Urban Areas
Contents
An urban area is a densely developed human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of a built environment. The U.S. Census Bureau defines urban areas for statistical purposes to analyze population, housing, and economic activity. It's important to note that the definition of an urban area can vary slightly between different countries and organizations.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's criteria for the 2020 Census, an urban area must meet one of two criteria:
| • | Population: It must have a population of at least 5,000 people. |
| • | Housing Units: It must have at least 2,000 housing units. |
This definition represents a significant change from previous censuses. Before the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau had two types of urban areas:
| • | Urbanized Areas: With a population of 50,000 or more. |
| • | Urban Clusters: With a population of at least 2,500 but fewer than 50,000 people. |
These distinctions have been eliminated, and all qualifying areas are now simply designated as "urban areas." The new criteria also place a greater emphasis on housing unit density as a measure of a built-up landscape.
The Census Bureau's urban-rural classification is a delineation of geographic areas, where "rural" is defined as all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.
2020 Urban Area Characteristics