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Metro in Regional Context




Situation & Outlook Report

Lake Charles, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CBSA 29340)
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This section is no longer being updated.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/cbsa29340.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 Lake Charles, LA MSA metro changed from 200,009 in 2010 to 203,544 in 2015, a change of 5,596 (2.8%). Among all 917 metros, this metro was ranked number 214 in 2010 and 214 in 2015, based on total population. Annual net migration was -202 (2011), -296 (2012), 281 (2013), 576 (2014), 576 (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 216,735. The projected population change from 2010 to 2020 is 16,666 (8.3%). The population ages 65 years and over is projected to change from 25,980 (2010) to 39,171 (2020), a change of 13,191 (50.8%). See more about population projections.

Based on per capita personal income (PCPI), this metro was ranked number 299 in 2008 and 318 in 2014. among the 917 metros for which personal income was estimated.The PCPI changed from $35,746 in 2008 to $40,116 in 2014, a change of $4,370 (12.2%). 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 147 among the 381 metros based on 2014 GDP. The GDP (millions of current dollars) changed from $11,516 in 2009 to $14,666 in 2014 a change of $3,150 (27.35%). Real GDP (millions of real, inflation adjusted, dollars) changed from $11,516 in 2009 to $11,652 in 2014, a change of $136 (1.18%). 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 47 tracts covering the metro wall-to-wall. View, rank, compare demographic-economic attributes of these tracts using the interactive tables. Use the CBSA code 29340; 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.
  •   Lake Charles

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
  Lake Charles, LA (2241155) 71,993 72,250 72,679 73,636 74,017 74,889 2,639 3.70
  Sulphur, LA (2273640) 20,410 20,431 20,336 20,178 20,203 20,206 -225 -1.10

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 200,009 100.0 200,507 100.0 201,128 100.0 202,182 100.0 203,544 100.0 205,605 100.0
  Calcasieu Parish, LA (22019) 193,106 96.5 193,817 96.7 194,499 96.7 195,493 96.7 196,839 96.7 198,788 96.7
  Cameron Paris, LA (22023) 6,903 3.5 6,690 3.3 6,629 3.3 6,689 3.3 6,705 3.3 6,817 3.3

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.
  Calcasieu Parish, LA

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 202,397 204,059 1,662 0.82
  One race 196,931 199,699 2,768 1.41
    White 145,626 145,682 56 0.04
    Black/African American 145,626 145,682 56 0.04
    American Indian/Alaska Native 232 666 434 187.07
    Asian alone 2,265 2,848 583 25.74
    Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0 0 0...
    Some other race alone 538 499 -39 -7.25
  Two or more races 5,466 4,360 -1,106 -20.23
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 5,682 6,089 407 7.16
Population 25 years and over 132,298 133,892 1,594 7.16
  % high school graduate or higher 84.1 84.1 0.0 0.00
  % bachelor's degree or higher 20.3 20.3 0.0 0.00
Total Households 79,392 76,395 -2,997 0.00
  Median household income ($) 43,479 46,336 2,857 6.57
  Mean household income ($) 62,881 59,811 -3,070 -4.88
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Gender & Age 202,397 204,059 1,662 0.82
  Male 98,186 100,254 2,068 -4.88
  Female 104,211 103,805 -406 -4.88
  Under 5 years 13,287 13,567 280 -4.88
  5 to 9 years 14,405 14,909 504 3.50
  10 to 14 years 13,718 14,381 663 4.83
  15 to 19 years 13,899 12,401 -1,498 -10.78
  20 to 24 years 14,790 14,909 119 0.80
  25 to 34 years 27,278 29,064 1,786 6.55
  35 to 44 years 23,516 23,855 339 1.44
  45 to 54 years 28,574 26,090 -2,484 -8.69
  55 to 59 years 14,151 13,574 -577 -4.08
  55 to 59 years 14,151 13,574 -577 -4.08
  60 to 64 years 11,434 12,937 1,503 13.15
  65 to 74 years 15,607 16,676 1,069 6.85
  75 to 84 years 8,121 8,076 -45 -0.55
  85 years and over 3,617 3,620 3 0.08
  Median age 37.1 36.1 -1.0 -2.70
  18 years and over 152,563 153,086 523 0.34
  21 years and over 143,418 145,888 2,470 1.72
  62 years and over 33,902 36,271 2,369 6.99
  65 years and over 27,345 28,372 1,027 3.76

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 85,651 85,933 86,808 87,929 88,470 89,557 3,624 4.22

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 87,714 89,211 1,497 1.71
  1-unit, detached 59,689 60,163 474 0.79
  1-unit, attached 1,386 439 -947 -68.33
  2 units 2,975 3,166 191 6.42
  3 or 4 units 2,386 2,120 -266 -11.15
  5 to 9 units 2,915 4,252 1,337 45.87
  10 to 20 units 1,661 2,017 356 21.43
  20 or more units 1,891 1,954 63 3.33
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Occupancy & Tenure 87,714 89,211 1,497 1.71
  Occupied Housing Units 79,392 76,395 -2,997 -3.77
    Owner 54,211 51,286 -2,925 -5.40
    Renter 25,181 25,109 -72 -0.29
  Vacant Housing Units 8,322 12,816 4,494 54.00
  Homeowner vacancy rate 1.10 1.90 0.80...
  Rental vacancy rate 7.00 9.80 2.80...
Average household size; owner-occ 2.59 2.69 0.10 3.86
Average household size; renter-occ 2.33 2.48 0.15 6.44
Median Value $ owner occupied 114,800 114,800 0 0.00
Median Rent $ renter occupied 749 792 43 5.74

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 79 81 57 58 99 57 68 87 81 94 324 71
  in 1 unit bldgs 75 61 55 56 45 53 66 69 68 78 56 69
  in 2 unit bldgs 4 4 2 2 54 4 2 18 8 16 0 2
  in 3-4 unit bldgs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  in 5+ unit bldgs 0 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 268 0
  Bldgs with 5+ units 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 15 0
  Percent Coverage 91 91 91 91 91 91 91 91 87 87 87 87
Value ($000), Total Units 15,650 15,539 11,457 11,426 13,322 11,610 12,037 13,867 15,260 19,624 31,705 14,819
  1 unit structures 15,450 14,246 11,397 11,226 8,317 11,343 11,737 13,177 13,160 17,990 11,905 14,694
  2 unit structures 200 93 60 200 5,005 267 300 690 600 1,634 0 125
  3-4 unit structures 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
  5+ unit structures 0 1,200 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,500 0 19,800 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
    203.07 209.90 205.54 213.59 210.97
    Quarter-to-Quarter/Year Percent Change:2015Q3-2015Q42015Q4-2016Q12016Q1-2016Q22016Q2-2016Q32015Q3-2016Q3
  3.36 -2.08 3.92 -1.23 3.89
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 7,115,178 7,556,150 7,612,081 8,235,707 8,788,155 1,672,977 23.5
  Net earnings 1/ 4,506,405 4,764,460 4,866,305 5,398,029 5,743,868 1,237,463 27.5
  Personal current transfer receipts 1,482,969 1,524,596 1,572,679 1,580,209 1,740,276 257,307 17.4
    Income maintenance 2/ 171,696 179,448 176,170 172,812 173,590 1,894 1.1
    Unemployment insurance compensation 27,221 20,048 12,836 8,828 10,553 -16,668 -61.2
    Retirement and other 1,284,052 1,325,100 1,383,673 1,398,569 1,556,133 272,081 21.2
  Dividends, interest, and rent 3/ 1,125,804 1,267,094 1,173,097 1,257,469 1,304,011 178,207 15.8
  Population 4/ 200,507 201,128 202,182 203,544 205,605 5,098 2.5
  Per capita personal income 35,486 37,569 37,650 40,462 42,743 7,257 20.5
  Per capita net earnings 22,475 23,689 24,069 26,520 27,936 5,461 24.3
  Per capita personal current transfer receipts 7,396 7,580 7,779 7,763 8,464 1,068 14.4
    Per capita income maintenance 856 892 871 849 844 -12 -1.4
    Per capita unemployment insurance compensation 136 100 63 43 51 -85 -62.5
    Per capita retirement and other 6,404 6,588 6,844 6,871 7,569 1,165 18.2
  Per capita dividends, interest, and rent 5,615 6,300 5,802 6,178 6,342 727 12.9
  Earnings by place of work 5,301,804 5,584,358 5,809,711 6,633,896 7,160,653 1,858,849 35.1
    Wages and salaries 3,824,256 4,015,841 4,154,335 4,763,240 5,178,548 1,354,292 35.4
    Supplements to wages and salaries 973,978 1,015,919 1,038,983 1,155,688 1,222,817 248,839 25.5
      Employer cont. for empl. pension & insur. funds 6/ 726,230 758,849 770,235 847,057 888,883 162,653 22.4
      Employer cont. for government social insurance 247,748 257,070 268,748 308,631 333,934 86,186 34.8
    Proprietors' income 503,570 552,598 616,393 714,968 759,288 255,718 50.8
      Nonfarm proprietors' income 6,931 12,224 23,708 28,247 15,745 8,814 127.2
      Farm proprietors' income 496,639 540,374 592,685 686,721 743,543 246,904 49.7
Total full-time and part-time employment 112,457 114,580 117,165 123,597 129,004 16,547 14.7
  Wage and salary jobs 91,086 92,782 94,504 100,458 105,224 14,138 15.5
  Number of proprietors 21,371 21,798 22,661 23,139 23,780 2,409 11.3
    Number of nonfarm proprietors 7/ 1,078 1,067 1,045 1,043 1,030 -48 -4.5
    Number of farm proprietors 20,293 20,731 21,616 22,096 22,750 2,457 12.1
Average earnings per job (dollars) 47,145 48,738 49,586 53,674 55,507 8,362 17.7
  Average wages and salaries 41,985 43,283 43,959 47,415 49,215 7,230 17.2
  Average nonfarm proprietors' income 24,473 26,066 27,419 31,079 32,683 8,210 33.5
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 11,516 13,707 14,008 15,158 13,825 14,666 3,150 27.35
Real Gross Domestic Product, millions of real dollars 11,516 12,533 10,916 11,293 10,564 11,652 136 1.18

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 5,077 162,629 889 5,119 164,728 867
 Total, all industries - Fed Govt 35 910 1,428 35 898 1,265
 Total, all industries - St Govt 49 3,277 796 50 3,402 924
 Total, all industries - Local Govt 107 19,003 677 108 19,347 672
 Total, all industries - Private 4,886 139,439 916 4,926 141,082 890
    Goods-producing 751 41,962 1,480 767 42,181 1,397
      Natural resources and mining 83 1,161 1,411 82 1,078 1,291
      Construction 493 24,986 1,233 502 24,133 1,288
      Manufacturing 175 15,814 1,878 183 16,970 1,558
    Service-providing 4,135 97,477 673 4,159 98,901 675
      Trade, transportation & utilities 1,313 27,909 715 1,332 28,130 700
      Information 52 ...... 52 ......
      Financial activities 571 4,952 918 568 4,973 884
      Professional & business services 805 15,090 875 812 15,476 877
      Education and health services 571 21,013 706 562 21,047 724
      Leisure and hospitality 483 24,015 420 487 24,721 431
      Other services 326 ...... 330 ......
      Unclassified 14 10 190 16 9 476

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 5.4 5.2 4.9 4.5 4.3 5.3 4.7 5.0 4.7 4.9 5.6 5.5 5.5
Unemployment 5,349 5,093 4,871 4,442 4,179 5,201 4,626 5,012 4,725 4,873 5,716 5,596 5,483
Employment 93,497 93,167 94,759 94,868 93,629 93,398 94,459 95,583 95,320 94,995 95,869 96,222 94,971
Labor Force98,84698,26099,63099,31097,80898,59999,085100,595100,04599,868101,585101,818100,454

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
Calcasieu ParishLake Charles 22003301322019LA 32,265 195,296 35,295
Cameron ParishCameron 22003904222023LA 1,279 6,744 1,244

Number of districts: 2 ... Total enrollment: 33,544
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
Delta School of Business and Technology Lake Charles, LA1587233 208 208 0 0
McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA1597178 7,484 5,839 753 355
SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA1605793 3,411 1,815 0 0

  Number of institutions: 3 ... Total undergraduate enrollment: 11,103
  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.

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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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