Classifications
for Place of Residence
Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA) MSA’s
are defined by the U.S. Office
of Management and Budget (OMB). The MSA standards are revised
before each decennial Census. When Census
data become available, the standards are applied to
define the actual MSA’s. An MSA is a county or
group of contiguous counties that contains at least one city
with a population of 50,000 or more or includes a Census Bureau-defined
urbanized area of at least 50,000 with a metropolitan population
of at least 100,000. In addition to the county containing the
main city or urbanized area, an MSA may contain other counties that
are metropolitan in character and are economically and
socially integrated with the central counties. In
New England, cities and towns, rather than counties,
are used to define MSA’s. For data from the National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS) prior to 1995, metropolitan population
is based on MSA’s as defined by OMB in 1983 using the 1980 Census.
Starting with the 1995 NHIS, metropolitan population is based on
MSA’s as defined by OMB in 1993 using the 1990 Census. For further
information on MSA’s, see U.S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of the Census, State and Metropolitan Area
Data Book.
SOURCE:
Health, United States
Central City of an
MSA
The largest city in an MSA is always a central city. One or two additional
cities may be secondary central cities in the MSA on the basis of either
of the following criteria:
The additional city or
cities must have a population one-third or more of that of the largest
city and a minimum population of 25,000.
The additional city or
cities must have at least 250,000 inhabitants.
SOURCE:
National Health Interview Survey
Not Central City of
an MSA This includes all of the MSA that is not part of the central city
itself.
SOURCE:
National Health Interview Survey
Not in MSA This includes all other places in the country except MSA's.