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Situation & Outlook Report

Ames, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CBSA 11180)
Geographic-Demographic-Economic Characteristics -- access other areas
See about updates.

This section is no longer being updated. Access the permanent replacement section at http://proximityone.com/cbsa/1/cbsa11180.htm. Please bookmark this new URL.

Access 2018 S&O Reports, featuring county and metro projections to 2030, via the interactive table at http://proximityone.com/metros.htm. The 2018 reports are similar but have been greatly expanded and updated.

Contents of this Report
This document is organized into these sections:
1. Recent Trends & Outlook
2. Overview & Updates
3. Reference & Thematic Pattern Maps
3.1. Lay of the Land
3.2. Neighborhood Patterns of Economic Prosperity
4. Population Characteristics & Trends
4.1. Component City Characteristics
4.2. Component County Characteristics
4.2.1. RDEMS Component County Characteristics
4.3. General Demographic Characteristics
5. Housing Characteristics & Trends
5.1. Total Housing Units
5.2. General Housing Characteristics
5.3. Residential Construction; Housing Units Authorized & Value
5.4. Housing Price Index
6. Economic Characteristics & Trends
6.1. Economic Profile
6.2. Cost of Living Indexes
6.3. Cost of Doing Business Indexes
6.4. Consumer Price Index
6.5. Gross Domestic Product
6.6. Establishments, Employment & Earnings by Type of Business
6.7. Labor Market Characteristics & Trends
7. Education Infrastructure
7.1. Component School District Characteristics
7.2. Component Higher Education Institution Characteristics
8. GeoPolitics
  Terms of Use
  Related Resources
  Using this Document
  Updates
  About Metros & Principal Cities
  Glossary


1. Recent Trends & Outlook
Summary of recent business, demographic, economic trends; year-ahead & 5-year outlook.
- the Recent Trends & Outlook section, updated quarterly, covers topics about this metro such as .. assessing the implications of next jobs report .. impact of Fed''s interest rate action .. which sectors are expanding or contracting .. housing market conditions .. insights to help your planning and decision-making. The Recent Trends & Outlook section is available in the subscription edition.

2. Overview & Update
The total population of the Ames, IA MSA metro changed from 89,633 in 2010 to 95,456 in 2015, a change of 6,388 (7.1%). Among all 917 metros, this metro was ranked number 410 in 2010 and 398 in 2015, based on total population. Annual net migration was 856 (2011), 447 (2012), 1,299 (2013), 1,407 (2014), 1,407 (2015). View annual population estimates and components of change table. See more about population characteristics below.

This metro is projected to have a total population in 2020 of 98,860. The projected population change from 2010 to 2020 is 9,264 (10.3%). The population ages 65 years and over is projected to change from 9,214 (2010) to 13,920 (2020), a change of 4,706 (51.1%). See more about population projections.

Based on per capita personal income (PCPI), this metro was ranked number 84 in 2008 and 432 in 2014. among the 917 metros for which personal income was estimated.The PCPI changed from $43,096 in 2008 to $37,990 in 2014, a change of ($5,106) (-11.8%). Per capita personal income (PCPI) is a comprehensive measure of individual economic well-being. Use the interactive table to compare PCPI in this metro to other metros. See more about PCPI in Economic Characteristics section below.

282 metropolitan statistical areas, of the total 381, experienced an increase in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between 2009 and 2014. This metro ranked number 319 among the 381 metros based on 2014 GDP. The GDP (millions of current dollars) changed from $4,257 in 2009 to $4,735 in 2014 a change of $478 (11.23%). Real GDP (millions of real, inflation adjusted, dollars) changed from $4,257 in 2009 to $4,253 in 2014, a change of ($4) (-0.09%). GDP is the most comprehensive measure of metro economic activity. GDP is the sum of the GDP originating in all industries in the metro. See more about GDP in Economic Characteristics section below.

Attributes of driil-down, small area geography within the metro ... metros account for 65,744 of the national scope 73,056 census tracts (others are in non-metro areas). This metro is comprised of 20 tracts covering the metro wall-to-wall. View, rank, compare demographic-economic attributes of these tracts using the interactive tables. Use the CBSA code 11180; see table usage details below the table.

3. Lay of the Land & Neighborhood Patterns of Economic Prosperity   go top

3.1. Lay of the Land go top
Lay of the Land. The following map shows the metro with bold boundary.
Counties are labeled with county name and state-county FIPS code.

 
  View developed with CV XE GIS software.   See this section to learn about making custom metro maps.

3.2. Patterns of Economic Prosperity by Neighborhood go top

Median household income by census tract (see color/data legend at left of map).

 
  View developed with CV XE GIS software.   See this section to learn about making custom metro maps.

4. Population Characteristics & Trends go top
Updated monthly, quarterly, annually. Housing market conditions and extended detail Available in subscription edition.

4.1. Component City Characteristics go top
Principal Cities (about principal cities); Click link to view city profile.
  •   Ames

Cities 10,000 population and over; click link to view city profile.
  AreaCensus
2010
July 1
2010
July 1
2011
July 1
2012
July 1
2013
July 1
2014
Change
2010-14
%Change
2010-14
  Ames, IA (1901855) 58,965 58,993 60,231 61,194 62,701 63,266 4,273 7.20

All places interactive tables General Demographics | Social | Economic | Housing
All places time series population estimates interactive table.

4.2. Component County Characteristics   go top
Updated periodically, annually. General demographics, social characteristics and extended detail Available in subscription edition.

Metropolitan areas are defined as one or more contiguous counties based on a set of demographic-economic criteria. Counties comprising the metro are shown below. For multi-county metros, this section provides insights into how the population is changing by county. Many metros changed geographic composition (counties included in the metro) between the Census 2010 vintage and the current vintage. These changes, if any, are also shown below (county is marked with **). See projections in related section.Click county code link to view county components of change.

  AreaJuly 1
2010
PctJuly 1
2011
PctJuly 1
2012
PctJuly 1
2013
PctJuly 1
2014
PctJuly 1
2015
Pct
Metro Summary ... more details 89,633 100.0 90,956 100.0 91,868 100.0 93,627 100.0 95,456 100.0 96,021 100.0
  Story County (19169) 89,633 100.0 90,956 100.0 91,868 100.0 93,627 100.0 95,456 100.0 96,021 100.0

All counties interactive tables General Demographics | Social | Economic | Housing
All counties population estimates & components of change time series interactive table.

4.2.1. RDEMS County Characteristics
Updated quarterly. For more information, see RDEMS Main.
Links open HSG1 Housing & New Residential Construction section. Select other sections from list above table.
  Story County, IA

4.3. General Demographic Characteristics
Updated annually. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Race/Origin 92,406 94,073 1,667 1.80
  One race 90,538 90,342 -196 -0.22
    White 81,549 82,686 1,137 1.39
    Black/African American 81,549 82,686 1,137 1.39
    American Indian/Alaska Native 0 133 133...
    Asian alone 6,495 5,547 -948 -14.60
    Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 32 104 72 225.00
    Some other race alone 765 108 -657 -85.88
  Two or more races 1,868 3,731 1,863 99.73
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 2,943 2,956 13 0.44
Population 25 years and over 47,463 49,474 2,011 0.44
  % high school graduate or higher 95.4 96.4 1.0 1.05
  % bachelor's degree or higher 48.2 47.9 -0.3 -0.62
Total Households 36,340 35,880 -460 -0.62
  Median household income ($) 50,279 46,091 -4,188 -8.33
  Mean household income ($) 63,311 64,148 837 1.32
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Gender & Age 92,406 94,073 1,667 1.80
  Male 47,574 49,041 1,467 1.32
  Female 44,832 45,032 200 1.32
  Under 5 years 4,343 5,023 680 1.32
  5 to 9 years 4,240 4,357 117 2.76
  10 to 14 years 5,163 4,357 -806 -15.61
  15 to 19 years 10,396 13,155 2,759 26.54
  20 to 24 years 20,801 17,707 -3,094 -14.87
  25 to 34 years 11,677 12,976 1,299 11.12
  35 to 44 years 8,646 9,001 355 4.11
  45 to 54 years 8,857 8,371 -486 -5.49
  55 to 59 years 4,004 4,607 603 15.06
  55 to 59 years 4,004 4,607 603 15.06
  60 to 64 years 4,626 4,383 -243 -5.25
  65 to 74 years 4,893 5,480 587 12.00
  75 to 84 years 2,898 3,555 657 22.67
  85 years and over 1,862 1,101 -761 -40.87
  Median age 25.8 26.9 1.1 4.26
  18 years and over 76,301 77,939 1,638 2.15
  21 years and over 61,174 61,647 473 0.77
  62 years and over 11,949 12,687 738 6.18
  65 years and over 9,653 10,136 483 5.00

5. Housing Characteristics & Trends go top
Updated monthly, quarterly, annually. Housing market conditions and extended detail Available in subscription edition.

5.1. Total Housing Units
Updated Annually. Independent annual model-based estimates. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
  ItemCensus
2010
July 1
2010
July 1
2011
July 1
2012
July 1
2013
July 1
2014
Change
2010-2014
%Change
2010-2014
  Total Housing Units 36,789 36,800 36,883 37,263 37,640 38,103 1,303 3.54

5.2. General Housing Characteristics
Updated Annually. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Units in Structure 37,530 38,114 584 1.56
  1-unit, detached 19,155 18,362 -793 -4.14
  1-unit, attached 2,981 2,467 -514 -17.24
  2 units 1,145 1,957 812 70.92
  3 or 4 units 993 1,341 348 35.05
  5 to 9 units 2,143 3,227 1,084 50.58
  10 to 20 units 3,153 4,021 868 27.53
  20 or more units 6,664 5,416 -1,248 -18.73
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Occupancy & Tenure 37,530 38,114 584 1.56
  Occupied Housing Units 36,340 35,880 -460 -1.27
    Owner 18,737 18,595 -142 -0.76
    Renter 17,603 17,285 -318 -1.81
  Vacant Housing Units 1,190 2,234 1,044 87.73
  Homeowner vacancy rate 0.60 0.80 0.20...
  Rental vacancy rate 0.30 1.50 1.20...
Average household size; owner-occ 2.48 2.46 -0.02 -0.81
Average household size; renter-occ 2.13 2.26 0.13 6.10
Median Value $ owner occupied 158,100 167,000 8,900 5.63
Median Rent $ renter occupied 758 797 39 5.15

5.3. Residential Construction; Housing Units Authorized & Value
Updated Monthly. 12 most recent months. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
  ItemAug15Sep15Oct15Nov15Dec15Jan16Feb16Mar16Apr16May16Jun16Jul16
Total Residential Units 6 6 92 37 62 1 4 21 15 97 6 4
  in 1 unit bldgs 6 3 9 5 7 1 4 21 6 12 6 4
  in 2 unit bldgs 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  in 3-4 unit bldgs 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  in 5+ unit bldgs 0 0 81 32 55 0 0 0 9 85 0 0
  Bldgs with 5+ units 0 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 0
  Percent Coverage 83 83 83 83 83 83 83 83 82 82 82 82
Value ($000), Total Units 1,668 1,680 11,688 11,289 7,587 450 1,145 5,960 3,371 13,637 2,035 1,200
  1 unit structures 1,668 1,080 2,681 1,834 2,251 450 1,145 5,960 2,338 4,287 2,035 1,200
  2 unit structures 0 0 330 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  3-4 unit structures 0 600 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  5+ unit structures 0 0 8,677 9,455 5,336 0 0 0 1,033 9,350 0 0

5.4. Housing Price Index go top
Updated quarterly. All transactions; not seasonally adjusted. See related Housing Price Index (HPI) interactive table.
See related 5-Digit ZIP Code HPI interactive table.

    Housing Price Index:2015Q32015Q42016Q12016Q22016Q3
    177.76 179.74 181.34 185.81 184.31
    Quarter-to-Quarter/Year Percent Change:2015Q3-2015Q42015Q4-2016Q12016Q1-2016Q22016Q2-2016Q32015Q3-2016Q3
  1.11 0.89 2.46 -0.81 3.68
6. Economic Characteristics & Trends go top

6.1. Economic Profile go top
The Economic Profile shows shows derivation and key components of total personal income. Data are organized by place of residence and place of work. The place of residence profile includes estimates of total personal income, population, and per capita personal income. The place of work profile includes estimates of total earnings, total employment and average earnings per job. Updated annually. See related interactive table.

  Item20112012201320142015Change
2011-2015
%Change
2011-2015
Personal income 3,143,961 3,577,674 3,385,311 3,565,212 3,764,438 620,477 19.7
  Net earnings 1/ 1,993,842 2,371,583 2,170,208 2,281,898 2,431,961 438,119 22.0
  Personal current transfer receipts 449,900 439,997 452,850 475,845 499,918 50,018 11.1
    Income maintenance 2/ 35,980 36,511 36,692 35,210 33,905 -2,075 -5.8
    Unemployment insurance compensation 12,492 9,149 7,203 5,135 5,352 -7,140 -57.2
    Retirement and other 401,428 394,337 408,955 435,500 460,661 59,233 14.8
  Dividends, interest, and rent 3/ 700,219 766,094 762,253 807,469 832,559 132,340 18.9
  Population 4/ 90,956 91,868 93,627 95,456 96,021 5,065 5.6
  Per capita personal income 34,566 38,944 36,157 37,349 39,204 4,638 13.4
  Per capita net earnings 21,921 25,815 23,179 23,905 25,327 3,406 15.5
  Per capita personal current transfer receipts 4,946 4,789 4,837 4,985 5,206 260 5.3
    Per capita income maintenance 396 397 392 369 353 -43 -10.9
    Per capita unemployment insurance compensation 137 100 77 54 56 -81 -59.1
    Per capita retirement and other 4,413 4,292 4,368 4,562 4,798 385 8.7
  Per capita dividends, interest, and rent 7,698 8,339 8,141 8,459 8,671 973 12.6
  Earnings by place of work 2,521,144 2,900,453 2,835,237 3,025,186 3,232,530 711,386 28.2
    Wages and salaries 1,778,270 1,866,728 1,933,714 2,075,884 2,181,716 403,446 22.7
    Supplements to wages and salaries 560,707 586,482 608,391 662,923 672,914 112,207 20.0
      Employer cont. for empl. pension & insur. funds 6/ 423,789 446,517 463,214 507,631 515,072 91,283 21.5
      Employer cont. for government social insurance 136,918 139,965 145,177 155,292 157,842 20,924 15.3
    Proprietors' income 182,167 447,243 293,132 286,379 377,900 195,733 107.4
      Nonfarm proprietors' income 49,535 46,768 25,068 17,358 18,958 -30,577 -61.7
      Farm proprietors' income 132,632 400,475 268,064 269,021 358,942 226,310 170.6
Total full-time and part-time employment 59,735 59,857 61,209 62,142 63,312 3,577 6.0
  Wage and salary jobs 49,411 49,775 51,048 51,984 52,873 3,462 7.0
  Number of proprietors 10,324 10,082 10,161 10,158 10,439 115 1.1
    Number of nonfarm proprietors 7/ 768 759 768 774 769 1 0.1
    Number of farm proprietors 9,556 9,323 9,393 9,384 9,670 114 1.2
Average earnings per job (dollars) 42,205 48,456 46,321 48,682 51,057 8,852 21.0
  Average wages and salaries 35,989 37,503 37,880 39,933 41,263 5,274 14.7
  Average nonfarm proprietors' income 13,879 42,956 28,539 28,668 37,119 23,240 167.4
Dollar items are in current dollars (not adjusted for inflation). Per capita items in dollars; other dollar items in thousands of dollars.
See related notes.

6.2. Cost of Living Indexes   go top
Updated periodically. Available in subscription edition.

6.3. Cost of Doing Business Indexes   go top
Updated periodically. Available in subscription edition.

6.4. Consumer Price Index   go top
Updated monthly. Available in subscription edition.

6.5. Gross Domestic Product by Sector   go top
Updated quarterly, annually. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table. Additional detail in subscription edition.
  Item200920102011201220132014Change
2009-14
%Change
2009-14
Gross Domestic Product, millions of current dollars 4,257 4,598 4,519 4,429 4,567 4,735 478 11.23
Real Gross Domestic Product, millions of real dollars 4,257 4,540 4,331 4,131 4,180 4,253 -4 -0.09

6.6. Establishments, Employment & Earnings by Detailed Type of Business go top
Updated quarterly. For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
  SectorEstablishments
2015Q1
Employment
2015Q1
Avg Weekly Wages
2015Q1
Establishments
2015Q2
Employment
2015Q2
Avg Weekly Wages
2015Q2
 Total, all industries 2,531 73,591 901 2,555 75,662 857
 Total, all industries - Fed Govt 25 1,600 1,325 25 1,569 1,139
 Total, all industries - St Govt 28 ...... 28 ......
 Total, all industries - Local Govt 57 ...... 57 ......
 Total, all industries - Private 2,421 50,612 801 2,445 52,386 756
    Goods-producing 352 12,060 1,127 366 12,494 1,119
      Natural resources and mining 52 709 1,247 55 800 924
      Construction 207 3,883 1,066 215 4,256 1,077
      Manufacturing 93 7,467 1,148 96 7,439 1,164
    Service-providing 2,069 38,552 699 2,079 39,891 642
      Trade, transportation & utilities 510 11,159 616 519 11,282 611
      Information 48 1,006 830 47 1,019 736
      Financial activities 269 2,321 942 271 2,468 926
      Professional & business services 494 7,651 1,034 490 8,247 906
      Education and health services 255 6,646 943 258 6,911 732
      Leisure and hospitality 270 8,198 255 266 8,374 267
      Other services 223 1,571 510 228 1,592 542

Notes: cell value of '...' indicates value suppressed to maintain confidentiality.

Use the following links to access detailed establishment and employment data by type of business (CSV files).
  .. see notes on using these files.
  2013Q1 .. 2013Q2 .. 2013Q3 .. 2013Q4 .|. 2014Q1 .. 2014Q2 .. 2014Q3 .. 2014Q4 .|. 2015Q1 .. 2015Q2 .. 2015Q3 .. 2015Q4 .. 2016Q1 .. 2016Q2
 
6.7. Labor Market Characteristics & Trends go top
Updated monthly. Available in subscription edition.
For more information, detail & to compare areas use interactive table.
Table shows 13 most recent months.
  ItemAug15Sep15Oct15Nov15Dec15Jan16Feb16Mar16Apr16May16Jun16Jul16Aug16
Unemplymnt Rate 2.4 2.2 2.1 1.9 2.2 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.0 2.1 3.2 3.0 2.9
Unemployment 1,327 1,287 1,219 1,116 1,283 1,432 1,605 1,417 1,180 1,209 1,789 1,691 1,617
Employment 53,429 57,136 57,887 57,976 57,081 55,498 57,479 57,141 57,701 56,269 53,506 53,835 54,077
Labor Force54,75658,42359,10659,09258,36456,93059,08458,55858,88157,47855,29555,52655,694

7. Education Infrastructure   go top

7.1. Component School District Characteristics   go top
Districts in this metro. Updated periodically. See related School District interactive table.
District NameCity Name District
Code
Locale
Code
CountyState2012-13
Enrollment
2013 Total
Population
Grade Relevant
Pop Ages 5-17
Ames Comm School DistrictAmes 19035401319169IA 4,445 58,244 4,909
Ballard Comm School DistrictHuxley 19042004119169IA 1,624 7,630 1,629
Collins-Maxwell Comm School DistrictMaxwell 19079004219169IA 489 2,829 573
Colo-Nesco School Comm School DistrictColo 19079204219169IA 524 3,057 559
Gilbert Comm School DistrictGilbert 19125102319169IA 1,310 6,616 1,320
Nevada Comm School DistrictNevada 19202503119169IA 1,599 8,769 1,578
Roland-Story Comm School DistrictStory City 19248703119169IA 983 5,930 1,054

Number of districts: 7 ... Total enrollment: 10,974
All school districts interactive tables General Demographics | Social | Economic | Housing
All school districts enrollment & adminstratively reported data interactive table.

7.2. Component Higher Education Institution Characteristics   go top
2014-15 School Year. Extended detail Available in subscription edition.
  Institution City Name Code LevelTotal UG EnrollmentFulltime UG EnrollmentTotal Grad EnrollmentFulltime Grad Enrollment
Iowa State University Ames, IA1536039 28,893 27,440 5,542 3,448
PCI Academy-Ames Ames, IA1542084 116 116 0 0

  Number of institutions: 2 ... Total undergraduate enrollment: 29,009
  Levels: 3-Assoc degree, 4-at least 2, but < 4 years, 5-Bach degree, 6-Postbacc cert, 7 Masters degree, 8 Post-masters cert, 9 Doctors degree

8. GeoPolitics   go top
Updated periodically. Voting patterns, citizen voting age population, state legislative districts, congressional districts .. in this metro.
Available in subscription edition.

Notes
  • All data are for current vintage county and metro definition.
  • Developed by ProximityOne -- Metro Reports (888-364-7656)
  • Data sources: ProximityOne, Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Housing Finance Agency,
    National Center for Education Statistics.

Updates go top
The subscription edition updates frequently. Selected items are listed below. Register to receive update notifications.
  • Overview lead narrative; quarterly & annual/March.
  • Housing Price Index (section 5.4) quarterly.
  • Establishments, employment & earnings (section 6.6) quarterly.
  • Economic profile and personal income (section 6.1) annual/November.
  • Labor market situation (section 6.7) monthly.
  • Residential construction; units authorized & value (section 5.3.) monthly.
  • Population by county; annual series 2010-2016 (section 4.2.) annual/July.
  • Population by county; links for individual counties (section 4.2.) annual/July.
      -- includes annual data 2010-2016.
      -- includes components of change; race/origin; single year of age; age group summaries.
  • Total population and components of change; annual/March.
  • Census tracts overview section; annual/December.
  • General Demographics section updated/extended; annual/December.
  • Gross Domestic Product section; annual/September.
  • Higher education institutions; annual/February.
  • Metro & county demographic component detailed annual estimates; annual/March.
  • School districts in metro & K-12 enrollment; annual/August.
More about schedule and upcoming events ... Calendar ... Upcoming Events ... Find Event

Terms of Use go top
Situation & Outlook Reports are a proprietary resource developed by ProximityOne. There is no warranty of any type associated with any aspect of this report. The user of this document is solely responsible to any use, direct or indirect, that might be made of this document.

Related Resources go top
  • Metros main page
  • Current estimates and projections: states to 2030, counties & metros to 2020 by age, counties & states to 2060.
  • Making Custom Metropolitan Area Maps
  • Rental Market Conditions by Metropolitan Area
  • Metro Gross Domestic Product
  • Housing Price Index
  • Establishments, Employment & Earnings
  • Regional Economic Information System
  • ACS 2014 1-year General Demographics ... Social Characteristics ... Economic Characteristics ... Housing Characteristics

Using this Document go top
The Situation & Outlook Report, a component of the Situation & Outlook, is a core ProximityOne information resource providing insights into characteristics and trends of counties, metropolitan areas, states and the U.S. The Report also provides a gateway to drill-down demographic, economic and business data for smaller geographic areas.

Metropolitan areas include approximately 94 percent of the U.S. population -- 85 percent in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and 9 percent in micropolitan statistical areas (MISAs).

About Metropolitan Areas & Principal Cities -- scroll section go top
Metropolitan Areas are designated by OMB ("Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas") based mainly on Census Bureau-sourced data. Metropolitan areas are defined as Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (MISA). MSAs and MISAs are also referred to a Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Contiguous CBSAs are defined as Combined Statistical Areas (CSA).

By definition, metropolitan areas are comprised of one or more contiguous counties. Metropolitan areas are not single cities and typically include many cities. Metropolitan areas are comprised of urban and rural areas and often have large expanses of rural territory. A business and demographic-economic synergy exists within each metro; metros often interact with adjacent metros. The demographic-economic make-up of metros vary widely and change often. See more about metros.

Principal Cities. The largest city in each metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area is designated a "principal city." Principal cities are designated by OMB based on Census-sourced data. Additional cities qualify as principal cities if specified requirements are met concerning population size and employment. The title of each metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area consists of the names of up to three of its principal cities and the name of each state into which the metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area extends. Titles of metropolitan divisions also typically are based on principal city names but in certain cases consist of county names.

One or more principal cities are designated within each Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and Micropolitan Statistical Area (MISA). The term "principal city" is defined in the OMB "Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas." A principal city is an OMB designation applied to one or more incorporated places and/or census designated places (CDPs). The OMB standards designate a Principal City (or Cities) of a Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) as determined by:
  a) The largest incorporated place with a 2010 Census population of at least 10,000 in the CBSA or,
        if no incorporated place of at least 10,000 population is present in the CBSA,
        the largest incorporated place or census designated place in the CBSA; and
  b) Additional places with 2010 Census population of at least 250,000 or in which 100,000 or more persons work; and
  c) Additional places with 2010 Census population of 50,000-250,000,
        and number of workers working in the place meets or exceeds the number of workers living in the place; and
  d) Additional places with 2010 Census population of 10,000-50,000, and at least one-third the population size of the largest place,
        and in which the number of workers working in the place meets or exceeds the number of workers living in the place.

ProximityOne User Group go top
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Support Using these Resources go top
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Additional Information go top
ProximityOne develops geographic-demographic-economic data and analytical tools and helps organizations knit together and use diverse data in a decision-making and analytical framework. We develop custom demographic/economic estimates and projections, develop geographic and geocoded address files, and assist with impact and geospatial analyses. Wide-ranging organizations use our tools (software, data, methodologies) to analyze their own data integrated with other data. Follow ProximityOne on Twitter at www.twitter.com/proximityone. Contact us (888-364-7656) with questions about data covered in this section or to discuss custom estimates, projections or analyses for your areas of interest.

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