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Metro in Regional Context




Situation & Outlook Report

Tuscaloosa, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CBSA 46220)
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This section is no longer being updated.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/cbsa46220.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 Tuscaloosa, AL MSA metro changed from 230,428 in 2010 to 237,989 in 2015, a change of 9,480 (4.1%). Among all 917 metros, this metro was ranked number 191 in 2010 and 190 in 2015, based on total population. Annual net migration was 345 (2011), 1,032 (2012), 1,208 (2013), 1,976 (2014), 1,976 (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 251,589. The projected population change from 2010 to 2020 is 21,100 (9.2%). The population ages 65 years and over is projected to change from 27,591 (2010) to 42,589 (2020), a change of 14,998 (54.4%). See more about population projections.

Based on per capita personal income (PCPI), this metro was ranked number 479 in 2008 and 625 in 2014. among the 917 metros for which personal income was estimated.The PCPI changed from $32,386 in 2008 to $34,999 in 2014, a change of $2,613 (8.1%). 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 193 among the 381 metros based on 2014 GDP. The GDP (millions of current dollars) changed from $8,720 in 2009 to $10,359 in 2014 a change of $1,639 (18.8%). Real GDP (millions of real, inflation adjusted, dollars) changed from $8,720 in 2009 to $9,252 in 2014, a change of $532 (6.1%). 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 58 tracts covering the metro wall-to-wall. View, rank, compare demographic-economic attributes of these tracts using the interactive tables. Use the CBSA code 46220; 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.
  •   Tuscaloosa

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
  Northport, AL (0155200) 23,330 23,460 23,747 24,091 24,455 24,709 1,249 5.30
  Tuscaloosa, AL (0177256) 90,468 90,763 91,739 93,145 94,714 96,122 5,359 5.90

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 230,428 100.0 231,361 100.0 233,299 100.0 235,296 100.0 237,989 100.0 239,908 100.0
  Hale County, AL (01063) 14,075 6.1 14,210 6.1 14,250 6.1 14,373 6.1 14,333 6.0 14,374 6.0
  Pickens County, AL (01065) 15,735 6.8 15,364 6.6 15,401 6.6 15,316 6.5 15,131 6.4 15,068 6.3
  Tuscaloosa County, AL (01125) 194,977 84.6 196,638 85.0 198,543 85.1 200,615 85.3 202,519 85.1 203,976 85.0

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.
  Tuscaloosa County, AL

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 234,008 235,954 1,946 0.83
  One race 231,863 233,635 1,772 0.76
    White 148,374 148,391 17 0.01
    Black/African American 148,374 148,391 17 0.01
    American Indian/Alaska Native 371 325 -46 -12.40
    Asian alone 2,915 3,079 164 5.63
    Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0 0 0...
    Some other race alone 2,111 1,976 -135 -6.40
  Two or more races 2,145 2,319 174 8.11
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6,812 6,939 127 1.86
Population 25 years and over 140,243 144,744 4,501 1.86
  % high school graduate or higher 86.7 86.2 -0.5 -0.58
  % bachelor's degree or higher 24.7 25.1 0.4 1.62
Total Households 81,401 80,582 -819 1.62
  Median household income ($) 44,895 44,143 -752 -1.68
  Mean household income ($) 57,677 59,548 1,871 3.24
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Total Population: Gender & Age 234,008 235,954 1,946 0.83
  Male 114,210 113,994 -216 3.24
  Female 119,798 121,960 2,162 3.24
  Under 5 years 13,894 13,677 -217 3.24
  5 to 9 years 12,637 14,737 2,100 16.62
  10 to 14 years 15,991 13,584 -2,407 -15.05
  15 to 19 years 21,248 22,370 1,122 5.28
  20 to 24 years 29,995 26,842 -3,153 -10.51
  25 to 34 years 31,073 31,960 887 2.85
  35 to 44 years 26,024 26,797 773 2.97
  45 to 54 years 27,124 26,649 -475 -1.75
  55 to 59 years 14,519 15,313 794 5.47
  55 to 59 years 14,519 15,313 794 5.47
  60 to 64 years 12,230 13,971 1,741 14.24
  65 to 74 years 17,312 17,209 -103 -0.59
  75 to 84 years 7,622 7,949 327 4.29
  85 years and over 4,339 4,896 557 12.84
  Median age 32.2 33.4 1.2 3.73
  18 years and over 183,176 185,770 2,594 1.42
  21 years and over 162,805 166,686 3,881 2.38
  62 years and over 36,077 38,806 2,729 7.56
  65 years and over 29,273 30,054 781 2.67

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 102,010 102,148 102,603 103,222 103,985 104,875 2,727 2.67

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 102,036 104,442 2,406 2.36
  1-unit, detached 60,694 62,568 1,874 3.09
  1-unit, attached 1,001 680 -321 -32.07
  2 units 3,230 2,824 -406 -12.57
  3 or 4 units 3,582 3,892 310 8.65
  5 to 9 units 7,077 6,081 -996 -14.07
  10 to 20 units 6,831 7,345 514 7.52
  20 or more units 6,605 7,251 646 9.78
  Item20132014Change
2013-14
%Change
2013-14
Housing Units: Occupancy & Tenure 102,036 104,442 2,406 2.36
  Occupied Housing Units 81,401 80,582 -819 -1.01
    Owner 52,346 51,924 -422 -0.81
    Renter 29,055 28,658 -397 -1.37
  Vacant Housing Units 20,635 23,860 3,225 15.63
  Homeowner vacancy rate 0.70 1.40 0.70...
  Rental vacancy rate 6.30 5.50 -0.80...
Average household size; owner-occ 2.78 2.98 0.20 7.19
Average household size; renter-occ 2.70 2.46 -0.24 -8.89
Median Value $ owner occupied 139,200 145,100 5,900 4.24
Median Rent $ renter occupied 722 789 67 9.28

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 32 38 133 132 132 109 41 42 35 48 259 48
  in 1 unit bldgs 32 38 38 34 32 40 35 42 29 42 43 27
  in 2 unit bldgs 0 0 6 64 6 6 0 0 0 6 0 6
  in 3-4 unit bldgs 0 0 3 3 3 3 6 0 6 0 0 0
  in 5+ unit bldgs 0 0 86 31 91 60 0 0 0 0 216 15
  Bldgs with 5+ units 0 0 3 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 8 1
  Percent Coverage 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 97 96 96 96 96
Value ($000), Total Units 7,465 11,228 18,813 22,267 18,093 16,015 9,898 10,252 9,343 12,501 31,502 9,502
  1 unit structures 7,465 11,228 8,915 9,684 7,689 8,744 8,738 10,252 8,414 11,176 11,159 6,943
  2 unit structures 0 0 852 9,115 852 852 0 0 0 1,325 0 942
  3-4 unit structures 0 0 357 568 357 357 1,160 0 929 0 0 0
  5+ unit structures 0 0 8,689 2,900 9,195 6,062 0 0 0 0 20,343 1,617

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
    178.78 175.53 182.14 182.11 184.91
    Quarter-to-Quarter/Year Percent Change:2015Q3-2015Q42015Q4-2016Q12016Q1-2016Q22016Q2-2016Q32015Q3-2016Q3
  -1.82 3.77 -0.02 1.54 3.43
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 7,511,768 7,771,261 7,921,920 8,202,745 8,498,546 986,778 13.1
  Net earnings 1/ 4,480,695 4,636,896 4,754,895 4,900,046 5,086,776 606,081 13.5
  Personal current transfer receipts 1,794,071 1,762,160 1,802,760 1,875,072 1,934,983 140,912 7.9
    Income maintenance 2/ 223,280 219,019 222,690 220,776 220,501 -2,779 -1.2
    Unemployment insurance compensation 42,396 30,092 21,444 12,576 10,911 -31,485 -74.3
    Retirement and other 1,528,395 1,513,049 1,558,626 1,641,720 1,703,571 175,176 11.5
  Dividends, interest, and rent 3/ 1,237,002 1,372,205 1,364,265 1,427,627 1,476,787 239,785 19.4
  Population 4/ 231,361 233,299 235,296 237,989 239,908 8,547 3.7
  Per capita personal income 32,468 33,310 33,668 34,467 35,424 2,956 9.1
  Per capita net earnings 19,367 19,875 20,208 20,589 21,203 1,836 9.5
  Per capita personal current transfer receipts 7,754 7,553 7,662 7,879 8,066 312 4.0
    Per capita income maintenance 965 939 946 928 919 -46 -4.8
    Per capita unemployment insurance compensation 183 129 91 53 45 -138 -75.4
    Per capita retirement and other 6,606 6,485 6,624 6,898 7,101 495 7.5
  Per capita dividends, interest, and rent 5,347 5,882 5,798 5,999 6,156 809 15.1
  Earnings by place of work 5,359,458 5,538,159 5,726,601 5,938,525 6,130,889 771,431 14.4
    Wages and salaries 3,903,271 4,036,823 4,114,822 4,306,687 4,458,653 555,382 14.2
    Supplements to wages and salaries 1,043,662 1,013,068 1,016,653 1,081,656 1,109,138 65,476 6.3
      Employer cont. for empl. pension & insur. funds 6/ 749,953 711,951 709,587 765,381 782,952 32,999 4.4
      Employer cont. for government social insurance 293,709 301,117 307,066 316,275 326,186 32,477 11.1
    Proprietors' income 412,525 488,268 595,126 550,182 563,098 150,573 36.5
      Nonfarm proprietors' income 29,605 41,044 103,761 69,652 73,214 43,609 147.3
      Farm proprietors' income 382,920 447,224 491,365 480,530 489,884 106,964 27.9
Total full-time and part-time employment 120,818 123,871 125,330 129,613 133,315 12,497 10.3
  Wage and salary jobs 98,720 100,188 101,285 104,530 107,477 8,757 8.9
  Number of proprietors 22,098 23,683 24,045 25,083 25,838 3,740 16.9
    Number of nonfarm proprietors 7/ 1,262 1,201 1,221 1,221 1,199 -63 -5.0
    Number of farm proprietors 20,836 22,482 22,824 23,862 24,639 3,803 18.3
Average earnings per job (dollars) 44,360 44,709 45,692 45,817 45,988 1,628 3.7
  Average wages and salaries 39,539 40,292 40,626 41,200 41,485 1,946 4.9
  Average nonfarm proprietors' income 18,378 19,893 21,528 20,138 19,882 1,504 8.2
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 8,720 9,363 9,938 9,851 10,217 10,359 1,639 18.80
Real Gross Domestic Product, millions of real dollars 8,720 9,056 9,193 8,930 9,210 9,252 532 6.10

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 4,932 161,053 786 4,930 163,056 800
 Total, all industries - Fed Govt 53 3,136 1,307 53 3,139 1,123
 Total, all industries - St Govt 61 14,822 1,082 59 15,035 1,131
 Total, all industries - Local Govt 117 21,620 736 118 21,788 763
 Total, all industries - Private 4,701 121,475 745 4,700 123,094 758
    Goods-producing 758 36,601 1,119 760 36,709 1,137
      Natural resources and mining 136 4,888 1,570 135 4,776 1,539
      Construction 436 6,344 756 437 6,542 782
      Manufacturing 186 25,369 1,122 188 25,390 1,153
    Service-providing 3,943 84,874 585 3,940 86,385 596
      Trade, transportation & utilities 1,222 25,868 616 1,217 26,505 613
      Information 57 1,356 933 57 1,378 937
      Financial activities 506 6,471 849 500 6,539 802
      Professional & business services 690 16,751 675 691 16,920 713
      Education and health services 487 13,613 687 491 13,608 713
      Leisure and hospitality 483 17,252 266 491 17,827 280
      Other services 498 3,564 499 493 3,608 508

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 8.5 6.9 7.0 7.0 7.8 7.9 7.9 7.3 6.8 7.2 8.7 8.0 7.6
Unemployment 523 433 440 425 476 468 479 450 412 435 541 498 481
Employment 5,637 5,816 5,810 5,676 5,642 5,487 5,551 5,688 5,620 5,624 5,650 5,724 5,842
Labor Force6,1606,2496,2506,1016,1185,9556,0306,1386,0326,0596,1916,2226,323

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
Hale CountyGreensboro 01017104201065AL 2,857 15,406 2,632
Pickens CountyReform 01027304201107AL 2,733 19,401 3,177
Tuscaloosa CityTuscaloosa 01033601301125AL 10,142 92,396 11,185
Tuscaloosa CountyTuscaloosa 01033902201125AL 17,763 108,425 19,076

Number of districts: 4 ... Total enrollment: 33,495
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
Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL1020673 4,978 2,307 0 0
Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL1022705 1,056 944 0 0
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL1007519 30,752 27,737 5,295 3,286

  Number of institutions: 3 ... Total undergraduate enrollment: 36,786
  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.

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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.

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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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