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Metro in Regional Context




Situation & Outlook Report

Iowa City, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CBSA 26980)
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This section is no longer being updated.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/cbsa26980.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 Iowa City, IA MSA metro changed from 152,988 in 2010 to 164,508 in 2015, a change of 13,510 (8.8%). Among all 917 metros, this metro was ranked number 266 in 2010 and 252 in 2015, based on total population. Annual net migration was 1,359 (2011), 2,064 (2012), 1,763 (2013), 1,454 (2014), 1,454 (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 174,811. The projected population change from 2010 to 2020 is 21,848 (14.3%). The population ages 65 years and over is projected to change from 15,511 (2010) to 25,987 (2020), a change of 10,476 (67.5%). See more about population projections.

Based on per capita personal income (PCPI), this metro was ranked number 145 in 2008 and 147 in 2014. among the 917 metros for which personal income was estimated.The PCPI changed from $40,025 in 2008 to $45,535 in 2014, a change of $5,510 (13.8%). 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 210 among the 381 metros based on 2014 GDP. The GDP (millions of current dollars) changed from $7,199 in 2009 to $8,879 in 2014 a change of $1,680 (23.34%). Real GDP (millions of real, inflation adjusted, dollars) changed from $7,199 in 2009 to $8,086 in 2014, a change of $887 (12.32%). 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 29 tracts covering the metro wall-to-wall. View, rank, compare demographic-economic attributes of these tracts using the interactive tables. Use the CBSA code 26980; 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.
  •   Iowa City

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
  Coralville, IA (1916230) 18,907 18,942 19,164 19,807 20,190 20,349 1,407 7.40
  Iowa City, IA (1938595) 67,862 68,005 69,183 70,447 71,861 73,415 5,410 8.00
  North Liberty, IA (1957360) 13,374 13,523 13,966 14,530 15,058 15,386 1,863 13.80

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 152,988 100.0 155,562 100.0 158,842 100.0 161,854 100.0 164,508 100.0 166,498 100.0
  Johnson County, IA (19103) 131,291 85.8 133,733 86.0 136,923 86.2 139,851 86.4 142,421 86.6 144,251 86.6
  Washington County, IA (19183) 21,697 14.2 21,829 14.0 21,919 13.8 22,003 13.6 22,087 13.4 22,247 13.4

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.
  Johnson 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 161,170 164,357 3,187 1.98
  One race 159,322 160,353 1,031 0.65
    White 140,911 140,408 -503 -0.36
    Black/African American 140,911 140,408 -503 -0.36
    American Indian/Alaska Native 105 376 271 258.10
    Asian alone 8,456 8,604 148 1.75
    Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 300 0 -300 -100.00
    Some other race alone 1,405 2,706 1,301 92.60
  Two or more races 1,848 4,004 2,156 116.67
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 8,663 9,096 433 5.00
Population 25 years and over 96,220 99,516 3,296 5.00
  % high school graduate or higher 95.2 95.2 0.0 0.00
  % bachelor's degree or higher 48.6 48.8 0.2 0.41
Total Households 64,564 64,409 -155 0.41
  Median household income ($) 52,220 59,791 7,571 14.50
  Mean household income ($) 72,991 85,522 12,531 17.17
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Gender & Age 161,170 164,357 3,187 1.98
  Male 79,932 82,340 2,408 17.17
  Female 81,238 82,017 779 17.17
  Under 5 years 9,438 10,274 836 17.17
  5 to 9 years 9,668 9,362 -306 -3.17
  10 to 14 years 8,457 9,453 996 11.78
  15 to 19 years 14,164 13,891 -273 -1.93
  20 to 24 years 23,223 21,861 -1,362 -5.86
  25 to 34 years 27,708 24,616 -3,092 -11.16
  35 to 44 years 17,066 19,728 2,662 15.60
  45 to 54 years 17,116 18,882 1,766 10.32
  55 to 59 years 9,888 9,137 -751 -7.60
  55 to 59 years 9,888 9,137 -751 -7.60
  60 to 64 years 7,307 9,037 1,730 23.68
  65 to 74 years 9,394 10,004 610 6.49
  75 to 84 years 5,326 5,932 606 11.38
  85 years and over 2,415 2,180 -235 -9.73
  Median age 30.5 31.7 1.2 3.93
  18 years and over 127,771 130,230 2,459 1.92
  21 years and over 115,172 117,474 2,302 2.00
  62 years and over 21,468 23,292 1,824 8.50
  65 years and over 17,135 18,116 981 5.73

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 65,483 65,627 66,027 66,641 67,354 68,323 2,696 4.11

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 67,176 68,318 1,142 1.70
  1-unit, detached 35,230 37,122 1,892 5.37
  1-unit, attached 6,061 8,192 2,131 35.16
  2 units 2,058 1,674 -384 -18.66
  3 or 4 units 2,656 2,308 -348 -13.10
  5 to 9 units 4,612 3,706 -906 -19.64
  10 to 20 units 9,218 5,928 -3,290 -35.69
  20 or more units 4,564 5,286 722 15.82
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Occupancy & Tenure 67,176 68,318 1,142 1.70
  Occupied Housing Units 64,564 64,409 -155 -0.24
    Owner 38,004 40,715 2,711 7.13
    Renter 26,560 23,694 -2,866 -10.79
  Vacant Housing Units 2,612 3,909 1,297 49.66
  Homeowner vacancy rate 1.10 0.20 -0.90...
  Rental vacancy rate 1.30 2.00 0.70...
Average household size; owner-occ 2.52 2.54 0.02 0.79
Average household size; renter-occ 2.14 2.20 0.06 2.80
Median Value $ owner occupied 187,300 193,500 6,200 3.31
Median Rent $ renter occupied 799 911 112 14.02

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 117 102 62 28 48 66 40 57 63 46 221 24
  in 1 unit bldgs 33 30 40 28 32 7 22 57 35 46 24 12
  in 2 unit bldgs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  in 3-4 unit bldgs 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
  in 5+ unit bldgs 84 72 15 0 16 59 18 0 28 0 197 0
  Bldgs with 5+ units 3 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 5 0
  Percent Coverage 81 81 81 81 81 81 81 81 78 78 78 78
Value ($000), Total Units 15,538 9,767 11,084 6,688 9,600 13,810 8,284 11,691 9,835 9,297 29,347 4,752
  1 unit structures 6,781 5,240 8,789 6,688 7,613 1,910 5,951 11,691 5,775 9,297 5,945 2,665
  2 unit structures 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  3-4 unit structures 0 0 1,195 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2,087
  5+ unit structures 8,757 4,527 1,100 0 1,987 11,900 2,333 0 4,060 0 23,402 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
    172.28 174.34 173.01 175.18 177.85
    Quarter-to-Quarter/Year Percent Change:2015Q3-2015Q42015Q4-2016Q12016Q1-2016Q22016Q2-2016Q32015Q3-2016Q3
  1.20 -0.76 1.25 1.52 3.23
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 6,606,394 6,956,611 7,217,188 7,608,771 7,879,308 1,272,914 19.3
  Net earnings 1/ 4,508,318 4,749,289 4,920,710 5,207,701 5,366,917 858,599 19.0
  Personal current transfer receipts 779,592 791,483 821,637 866,582 926,179 146,587 18.8
    Income maintenance 2/ 77,461 78,556 80,439 79,738 80,638 3,177 4.1
    Unemployment insurance compensation 29,194 20,549 16,382 13,504 13,154 -16,040 -54.9
    Retirement and other 672,937 692,378 724,816 773,340 832,387 159,450 23.7
  Dividends, interest, and rent 3/ 1,318,484 1,415,839 1,474,841 1,534,488 1,586,212 267,728 20.3
  Population 4/ 155,562 158,842 161,854 164,508 166,498 10,936 7.0
  Per capita personal income 42,468 43,796 44,591 46,252 47,324 4,856 11.4
  Per capita net earnings 28,981 29,899 30,402 31,656 32,234 3,253 11.2
  Per capita personal current transfer receipts 5,011 4,983 5,076 5,268 5,563 552 11.0
    Per capita income maintenance 498 495 497 485 484 -14 -2.8
    Per capita unemployment insurance compensation 188 129 101 82 79 -109 -58.0
    Per capita retirement and other 4,326 4,359 4,478 4,701 4,999 673 15.6
  Per capita dividends, interest, and rent 8,476 8,914 9,112 9,328 9,527 1,051 12.4
  Earnings by place of work 5,391,197 5,676,067 6,005,635 6,288,898 6,473,338 1,082,141 20.1
    Wages and salaries 3,676,131 3,862,183 4,023,951 4,191,308 4,364,248 688,117 18.7
    Supplements to wages and salaries 1,160,225 1,226,521 1,278,829 1,368,326 1,388,492 228,267 19.7
      Employer cont. for empl. pension & insur. funds 6/ 869,502 925,443 968,239 1,052,387 1,065,497 195,995 22.5
      Employer cont. for government social insurance 290,723 301,078 310,590 315,939 322,995 32,272 11.1
    Proprietors' income 554,841 587,363 702,855 729,264 720,598 165,757 29.9
      Nonfarm proprietors' income 165,793 148,165 198,158 148,838 109,766 -56,027 -33.8
      Farm proprietors' income 389,048 439,198 504,697 580,426 610,832 221,784 57.0
Total full-time and part-time employment 119,139 121,380 124,044 124,947 126,459 7,320 6.1
  Wage and salary jobs 98,290 100,182 102,520 103,205 104,165 5,875 6.0
  Number of proprietors 20,849 21,198 21,524 21,742 22,294 1,445 6.9
    Number of nonfarm proprietors 7/ 1,988 1,988 2,004 2,002 1,990 2 0.1
    Number of farm proprietors 18,861 19,210 19,520 19,740 20,304 1,443 7.7
Average earnings per job (dollars) 45,251 46,763 48,415 50,333 51,189 5,938 13.1
  Average wages and salaries 37,401 38,552 39,250 40,611 41,897 4,496 12.0
  Average nonfarm proprietors' income 20,627 22,863 25,855 29,404 30,084 9,457 45.8
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 7,199 7,471 7,870 8,290 8,639 8,879 1,680 23.34
Real Gross Domestic Product, millions of real dollars 7,199 7,380 7,619 7,852 8,021 8,086 887 12.32

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 4,791 146,818 870 4,806 150,705 870
 Total, all industries - Fed Govt 33 3,394 1,394 33 3,368 1,182
 Total, all industries - St Govt 43 ...... 45 ......
 Total, all industries - Local Govt 87 ...... 87 ......
 Total, all industries - Private 4,628 100,299 702 4,641 103,892 702
    Goods-producing 717 16,231 919 725 17,441 945
      Natural resources and mining 69 730 729 68 847 733
      Construction 507 5,134 859 513 6,166 897
      Manufacturing 141 10,367 963 144 10,428 992
    Service-providing 3,911 84,067 660 3,916 86,451 652
      Trade, transportation & utilities 1,022 26,283 662 1,014 26,848 674
      Information 69 3,726 1,208 69 4,377 911
      Financial activities 414 5,533 1,029 408 5,690 932
      Professional & business services 830 11,713 744 831 11,558 735
      Education and health services 608 17,618 733 609 17,844 772
      Leisure and hospitality 499 16,017 276 502 16,853 288
      Other services 469 3,176 558 483 3,281 577

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 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.2 2.5 2.9 3.0 2.8 2.4 2.5 3.2 3.2 3.2
Unemployment 2,170 2,057 1,967 1,871 2,084 2,479 2,531 2,373 2,040 2,047 2,725 2,674 2,723
Employment 81,221 81,561 82,616 83,001 82,389 81,724 82,652 82,704 82,345 80,992 81,287 82,160 82,033
Labor Force83,39183,61884,58384,87284,47384,20385,18385,07784,38583,03984,01284,83484,756

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
Clear Creek Amana Comm School DistrictOxford 19075904119103IA 1,711 12,587 1,775
Highland Comm School DistrictRiverside 19140104219183IA 705 3,772 685
Iowa City Comm School DistrictIowa City 19147001319103IA 13,019 112,249 14,531
Lone Tree Comm School DistrictLone Tree 19175504219103IA 470 2,393 464
Mid-Prairie Comm School DistrictWellman 19191404219183IA 1,266 9,321 1,970
Solon Comm School DistrictSolon 19265804219103IA 1,306 6,505 1,422
Washington Comm School DistrictWashington 19302403219183IA 1,862 10,316 1,840

Number of districts: 7 ... Total enrollment: 20,339
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
La James International College-Iowa City Iowa City, IA1543414 54 54 0 0
Shiloh University Kalona, IA4804997 20 1 26 1
The Salon Professional Academy-Iowa City Iowa City, IA4617314 47 47 0 0
University of Iowa Iowa City, IA1536589 22,354 19,546 7,616 4,878

  Number of institutions: 4 ... Total undergraduate enrollment: 22,475
  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
Join the ProximityOne User Group to keep up-to-date with new developments relating to metros and component geography decision-making information resources. Receive updates and access to tools and resources available only to members. Use this form to join the User Group.

Support Using these Resources go top
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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