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Metro in Regional Context




Situation & Outlook Report

Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CBSA 13380)
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This section is no longer being updated.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/cbsa13380.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 Bellingham, WA MSA metro changed from 201,570 in 2010 to 208,491 in 2015, a change of 10,714 (5.3%). Among all 917 metros, this metro was ranked number 212 in 2010 and 210 in 2015, based on total population. Annual net migration was 1,026 (2011), 776 (2012), 722 (2013), 1,473 (2014), 1,473 (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 218,724. The projected population change from 2010 to 2020 is 17,206 (8.5%). The population ages 65 years and over is projected to change from 27,583 (2010) to 42,941 (2020), a change of 15,358 (55.7%). See more about population projections.

Based on per capita personal income (PCPI), this metro was ranked number 259 in 2008 and 286 in 2014. among the 917 metros for which personal income was estimated.The PCPI changed from $36,624 in 2008 to $40,840 in 2014, a change of $4,216 (11.5%). 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 197 among the 381 metros based on 2014 GDP. The GDP (millions of current dollars) changed from $8,521 in 2009 to $9,994 in 2014 a change of $1,473 (17.29%). Real GDP (millions of real, inflation adjusted, dollars) changed from $8,521 in 2009 to $8,433 in 2014, a change of ($88) (-1.03%). 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 34 tracts covering the metro wall-to-wall. View, rank, compare demographic-economic attributes of these tracts using the interactive tables. Use the CBSA code 13380; 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.
  •   Bellingham

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
  Bellingham, WA (5305280) 80,885 80,964 81,517 82,059 82,490 83,365 2,401 3.00
  Ferndale, WA (5323620) 11,415 11,484 11,724 11,973 12,329 12,704 1,220 10.60
  Lynden, WA (5340805) 11,951 12,036 12,255 12,602 12,869 13,165 1,129 9.40

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 201,570 100.0 203,415 100.0 204,961 100.0 206,349 100.0 208,491 100.0 212,284 100.0
  Whatcom County (53073) 201,570 100.0 203,415 100.0 204,961 100.0 206,349 100.0 208,491 100.0 212,284 100.0

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.
  Whatcom County, WA

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 206,353 208,351 1,998 0.97
  One race 198,316 198,866 550 0.28
    White 176,587 177,416 829 0.47
    Black/African American 176,587 177,416 829 0.47
    American Indian/Alaska Native 6,034 5,820 -214 -3.55
    Asian alone 8,916 8,150 -766 -8.59
    Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 383 611 228 59.53
    Some other race alone 4,736 5,008 272 5.74
  Two or more races 8,037 9,485 1,448 18.02
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 17,833 18,636 803 4.50
Population 25 years and over 132,094 134,303 2,209 4.50
  % high school graduate or higher 90.5 91.2 0.7 0.77
  % bachelor's degree or higher 32.2 32.6 0.4 1.24
Total Households 78,330 81,973 3,643 1.24
  Median household income ($) 50,186 53,665 3,479 6.93
  Mean household income ($) 64,236 66,744 2,508 3.90
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Gender & Age 206,353 208,351 1,998 0.97
  Male 101,656 102,098 442 3.90
  Female 104,697 106,253 1,556 3.90
  Under 5 years 11,784 11,162 -622 3.90
  5 to 9 years 10,676 13,212 2,536 23.75
  10 to 14 years 12,278 11,409 -869 -7.08
  15 to 19 years 15,069 14,005 -1,064 -7.06
  20 to 24 years 24,452 24,260 -192 -0.79
  25 to 34 years 25,974 25,887 -87 -0.33
  35 to 44 years 22,621 23,489 868 3.84
  45 to 54 years 26,143 25,622 -521 -1.99
  55 to 59 years 14,249 13,362 -887 -6.22
  55 to 59 years 14,249 13,362 -887 -6.22
  60 to 64 years 12,715 13,988 1,273 10.01
  65 to 74 years 17,785 19,485 1,700 9.56
  75 to 84 years 9,187 8,272 -915 -9.96
  85 years and over 3,420 4,198 778 22.75
  Median age 36.2 36.7 0.5 1.38
  18 years and over 164,268 165,723 1,455 0.89
  21 years and over 151,947 151,760 -187 -0.12
  62 years and over 37,678 40,638 2,960 7.86
  65 years and over 30,392 31,955 1,563 5.14

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 90,665 90,721 90,937 91,305 91,711 92,466 1,745 1.92

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 91,396 92,462 1,066 1.17
  1-unit, detached 58,841 57,770 -1,071 -1.82
  1-unit, attached 1,656 2,476 820 49.52
  2 units 2,670 3,842 1,172 43.90
  3 or 4 units 4,135 4,636 501 12.12
  5 to 9 units 3,596 5,248 1,652 45.94
  10 to 20 units 4,941 3,762 -1,179 -23.86
  20 or more units 7,542 7,310 -232 -3.08
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Occupancy & Tenure 91,396 92,462 1,066 1.17
  Occupied Housing Units 78,330 81,973 3,643 4.65
    Owner 48,982 51,213 2,231 4.55
    Renter 29,348 30,760 1,412 4.81
  Vacant Housing Units 13,066 10,489 -2,577 -19.72
  Homeowner vacancy rate 1.00 1.90 0.90...
  Rental vacancy rate 5.00 4.10 -0.90...
Average household size; owner-occ 2.64 2.52 -0.12 -4.55
Average household size; renter-occ 2.44 2.39 -0.05 -2.05
Median Value $ owner occupied 278,600 273,500 -5,100 -1.83
Median Rent $ renter occupied 894 936 42 4.70

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 221 88 128 45 76 108 59 85 84 94 116 70
  in 1 unit bldgs 59 40 63 42 42 54 46 49 63 72 86 66
  in 2 unit bldgs 2 16 6 0 2 2 6 4 0 0 6 4
  in 3-4 unit bldgs 0 0 3 3 0 0 7 8 12 4 3 0
  in 5+ unit bldgs 160 32 56 0 32 52 0 24 9 18 21 0
  Bldgs with 5+ units 8 2 3 0 1 3 0 1 1 1 2 0
  Percent Coverage 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98 98
Value ($000), Total Units 37,577 14,904 24,209 11,039 14,384 18,605 12,959 16,012 21,444 21,130 28,609 17,609
  1 unit structures 16,373 9,915 16,596 10,608 10,923 13,503 11,222 11,684 16,930 19,188 24,851 16,877
  2 unit structures 328 1,997 801 0 282 282 874 588 0 0 834 732
  3-4 unit structures 0 0 408 431 0 0 863 1,085 1,627 542 407 0
  5+ unit structures 20,876 2,992 6,404 0 3,179 4,820 0 2,655 2,887 1,400 2,517 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
    217.87 223.61 221.35 228.05 239.75
    Quarter-to-Quarter/Year Percent Change:2015Q3-2015Q42015Q4-2016Q12016Q1-2016Q22016Q2-2016Q32015Q3-2016Q3
  2.63 -1.01 3.03 5.13 10.04
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 7,772,623 8,279,645 8,307,682 8,643,184 9,024,371 1,251,748 16.1
  Net earnings 1/ 4,621,602 4,967,852 5,022,878 5,130,836 5,412,152 790,550 17.1
  Personal current transfer receipts 1,493,319 1,494,383 1,524,950 1,657,989 1,698,711 205,392 13.8
    Income maintenance 2/ 161,850 156,286 152,699 150,858 152,044 -9,806 -6.1
    Unemployment insurance compensation 87,210 64,162 49,785 32,351 28,919 -58,291 -66.8
    Retirement and other 1,244,259 1,273,935 1,322,466 1,474,780 1,517,748 273,489 22.0
  Dividends, interest, and rent 3/ 1,657,702 1,817,410 1,759,854 1,854,359 1,913,508 255,806 15.4
  Population 4/ 203,415 204,961 206,349 208,491 212,284 8,869 4.4
  Per capita personal income 38,211 40,396 40,260 41,456 42,511 4,300 11.3
  Per capita net earnings 22,720 24,238 24,342 24,609 25,495 2,775 12.2
  Per capita personal current transfer receipts 7,341 7,291 7,390 7,952 8,002 661 9.0
    Per capita income maintenance 796 763 740 724 716 -80 -10.1
    Per capita unemployment insurance compensation 429 313 241 155 136 -293 -68.3
    Per capita retirement and other 6,117 6,215 6,409 7,074 7,150 1,033 16.9
  Per capita dividends, interest, and rent 8,149 8,867 8,529 8,894 9,014 865 10.6
  Earnings by place of work 5,003,890 5,349,662 5,487,249 5,578,519 5,879,689 875,799 17.5
    Wages and salaries 3,369,563 3,553,022 3,689,556 3,739,667 3,968,428 598,865 17.8
    Supplements to wages and salaries 943,507 984,788 1,010,171 1,021,559 1,043,249 99,742 10.6
      Employer cont. for empl. pension & insur. funds 6/ 612,685 645,248 662,430 664,905 673,501 60,816 9.9
      Employer cont. for government social insurance 330,822 339,540 347,741 356,654 369,748 38,926 11.8
    Proprietors' income 690,820 811,852 787,522 817,293 868,012 177,192 25.6
      Nonfarm proprietors' income 81,416 57,673 67,330 101,377 89,404 7,988 9.8
      Farm proprietors' income 609,404 754,179 720,192 715,916 778,608 169,204 27.8
Total full-time and part-time employment 110,416 112,856 115,155 117,125 120,008 9,592 8.7
  Wage and salary jobs 84,256 86,683 88,384 90,057 92,086 7,830 9.3
  Number of proprietors 26,160 26,173 26,771 27,068 27,922 1,762 6.7
    Number of nonfarm proprietors 7/ 1,486 1,511 1,509 1,490 1,462 -24 -1.6
    Number of farm proprietors 24,674 24,662 25,262 25,578 26,460 1,786 7.2
Average earnings per job (dollars) 45,319 47,403 47,651 47,629 48,994 3,675 8.1
  Average wages and salaries 39,992 40,989 41,745 41,526 43,095 3,103 7.8
  Average nonfarm proprietors' income 24,698 30,581 28,509 27,990 29,426 4,728 19.1
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 8,521 9,359 9,194 9,532 9,799 9,994 1,473 17.29
Real Gross Domestic Product, millions of real dollars 8,521 8,824 7,882 7,918 8,175 8,433 -88 -1.03

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 7,137 139,447 811 7,099 143,278 804
 Total, all industries - Fed Govt 41 2,264 1,858 41 2,280 1,612
 Total, all industries - St Govt 31 6,030 1,028 31 6,091 995
 Total, all industries - Local Govt 86 16,149 810 86 16,542 846
 Total, all industries - Private 6,979 115,004 779 6,941 118,366 773
    Goods-producing 1,439 28,914 1,078 1,436 31,148 1,049
      Natural resources and mining 386 5,190 564 383 6,132 558
      Construction 722 8,996 1,070 728 10,079 1,243
      Manufacturing 331 14,728 1,270 325 14,938 1,130
    Service-providing 5,540 86,090 677 5,505 87,217 674
      Trade, transportation & utilities 1,368 25,901 621 1,362 26,179 644
      Information 95 2,022 1,025 97 2,098 936
      Financial activities 482 4,990 1,060 490 5,050 1,018
      Professional & business services 1,002 12,838 882 1,003 12,796 893
      Education and health services 1,468 20,192 794 1,440 20,466 751
      Leisure and hospitality 610 16,234 307 597 16,446 319
      Other services 515 3,913 630 516 4,183 671

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 5.8 5.6 5.5 5.6 6.1 6.8 6.7 6.4 6.1 5.8 6.2 6.5 6.3
Unemployment 5,879 5,585 5,629 5,781 6,334 7,142 7,106 6,804 6,395 6,058 6,579 6,863 6,535
Employment 95,144 94,939 96,911 97,744 98,191 98,612 98,534 99,671 99,116 98,836 98,715 99,398 96,626
Labor Force101,023100,524102,540103,525104,525105,754105,640106,475105,511104,894105,294106,261103,161

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
Bellingham School DistrictBellingham 53004201353073WA 11,148 104,767 12,340
Blaine School DistrictBlaine 53005703153073WA 2,192 16,388 2,380
Ferndale School DistrictFerndale 53028502253073WA 4,920 31,180 5,885
Lynden School DistrictLynden 53046203153073WA 2,846 18,863 3,612
Meridian School DistrictBellingham 53050104153073WA 2,407 10,032 1,630
Mount Baker School DistrictDeming 53053104153073WA 1,917 14,724 2,573
Nooksack Valley School DistrictEverson 53056704153073WA 1,616 10,317 1,996

Number of districts: 7 ... Total enrollment: 27,046
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
Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, WA2346964 2,301 1,363 0 0
Northwest Indian College Bellingham, WA3803775 637 527 0 0
Western Washington University Bellingham, WA2370118 14,152 13,050 908 515
Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WA2370394 4,176 2,267 0 0

  Number of institutions: 4 ... Total undergraduate enrollment: 21,266
  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.

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Learn more about accessing and using demographic-economic data and related analytical tools. Join us in a Data Analytics Lab session. There is no fee for these one-hour Web sessions. Each informal session is focused on a specific topic. The open structure also provides for Q&A and discussion of application issues of interest to participants.

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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