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>> CENSUS DEFINITIONS
THIS NOTE CONTAINS DEFINITIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS
USED BY THE 1990 U.S. CENSUS OF POPULATION:
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
Urbanized Areas
Places
Incorporated Places
Unincorporated Places
1. "METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS (MSA's):"
The general concept of a metropolitan area is one of a large
population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that
have a high degree of economic and social integration with
that nucleus.
In 1990 the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and
the U.S. Census have used the term Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA) for what in 1980 was referred to as Standard
Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). An attempt has been
made by the study staff to be consistent in using the newer
terms in the current documentation and definitions. The
definitions of characteristics to be classified as a
metropolitan area have remained fairly consistent--with only
minor changes between 1980 and 1990. However, due to
changes in population size and density, employment,
commuting and other behavior which defines metropolitan
areas, the specific geographical composition of any given
metropolitan area has, of course, frequently changed. The
specific MSA title may also have changed as to which cities
are named and in what order.
Each MSA has one or more central counties containing the
area's main population concentration: an urganized area with
at least 50,000 inhabitants. An MSA may also include
outlying counties that have close economic and social
relationships with the central counties. The outlying
counties must have a specified level of commuting to the
central counties and must also meet certain standards
regarding metropolitan character, such as population
density, urban population and population growth. In New
England, MSA's are composed of cities and towns rather than
whole counties.
The population living in MSA's may also be referred to as
the metropolitan population. The population is subdivided
into "inside central city (or cities)" and "outside central
city (or cities)." (The population living outside MSA's
constitutes the non-metropolitan population.) Most MSA's
have one to three CENTRAL CITIES that are named in the
census title of the MSA.
2. "CONSOLIDATED METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS (CMSA's):"
In some parts of the country, metropolitan development has
progressed to the point that adjoining MSA's are themselves
socially and economically interrelated. These areas are
designated consolidated metropolitan statistical areas
(CMSA's) by the Office of Management and Budget, and are
defined using standards included as part of the new MSA
standards described above. MSA's that are a part of a CMSA
are referred to as primary metropolitan statistical areas
(PMSA's).
Definitions of the six largest CMSA's:
NEW YORK-NORTHERN NEW JERSEY-LONG ISLAND, NY-NJ-CT, CMSA
Bergen-Passaic, NJ PMSA
Bridgeport-Milford, CT PMSA
Danbury, CT PMSA
Jersey City, NJ PMSA
Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ PMSA
Monmouth-Ocean NJ PMSA
Nassau-Suffolk, NY PMSA*
New York, NY PMSA*
Newark, NJ PMSA*
Norwalk, CT PMSA
Orange County, NY PMSA
Stamford, CT PMSA
LOS ANGELES-ANAHEIM-RIVERSIDE, CA, CMSA
Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA PMSA*
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA*
Oxnard-Ventura, CA PMSA
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA PMSA*
CHICAGO-GARY-LAKE COUNTY (IL), IL-IN-WI CMSA
Aurora-Elgin, IL PMSA* (Kane Co part only)
Chicago, IL PMSA*
Gary-Hammond, IN PMSA
Joliet, IL PMSA* (Will Co part only)
Kenosha, WI PMSA
Lake County, IL PMSA*
SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-SAN JOSE, CA, CMSA
Oakland, CA PMSA*
San Francisco, CA PMSA*
San Jose, CA PMSA
Santa Cruz, CA PMSA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA PMSA
Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA PMSA
PHILADELPHIA-WILMINGTON-TRENTON, PA-NJ-DE-MD, CMSA
Philadelphia, PA-NJ, PMSA*
Trenton, NJ PMSA
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ PMSA
Wilmington, DE-NJ-MD PMSA
DETROIT-ANN ARBOR, MI, CMSA
Ann Arbor, MI PMSA
Detroit, MI PMSA*
* In the SRC 1980 National Sample (1992 NES sample).
For the purpose of size and distance coding of suburbs and
non-MSAs, the central cities of the six largest CMSAs are
listed as:
1. New York City (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan,
Queens), NY, Elizabeth, NJ and Newark, NJ
2. Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Pomona, Burbank,
Anaheim, Santa Ana, Riverside, San Bernardino and
Palm Springs, CA.
3. Chicago, Evanston and Chicago Heights, Aurora,
Elgin, Joliet, Waukegan and North Chicago, IL
4. San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Livermore, CA
5. Philadelphia and Norristown, PA and Camden, NJ
6. Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac and Port Huron, MI
Both the CMSA definitions and the central city designations
above are from Metropolitan Statistical Areas, 1990, U.S.
Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC (Jun 1990)
(PB90-214420)
3. "URBANIZED AREAS:"
The major objective of the Census Bureau in delineating
urbanized areas is to provide a better separation of urban
and rural population in the vicinity of large cities. An
urbanized area consists of a central city or cities, and
surrounding closely settled territory ("urban fringe").
4. "PLACES:"
Two types of places are recognized in the census
reports--incorporated places and unincorporated places,
defined as follows:
5. "INCORPORATED PLACES:"
These are political units incorporated as cities, borought,
towns and villages with the following exceptions: (a)
boroughs in Alaska; and (b) towns in New York, Wisconsin and
the New England states.
6. "UNINCORPORATED PLACES:"
The Census Bureau has delineated boundaries for closely
settled population centers without corporate limits. Each
place so delineated possesses a definite nucleus of
residences and has its boundaries drawn to include, if
feasible, all the surrounding closely settled area. These
are called Census Designated Places (CDP's).
Walter Mebane
Mon Nov 19 01:33:35 EST 2001