kinds of changes may affect the definition of individual
metropolitan areas in existence in 1999 and redefined based on Census 2000 data and the 2000 standards:
Find out more about the new Metropolitan
and Micropolitan Statistical Areas defined on June 6, 2003.
- a county or counties added;
- a county or counties deleted:
- two or more areas merged to form a single metropolitan statistical area;
- a metropolitan area split to form multiple metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas; and
- reclassification as a micropolitan statistical area.
Geography Glossary (PDF -- 420k)
more information on MSA/PMSAs as defined on June 30, 1999.
[PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Reader® available free from Adobe.
Go to Metropolitan Area (as defined June 6, 2003) Table Creation
Go to Micropolitan Area (as defined June 6, 2003) Table Creation
Contact the Census Call Center Staff at 1-800-923-8282 (toll free) or visit
ask.census.gov for further information on Housing Patterns Data.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division
Last Revised: October 31, 2011
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