Micropolitan statistical area

See also: List of Micropolitan Statistical Areas

United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA, where the initial Greek letter mu represents "micro-"), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are urban areas in the United States centered on an urban cluster (urban area) with a population at least 10,000 but less than 50,000. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003. Like the better-known Metropolitan Statistical Areas, a micropolitan area is a geographic entity used for statistical purposes based on counties and county equivalents. The OMB has identified 576 micropolitan areas in the United States.

The term "micropolitan" gained currency in the 1990s to describe growing population centers in the United States that are removed from larger cities, in some cases by 100 miles (160 km) or more. Lower land and labor costs have led some micropolitan areas to develop many housing subdivisions and suburban cultures similar to those found in larger metropolitan areas.

Micropolitan cities do not have the economic or political importance of large cities, but are nevertheless significant centers of population and production, drawing workers and shoppers from a wide local area. Because the designation is based on the core urban cluster's population and not on that of the whole area, some micropolitan areas are actually larger than some metropolitan areas. For example, the Ottawa–Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 census population of 154,908. That would put its total population ahead of roughly 100 individual locations classified as a Metropolitan Statistical Area in 2010. The largest of the areas, centered on Torrington, Connecticut, had a population in excess of 180,000 in 2000; Torrington's population in that year's census was only 35,202.

Map

An enlargeable map of the 955 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) of the United States and Puerto Rico. The 374 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are shown in medium green. The 581 Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs) are shown in light green.

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 1093 statistical areas comprising 381 MSAs, 546 μSAs, and 166 CSAs
      • Primary statistical area – List of the 569 PSAs
        • Combined Statistical Area – List of the 166 CSAs
        • Core Based Statistical Area – List of the 917 CBSAs
          • Metropolitan Statistical Area – List of the 381 MSAs
          • Micropolitan Statistical Area – List of the 546 μSAs

External links

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