Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, 7172-7177 [E9-2978]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 28 / Thursday, February 12, 2009 / Notices
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET
Recommendations From the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee to the Office of
Management and Budget Concerning
Changes to the 2000 Standards for
Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas
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AGENCY: Executive Office of the
President, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
SUMMARY: Under the authority of the
Budget and Accounting Procedures Act
of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 1104(d)) and the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3504(e)), the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)
requests public comment on the
recommendations it has received from
the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee for changes to OMB’s
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area standards. The
committee’s report and
recommendations, which are published
in their entirety in the Appendix, follow
from study of the 2000 standards,
published by OMB in the December 27,
2000 Federal Register (65 FR 82227–
82238). The committee’s work is a key
element in OMB’s review that will
culminate in publication of the 2010
statistical area standards for the next
decade. (Decisions on changes to the
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area standards will not affect
the collection, tabulation, and
publication of data from the 2010
Census and other current Federal data
collections for geographic areas such as
states, counties, county subdivisions,
and municipalities.)
Request for Comments: OMB is
seeking comments only on the specific
recommendations of the committee for
revising the 2000 standards. In addition,
OMB would welcome comments on the
wording of the recommended 2010
standards to help ensure their clarity
and understandability. Comments
submitted in response to this notice may
be made available to the public,
including by posting them on OMB’s
Web site. For this reason, please do not
include in your comments information
of a confidential nature, such as
sensitive personal information or
proprietary information.
Electronic Availability: This notice is
available on the Internet from the OMB
Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/
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omb/fedreg/2009.aspx. Federal Register
notices are also available electronically
from the U.S. Government Printing
Office Web site at https://
www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
DATES: To ensure consideration during
the decision-making process, OMB must
receive all comments in writing on or
before April 13, 2009.
Comments may be sent to:
Katherine K. Wallman, Chief
Statistician, Office of Management and
Budget, Room 10201 New Executive
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503,
telephone number (202) 395–3093, fax
number (202) 395–7245. E-mail
comments may be sent to
2010MetroAreas@omb.eop.gov with the
subject 2010 MetroAreas, or via https://
www.regulations.gov—a Federal EGovernment Web site that allows the
public to find, review, and submit
comments on documents that agencies
have published in the Federal Register
and that are open for comment. Simply
type ‘‘2010 MetroAreas’’ (in quotes) in
the Comment or Submission search box,
click Go, and follow the instructions for
submitting comments. Comments
received with subject ‘‘2010
MetroAreas’’ by the date specified above
will be included as part of the official
record.
Because of delays in the receipt of
regular mail due to security screening,
you are encouraged to use electronic
communications to transmit your
comments to ensure timely receipt.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James D. Fitzsimmons, Chair,
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee, telephone number (301)
763–1465; or E-mail
pop.fr.notice@census.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Outline of Notice
1. Background
2. Review Process
3. Overview of Recommendations from the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee
4. Issues for Comment
Appendix: Report and Recommendations
from the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee to the Office of Management
and Budget Concerning Changes to the
2000 Standards for Defining
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas
A. Discussion of Recommendations
B. Recommended 2010 Standards for
Delineating Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Key
Terms
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1. Background
The metropolitan area program has
provided standard statistical area
delineations for approximately 60 years.
In the 1940s, it became clear that the
value of metropolitan data produced by
Federal agencies would be greatly
enhanced if agencies used a single set of
geographic delineations for the Nation’s
largest centers of population and
activity. OMB’s predecessor, the Bureau
of the Budget, led the effort to develop
what were then called ‘‘standard
metropolitan areas’’ in time for their use
in 1950 census publications. Since then,
comparable data products for
metropolitan areas have been available.
The general concept of a metropolitan
statistical area is that of an area
containing a large population nucleus
and adjacent communities that have a
high degree of integration with that
nucleus. The concept of a micropolitan
statistical area closely parallels that of
the metropolitan statistical area, but a
micropolitan statistical area features a
smaller nucleus. The purpose of these
statistical areas is unchanged from when
metropolitan areas were first delineated:
The classification provides a nationally
consistent set of delineations for
collecting, tabulating, and publishing
Federal statistics for geographic areas.
OMB establishes and maintains these
areas solely for statistical purposes. In
reviewing and revising these areas, OMB
does not take into account or attempt to
anticipate any public or private sector
nonstatistical uses that may be made of
the delineations. These areas are not
designed to serve as a general-purpose
geographic framework applicable for
nonstatistical activities or for use in
program funding formulas.
2. Review Process
From the beginning of the program,
OMB (or its predecessor) has reviewed
the metropolitan (and now
micropolitan) statistical area standards
and, if warranted, revised them in the
years preceding their application to new
decennial census data. During the
1990s, OMB conducted a
comprehensive review of the 1990
standards, leading to the development
of the core based statistical areas
(metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas) and combined
statistical areas as contained in the 2000
standards (available at: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/
metroareas122700.pdf). Periodic review
of the standards is necessary to ensure
their continued usefulness and
relevance. The current review of the
metropolitan and micropolitan
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statistical area standards is the sixth
such review.
In 2008, OMB charged the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee with examining the 2000
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area standards and providing
recommendations on the standards
scheduled to be issued no later than
December 2010. Agencies represented
on the review committee include the
Census Bureau (Chair), Bureau of
Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, Economic Research Service,
National Center for Health Statistics,
and ex officio, OMB. The Census Bureau
has provided research support to the
committee.
This notice is the first of two
anticipated notices related to the review
of the 2000 standards. OMB expects to
publish the final standards in the
second notice no later than December
2010.
3. Overview of Recommendations From
the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee
This Federal Register notice makes
available for comment the committee’s
recommendations to OMB on how the
2000 metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area standards should be
revised. These recommendations are
presented in their entirety in the
‘‘Report and Recommendations from the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee to the Office of Management
and Budget Concerning Changes to the
2000 Standards for Defining
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas,’’ provided in the
Appendix to this notice. Section B of
the Appendix presents for public
comment the specific 2010 standards
recommended by the committee for
adoption by OMB.
The committee notes that the 2000
standards, which provided for core
based statistical areas (CBSAs) and
combined statistical areas and were the
result of an extensive and
comprehensive review of previous
standards, have served the Federal
statistical community well. Certain
aspects of the standards, however,
needed to be evaluated in light of
experiences from the post-2000
implementation of the standards; these
aspects included combined statistical
area qualification and titling, and
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area updating.
The committee recommends that the
use of local opinion be eliminated in the
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qualification of metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas to form
combined statistical areas, and that
adjacent CBSAs be combined
automatically if they possess an
employment interchange measure of 15
or higher. (As in the past, areas that are
combined would also retain their status
as discrete metropolitan or micropolitan
statistical areas.) The committee also
recommends eliminating local opinion
from the combined statistical area titling
criteria and instead titling each
combined statistical area using the
names of the two principal cities with
the largest populations, and the name of
the third-largest principal city, if
present. If the combined statistical area
title duplicates that of one of its
component CBSAs, the committee
recommends dropping the third-most
populous principal city name from the
title of the combined statistical area.
After the initial redelineation based
on the 2010 standards is announced in
2013, the committee recommends that
OMB: (1) Limit yearly intercensal
updates to the identification of new
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas (and process certain
changes to principal cities such as
names and legal status), and (2) conduct
an update of the areas in 2018 based on
aspects of delineation that can be
performed using Census Bureau total
population estimates from the
Population Estimates Program and
commuting and employment 5-year
estimates from the American
Community Survey. The committee
expresses its dissatisfaction with the
word ‘‘definition’’ to characterize the
boundaries of a particular area and
recommends replacing it with the word
‘‘delineation.’’
4. Issues for Comment
With this notice, OMB requests
comment on the recommendations of
the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee concerning revisions to the
2000 standards for defining
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas. The 2010 standards
recommended to OMB for adoption
appear in Section B of the Appendix to
this notice. Section A of the Appendix
provides a discussion of the
recommendations for changes to the
2000 standards. To help ensure the
clarity of the 2010 recommended
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standards, OMB would appreciate
receiving comments on their wording.
Kevin F. Neyland,
Acting Administrator, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs.
Appendix: Report and
Recommendations From the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee to the Office of Management
and Budget Concerning Changes to the
2000 Standards for Defining
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas
[Transmittal Memorandum]
December 19, 2008.
Memorandum for Katherine K.
Wallman, Chief Statistician, Office of
Management and Budget
From: Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee.
Subject: Transmittal of Report and
Recommendations Concerning
Changes to the 2000 Standards for
Defining Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas.
We are pleased to transmit to you the
attached report presenting this
committee’s recommendations for
modifying the Office of Management
and Budget’s (OMB’s) 2000 standards
for defining metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas. They
represent our best technical and
professional advice for how the
standards could better account for and
describe changes in settlement and
activity patterns throughout the United
States and Puerto Rico, yet still meet the
data reporting needs and requirements
of Federal agencies and the public. We
also are providing the specific 2010
standards recommended by the
committee, including definitions of key
terms. We hope that OMB will find
these recommendations informative and
helpful in making its decision on what
changes, if any, to adopt in the
standards for defining geographic areas
for collecting, tabulating, and
publishing Federal statistics.
Attachment
Recommendations From the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee to the Office of Management
and Budget Concerning Changes to the
2000 Standards for Defining
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas
A. Discussion of Recommendations
The committee notes that the 2000
standards, the result of an extensive and
comprehensive review of the previous,
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1990 standards, have served the Federal
statistical community well over the past
decade. However, the committee
determined that aspects of the
standards—particularly those
concerning combined statistical area
qualification and titling, and
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area updating—need to be
revised to better serve data users.
1. Recommendations Concerning
Combined Statistical Areas
The Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee recommends elimination of
the use of local opinion in the
qualification of combinations with
employment interchange measures
between 15 and 25. Adjacent core based
statistical areas (CBSAs) should
automatically qualify for combination if
they possess an employment
interchange measure of 15 or higher.
The committee also recommends
elimination of the use of local opinion
in combined statistical area titling; each
combined statistical area should be
titled using the names of the two
principal cities with the largest
populations in the combined statistical
area, as well as the name of the thirdlargest principal city, if present.
In the 2000 standards, OMB provided
for combined statistical areas to
recognize ties between contiguous
metropolitan and/or micropolitan
statistical areas that are less intense than
those captured by mergers, but still
significant. (Mergers occur when
adjacent CBSAs become a single CBSA
because the central county or counties
(as a group) of one CBSA qualify as
outlying to the central county or
counties (as a group) of the other CBSA.)
These combinations were based on the
employment interchange measure
between two CBSAs, defined as the sum
of the percentage of commuting from the
smaller area to the larger area and the
percentage of employment in the
smaller area accounted for by workers
residing in the larger area.
In reviewing the 2000 standards, the
committee noted that combined
statistical areas can serve as an
important geographic tool for the
Federal statistical data community. The
committee also observed, however, that
under the current system—in which
adjacent metropolitan and/or
micropolitan statistical areas combine
automatically if they meet a specified
employment interchange measure of 25
or more, while areas with an
interchange measure of less than 25 but
at least 15 qualify with the support of
local opinion—the universe of
combined statistical areas is
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heterogeneous. This calls into question
the comparability of the areas. Applying
only statistical rules when delineating
areas—the means by which the other
statistical areas delineated by OMB
currently qualify—minimizes ambiguity
and maximizes the replicability,
transparency, and integrity of the
process. The committee advocated
applying only statistical rules,
automatically combining all areas with
the minimum employment interchange
measure of 15.
Under the 2000 standards, local
opinion also is used for determining
titles for combined statistical areas. The
committee argued that just as the
qualification of combined statistical
areas should be based on the application
of statistical rules, so too should
combined statistical areas titling. The
committee recommended elimination of
local opinion from combined statistical
area titling and instead recommended
titling combined statistical areas in the
same manner as their component
metropolitan and/or micropolitan
statistical areas: The title of a combined
statistical area should be based on the
names of the two principal cities in the
combination with the largest
populations, as well as the name of the
third-largest principal city, if present.
To avoid potential confusion, the
committee recommends dropping the
name of the third most populous
principal city from the title of a
combined statistical area if the
combined statistical area title duplicates
that of one of its component CBSAs.
2. Recommendations Concerning
Intercensal Update
The committee recommends that
OMB: (1) Limit its yearly updates to the
identification of new metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas (and
process certain changes to principal
cities such as names and legal status)
and (2) conduct an update in 2018
based on those aspects of delineation
that can be performed using Census
Bureau total population estimates from
the Population Estimates Program as
well as 5-year commuting and
employment estimates from the
American Community Survey.
For some purposes, frequent updates
of the areas are desirable, but for other
purposes stability of the inventory of
areas has advantages.
The committee examined the criteria
for statistical area updates in the 2000
standards as well as the application of
those criteria over the decade. Annual
intercensal updates of statistical areas
since 2003 have been extensive and
have included: (1) Qualification of new
micropolitan statistical areas; (2)
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qualification of new metropolitan
statistical areas; (3) qualification of new
principal cities; (4) deletion of principal
cities; and (5) changes in the titles of
metropolitan statistical areas,
micropolitan statistical areas, and
metropolitan divisions, based on the
addition and/or deletion of principal
cities as well as changes in the relative
population size rankings of principal
cities.
The 2000 standards also included
criteria for updating areas in 2008 based
on American Community Survey 5-year
commuting and employment estimates.
Given a subsequent change in the
American Community Survey
production and release schedule, the
2008 update that was described in the
2000 standards could not be
implemented.
The committee observed that yearly
updates can present potential
difficulties to producers and users of
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area data, including the
potentially considerable workload that
yearly intercensal update coding and
titling changes can pose for maintaining
large databases. The committee supports
a more limited yearly update,
identifying only new metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas.1 OMB
would continue to process changes to
principal cities based on changes in
their names and legal status. For
example, if a principal city
disincorporates or changes its name,
that would be reflected in the yearly
update inventory of principal cities,
CBSA titles, and codes.
The committee recommends a more
comprehensive update of metropolitan
and micropolitan and related statistical
areas in 2018 based on those parts of
delineation that can be conducted using
Census Bureau total population
estimates from the Population Estimates
Program and 5-year commuting and
employment estimates from the
American Community Survey. The
urbanized areas and urban clusters used
throughout the 2018 delineation process
will be the 2010 Census Bureaudelineated urbanized areas and urban
clusters. The central counties of CBSAs
identified on the basis of a 2010 Census
population count, or on the basis of
population estimates or a special census
count in the case of intercensally
delineated areas, would constitute the
1 A metropolitan statistical area that qualifies
under the yearly update due a special census or
population estimate will not contain an urbanized
area as delineated by the Census Bureau. The
Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program
produces and disseminates the official total
population estimates of cities that are used in the
update process.
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central counties for purposes of the
2018 area delineations.
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3. Recommendation Concerning the Use
of the Word ‘‘Definition’’
The committee recommends that
OMB replace the word ‘‘definition’’ with
the word ‘‘delineation’’ in the proposed
2010 standards.
During much of the history of the
metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area program, the term
‘‘definition’’ has been used to refer to
the boundaries or geographic makeup of
an area (e.g., the definition of the
Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical
Area). While the program’s use of the
term has been consistent, it is not
intuitive for those first encountering the
program.
The committee noted that while the
term ‘‘definition’’ has been used by
OMB for several decades, it has caused
confusion for some data users. The
committee recommends replacing
‘‘definition’’ with ‘‘delineation’’ to
reference the geographic boundaries of
the statistical areas.
B. Recommended 2010 Standards for
Delineating Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Key
Terms
(If approved by the Office of
Management and Budget, the proposed
standards below will be used to
delineate Core Based Statistical Areas
beginning in 2013.)
A Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)
is a geographic entity associated with at
least one core of 10,000 or more
population, plus adjacent territory that
has a high degree of social and
economic integration with the core as
measured by commuting ties. The
standards designate and delineate two
categories of CBSAs: Metropolitan
Statistical Areas and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas. The purpose of the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area standards is to provide
nationally consistent delineations for
collecting, tabulating, and publishing
Federal statistics for a set of geographic
areas. The Office of Management and
Budget establishes and maintains these
areas solely for statistical purposes.
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas are not designed as a
general-purpose geographic framework
for nonstatistical activities or for use in
program funding formulas. The CBSA
classification is not an urban-rural
classification; Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas and many
counties outside CBSAs contain both
urban and rural populations.
CBSAs consist of counties and
equivalent entities throughout the
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United States and Puerto Rico. In view
of the importance of cities and towns in
New England, a set of geographic areas
similar in concept to the county-based
CBSAs also will be delineated for that
region using cities and towns. These
New England City and Town Areas
(NECTAs) are intended for use with
statistical data, whenever feasible and
appropriate, for New England. Data
providers and users desiring areas
delineated using a nationally consistent
geographic building block should use
the county-based CBSAs in New
England.
The following criteria apply to both
the nationwide county-based CBSAs
and to NECTAs, with the exceptions of
Sections 7 and 9 in which separate
criteria are applied when identifying
and titling divisions within NECTAs
that contain at least one core of 2.5
million or more population. Wherever
the word ‘‘county’’ or ‘‘counties’’
appears in the following criteria (except
in Sections 7 and 9), the words ‘‘city
and town’’ or ‘‘cities and towns’’ should
be substituted, as appropriate, when
delineating NECTAs. Commuting and
employment estimates are derived from
the Census Bureau’s American
Community Survey.
Section 1. Population Size Requirements
for Qualification of Core Based
Statistical Areas
Each CBSA must have a Census
Bureau delineated urbanized area of at
least 50,000 population or a Census
Bureau delineated urban cluster of at
least 10,000 population. (Urbanized
areas and urban clusters are collectively
referred to as ‘‘urban areas.’’)
Section 2. Central Counties
The central county or counties of a
CBSA are those counties that:
(a) Have at least 50 percent of their
population in urban areas of at least
10,000 population; or
(b) Have within their boundaries a
population of at least 5,000 located in a
single urban area of at least 10,000
population.
A central county is associated with
the urbanized area or urban cluster that
accounts for the largest portion of the
county’s population. The central
counties associated with a particular
urbanized area or urban cluster are
grouped to form a single cluster of
central counties for purposes of
measuring commuting to and from
potentially qualifying outlying counties.
Section 3. Outlying Counties
A county qualifies as an outlying
county of a CBSA if it meets the
following commuting requirements:
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(a) At least 25 percent of the
employed residents of the county work
in the central county or counties of the
CBSA; or
(b) At least 25 percent of the
employment in the county is accounted
for by workers who reside in the central
county or counties of the CBSA.
A county may be included in only one
CBSA. If a county qualifies as a central
county of one CBSA and as outlying in
another, it falls within the CBSA in
which it is a central county. A county
that qualifies as outlying to multiple
CBSAs falls within the CBSA with
which it has the strongest commuting
tie, as measured by either (a) or (b)
above. The counties included in a CBSA
must be contiguous; if a county is not
contiguous with other counties in the
CBSA, it will not fall within the CBSA.
Section 4. Merging of Adjacent Core
Based Statistical Areas
Two adjacent CBSAs will merge to
form one CBSA if the central county or
counties (as a group) of one CBSA
qualify as outlying to the central county
or counties (as a group) of the other
CBSA using the measures and
thresholds stated in 3(a) and 3(b) above.
Section 5. Identification of Principal
Cities
The Principal City (or Cities) of a
CBSA will include:
(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) Any additional incorporated place
or census designated place with a 2010
Census population of at least 250,000 or
in which 100,000 or more persons work;
and
(c) Any additional incorporated place
or census designated place with a 2010
Census population of at least 50,000, but
less than 250,000, and in which the
number of jobs meets or exceeds the
number of employed residents; and
(d) Any additional incorporated place
or census designated place with a 2010
Census population of at least 10,000, but
less than 50,000, and one-third the
population size of the largest place, and
in which the number of jobs meets or
exceeds the number of employed
residents.
Section 6. Categories and Terminology
A CBSA receives a category based on
the population of the largest urban area
(urbanized area or urban cluster) within
the CBSA. Categories of CBSAs are:
Metropolitan Statistical Areas, based on
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urbanized areas of 50,000 or more
population, and Micropolitan Statistical
Areas, based on urban clusters of at least
10,000 population but less than 50,000
population. Counties that do not fall
within CBSAs will represent ‘‘Outside
Core Based Statistical Areas.’’ A NECTA
receives a category in a manner similar
to a CBSA and is referred to as a
Metropolitan NECTA or a Micropolitan
NECTA.
Section 7. Divisions of Metropolitan
Statistical Areas and New England City
and Town Areas
(a) A Metropolitan Statistical Area
containing a single urbanized area with
a population of at least 2.5 million may
be subdivided to form smaller groupings
of counties referred to as Metropolitan
Divisions. A county qualifies as a ‘‘main
county’’ of a Metropolitan Division if 65
percent or more of its employed
residents work within the county and
the ratio of the number of jobs located
in the county to the number of
employed residents of the county is at
least .75. A county qualifies as a
‘‘secondary county’’ if 50 percent or
more, but less than 65 percent, of its
employed residents work within the
county and the ratio of the number of
jobs located in the county to the number
of employed residents of the county is
at least .75. A main county
automatically serves as the basis for a
Metropolitan Division. For a secondary
county to qualify as the basis for
forming a Metropolitan Division, it must
join with either a contiguous secondary
county or a contiguous main county
with which it has the highest
employment interchange measure of 15
or more. After all main counties and
secondary counties are identified and
grouped (if appropriate), each additional
county that already has qualified for
inclusion in the Metropolitan Statistical
Area falls within the Metropolitan
Division associated with the main/
secondary county or counties with
which the county at issue has the
highest employment interchange
measure. Counties in a Metropolitan
Division must be contiguous.
(b) A NECTA containing a single
urbanized area with a population of at
least 2.5 million may be subdivided to
form smaller groupings of cities and
towns referred to as NECTA Divisions.
A city or town will be a ‘‘main city or
town’’ of a NECTA Division if it has a
population of 50,000 or more and its
highest rate of out-commuting to any
other city or town is less than 20
percent. After all main cities and towns
have been identified, each remaining
city and town in the NECTA will fall
within the NECTA Division associated
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18:23 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 217001
with the city or town with which the
one at issue has the highest employment
interchange measure. Each NECTA
Division must contain a total population
of 100,000 or more. Cities and towns
first assigned to areas with populations
less than 100,000 will be assigned to the
qualifying NECTA Division associated
with the city or town with which the
one at issue has the highest employment
interchange measure. Cities and towns
within a NECTA Division must be
contiguous.
Section 8. Combining Adjacent Core
Based Statistical Areas
(a) Any two adjacent CBSAs will form
a Combined Statistical Area if the
employment interchange measure
between the two areas is at least 15.
(b) The CBSAs that combine will
continue to be recognized as individual
CBSAs within the larger Combined
Statistical Areas.
Section 9. Titles of Core Based
Statistical Areas, Metropolitan
Divisions, New England City and Town
Divisions, and Combined Statistical
Areas
(a) The title of a CBSA will include
the name of its Principal City with the
largest 2010 Census population. If there
are multiple Principal Cities, the names
of the second-largest and (if present)
third-largest Principal Cities will appear
in the title in order of descending
population size. If the Principal City
with the largest 2010 Census population
is a census designated place, the name
of the largest incorporated place of at
least 10,000 population that also is a
Principal City will appear first in the
title followed by the name of the census
designated place. If the Principal City
with the largest 2010 Census population
is a census designated place, and there
is no incorporated place of at least
10,000 population that also is a
Principal City, the name of that census
designated place Principal City will
appear first in the title.
(b) The title of a Metropolitan
Division will include the name of the
Principal City with the largest 2010
Census population located in the
Metropolitan Division. If there are
multiple Principal Cities, the names of
the second-largest and (if present) thirdlargest Principal Cities will appear in
the title in order of descending
population size. If there are no Principal
Cities located in the Metropolitan
Division, the title of the Metropolitan
Division will use the names of up to
three counties in order of descending
population size.
(c) The title of a NECTA Division will
include the name of the Principal City
PO 00000
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Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
with the largest 2010 Census population
located in the NECTA Division. If there
are multiple Principal Cities, the names
of the second-largest and (if present)
third-largest Principal Cities will appear
in the title in order of descending
population size. If there are no Principal
Cities located in the NECTA Division,
the title of the NECTA Division will use
the name of the city or town with the
largest population.
(d) The title of a Combined Statistical
Area will include the names of the
largest two Principal Cities in the
combination and the name of the thirdlargest Principal City, if present. If the
Combined Statistical Area title
duplicates that of one of its component
CBSAs, the third-most populous
principal city name will be dropped
from the title of the Combined
Statistical Area.
(e) Titles also will include the names
of any state in which the area is located.
Section 10. Update Schedule
(a) The Office of Management and
Budget will delineate CBSAs in 2013
based on Census 2010 data and
American Community Survey 5-year
estimates.
(b) Each year thereafter, the Office of
Management and Budget will designate
new Micropolitan Statistical Areas if:
(1) A city that is outside any existing
CBSA has a Census Bureau special
census count of 10,000 to 49,999
population, or a population estimate of
10,000 to 49,999 population for two
consecutive years from the Census
Bureau’s Population Estimate Program,
or
(2) A Census Bureau special census
results in the delineation of an urban
cluster of 10,000 to 49,999 population
that is outside of any existing CBSA.
(c) Also each year thereafter, the
Office of Management and Budget will
designate new Metropolitan Statistical
Areas if:
(1) A city that is outside any existing
Metropolitan Statistical Area has a
Census Bureau special census count of
50,000 or more population, or a
population estimate of 50,000 or more
population for two consecutive years
from the Census Bureau’s Population
Estimate Program, or
(2) A Census Bureau special census
results in the delineation of a new
urbanized area of 50,000 population or
more that is outside of any existing
Metropolitan Statistical Area.
(d) In the years 2014 through 2017,
and 2019, outlying counties of
intercensally designated CBSAs will
qualify, according to the criteria in
Section 3 above, on the basis of
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mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES3
American Community Survey 5-year
commuting estimates.
(e) The Office of Management and
Budget will review the delineations of
all existing CBSAs and related statistical
areas in 2018 using 5-year commuting
and employment estimates from the
Census Bureau’s American Community
Survey. The urbanized areas and urban
clusters used in the 2018 delineations
will be the 2010 Census Bureaudelineated urbanized areas and urban
clusters. The central counties of CBSAs
identified on the basis of a 2010 Census
population count, or on the basis of
population estimates from the Census
Bureau’s Population Estimate Program
or a special census count in the case of
intercensally delineated areas, will
constitute the central counties for
purposes of the 2018 area delineations.
New CBSAs will be designated in 2018
on the basis of Census Bureau special
census counts or population estimates
as described above in sections 10(b) and
10(c); outlying county qualification will
be based on 5-year commuting estimates
from the American Community Survey.
(f) Other aspects of the Metropolitan
and Micropolitan Statistical Area and
related Statistical Area delineations are
not subject to change between decennial
censuses.
Section 11. Definitions of Key Terms
Census designated place—A
statistical geographic entity that is
equivalent to an incorporated place,
delineated for the decennial census,
consisting of a locally recognized,
unincorporated concentration of
population that is identified by name.
Central county—The county or
counties of a Core Based Statistical Area
containing a substantial portion of an
urbanized area or urban cluster or both,
and to and from which commuting is
measured to determine qualification of
outlying counties.
Combined Statistical Area—A
geographic entity consisting of two or
more adjacent Core Based Statistical
Areas (CBSAs) with employment
interchange measures of at least 15.
Core—A densely settled concentration
of population, comprising either an
urbanized area (of 50,000 or more
population) or an urban cluster (of
10,000 to 49,999 population) delineated
by the Census Bureau, around which a
Core Based Statistical Area is
delineated.
Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)—
A statistical geographic entity consisting
of the county or counties associated
with at least one core (urbanized area or
urban cluster) of at least 10,000
population, plus adjacent counties
having a high degree of social and
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18:09 Feb 11, 2009
Jkt 217001
economic integration with the core as
measured through commuting ties with
the counties containing the core.
Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas are the two categories
of Core Based Statistical Areas.
Delineation—The establishment of the
boundary of a statistical area.
Employment interchange measure—A
measure of ties between two adjacent
entities. The employment interchange
measure is the sum of the percentage of
employed residents of the smaller entity
who work in the larger entity and the
percentage of employment in the
smaller entity that is accounted for by
workers who reside in the larger entity.
Geographic building block—The
geographic unit, such as a county, that
constitutes the basic geographic
component of a statistical area.
Main city or town—A city or town
that acts as an employment center
within a New England City and Town
Area that has a core with a population
of at least 2.5 million. A main city or
town serves as the basis for delineating
a New England City and Town Area
Division.
Main county—A county that acts as
an employment center within a Core
Based Statistical Area that has a core
with a population of at least 2.5 million.
A main county serves as the basis for
delineating a Metropolitan Division.
Metropolitan Division—A county or
group of counties within a Core Based
Statistical Area that contains an
urbanized area with a population of at
least 2.5 million. A Metropolitan
Division consists of one or more main/
secondary counties that represent an
employment center or centers, plus
adjacent counties associated with the
main/secondary county or counties
through commuting ties.
Metropolitan Statistical Area—A Core
Based Statistical Area associated with at
least one urbanized area that has a
population of at least 50,000. The
Metropolitan Statistical Area comprises
the central county or counties
containing the core, plus adjacent
outlying counties having a high degree
of social and economic integration with
the central county or counties as
measured through commuting.
Micropolitan Statistical Area—A Core
Based Statistical Area associated with at
least one urban cluster that has a
population of at least 10,000, but less
than 50,000. The Micropolitan
Statistical Area comprises the central
county or counties containing the core,
plus adjacent outlying counties having a
high degree of social and economic
integration with the central county or
counties as measured through
commuting.
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Fmt 4701
Sfmt 4703
7177
New England City and Town Area
(NECTA)—A statistical geographic
entity that is delineated using cities and
towns as building blocks and that is
conceptually similar to the Core Based
Statistical Areas in New England (which
are delineated using counties as
building blocks).
New England City and Town Area
(NECTA) Division—A city or town or
group of cities and towns within a
NECTA that contains an urbanized area
with a population of at least 2.5 million.
A NECTA Division consists of a main
city or town that represents an
employment center, plus adjacent cities
and towns associated with the main city
or town, or with other cities and towns
that are in turn associated with the main
city or town, through commuting ties.
Outlying county—A county that
qualifies for inclusion in a Core Based
Statistical Area on the basis of
commuting ties with the Core Based
Statistical Area’s central county or
counties.
Outside Core Based Statistical
Areas—Counties that do not qualify for
inclusion in a Core Based Statistical
Area.
Principal City—The largest city of a
Core Based Statistical Area, plus
additional cities that meet specified
statistical criteria.
Secondary county—A county that acts
as an employment center in
combination with a main county or
another secondary county within a Core
Based Statistical Area that has a core
with a population of at least 2.5 million.
A secondary county serves as the basis
for delineating a Metropolitan Division,
but only when combined with a main
county or another secondary county.
Urban area—The generic term used
by the Census Bureau to refer
collectively to urbanized areas and
urban clusters.
Urban cluster—A statistical
geographic entity to be defined by the
Census Bureau for 2010 Census,
consisting of a central place(s) and
adjacent densely settled territory that
together contain at least 2,500 people.
For purposes of delineating Core Based
Statistical Areas, only those urban
clusters of 10,000 more population are
considered.
Urbanized area—A statistical
geographic entity defined by the Census
Bureau, consisting of a central place(s)
and adjacent densely settled territory
that together contain at least 50,000
people.
[FR Doc. E9–2978 Filed 2–11–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110–01–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 28 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7172-7177]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2978]
[[Page 7171]]
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Part III
Office of Management and Budget
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Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area
Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget
Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 28 / Thursday, February 12, 2009 /
Notices
[[Page 7172]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management
and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for Defining
Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas
AGENCY: Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and
Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the authority of the Budget and Accounting Procedures
Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 1104(d)) and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3504(e)), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests
public comment on the recommendations it has received from the
Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee for changes to OMB's metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area standards. The committee's report and recommendations,
which are published in their entirety in the Appendix, follow from
study of the 2000 standards, published by OMB in the December 27, 2000
Federal Register (65 FR 82227-82238). The committee's work is a key
element in OMB's review that will culminate in publication of the 2010
statistical area standards for the next decade. (Decisions on changes
to the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards will
not affect the collection, tabulation, and publication of data from the
2010 Census and other current Federal data collections for geographic
areas such as states, counties, county subdivisions, and
municipalities.)
Request for Comments: OMB is seeking comments only on the specific
recommendations of the committee for revising the 2000 standards. In
addition, OMB would welcome comments on the wording of the recommended
2010 standards to help ensure their clarity and understandability.
Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available to
the public, including by posting them on OMB's Web site. For this
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or
proprietary information.
Electronic Availability: This notice is available on the Internet
from the OMB Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/
2009.aspx. Federal Register notices are also available electronically
from the U.S. Government Printing Office Web site at https://
www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
DATES: To ensure consideration during the decision-making process, OMB
must receive all comments in writing on or before April 13, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to: Katherine K. Wallman, Chief
Statistician, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10201 New Executive
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, telephone number (202) 395-3093,
fax number (202) 395-7245. E-mail comments may be sent to
2010MetroAreas@omb.eop.gov with the subject 2010 MetroAreas, or via
https://www.regulations.gov--a Federal E-Government Web site that allows
the public to find, review, and submit comments on documents that
agencies have published in the Federal Register and that are open for
comment. Simply type ``2010 MetroAreas'' (in quotes) in the Comment or
Submission search box, click Go, and follow the instructions for
submitting comments. Comments received with subject ``2010 MetroAreas''
by the date specified above will be included as part of the official
record.
Because of delays in the receipt of regular mail due to security
screening, you are encouraged to use electronic communications to
transmit your comments to ensure timely receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James D. Fitzsimmons, Chair,
Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee, telephone number (301) 763-1465; or E-mail
pop.fr.notice@census.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Outline of Notice
1. Background
2. Review Process
3. Overview of Recommendations from the Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee
4. Issues for Comment
Appendix: Report and Recommendations from the Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the
Office of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2000
Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical
Areas
A. Discussion of Recommendations
B. Recommended 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Key Terms
1. Background
The metropolitan area program has provided standard statistical
area delineations for approximately 60 years. In the 1940s, it became
clear that the value of metropolitan data produced by Federal agencies
would be greatly enhanced if agencies used a single set of geographic
delineations for the Nation's largest centers of population and
activity. OMB's predecessor, the Bureau of the Budget, led the effort
to develop what were then called ``standard metropolitan areas'' in
time for their use in 1950 census publications. Since then, comparable
data products for metropolitan areas have been available.
The general concept of a metropolitan statistical area is that of
an area containing a large population nucleus and adjacent communities
that have a high degree of integration with that nucleus. The concept
of a micropolitan statistical area closely parallels that of the
metropolitan statistical area, but a micropolitan statistical area
features a smaller nucleus. The purpose of these statistical areas is
unchanged from when metropolitan areas were first delineated: The
classification provides a nationally consistent set of delineations for
collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics for
geographic areas.
OMB establishes and maintains these areas solely for statistical
purposes. In reviewing and revising these areas, OMB does not take into
account or attempt to anticipate any public or private sector
nonstatistical uses that may be made of the delineations. These areas
are not designed to serve as a general-purpose geographic framework
applicable for nonstatistical activities or for use in program funding
formulas.
2. Review Process
From the beginning of the program, OMB (or its predecessor) has
reviewed the metropolitan (and now micropolitan) statistical area
standards and, if warranted, revised them in the years preceding their
application to new decennial census data. During the 1990s, OMB
conducted a comprehensive review of the 1990 standards, leading to the
development of the core based statistical areas (metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas) and combined statistical areas as
contained in the 2000 standards (available at: https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/metroareas122700.pdf). Periodic review of
the standards is necessary to ensure their continued usefulness and
relevance. The current review of the metropolitan and micropolitan
[[Page 7173]]
statistical area standards is the sixth such review.
In 2008, OMB charged the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical
Area Standards Review Committee with examining the 2000 metropolitan
and micropolitan statistical area standards and providing
recommendations on the standards scheduled to be issued no later than
December 2010. Agencies represented on the review committee include the
Census Bureau (Chair), Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Economic Research
Service, National Center for Health Statistics, and ex officio, OMB.
The Census Bureau has provided research support to the committee.
This notice is the first of two anticipated notices related to the
review of the 2000 standards. OMB expects to publish the final
standards in the second notice no later than December 2010.
3. Overview of Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Area Standards Review Committee
This Federal Register notice makes available for comment the
committee's recommendations to OMB on how the 2000 metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical area standards should be revised. These
recommendations are presented in their entirety in the ``Report and
Recommendations from the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area
Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget
Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas,'' provided in the Appendix to this
notice. Section B of the Appendix presents for public comment the
specific 2010 standards recommended by the committee for adoption by
OMB.
The committee notes that the 2000 standards, which provided for
core based statistical areas (CBSAs) and combined statistical areas and
were the result of an extensive and comprehensive review of previous
standards, have served the Federal statistical community well. Certain
aspects of the standards, however, needed to be evaluated in light of
experiences from the post-2000 implementation of the standards; these
aspects included combined statistical area qualification and titling,
and metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area updating.
The committee recommends that the use of local opinion be
eliminated in the qualification of metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas to form combined statistical areas, and that adjacent
CBSAs be combined automatically if they possess an employment
interchange measure of 15 or higher. (As in the past, areas that are
combined would also retain their status as discrete metropolitan or
micropolitan statistical areas.) The committee also recommends
eliminating local opinion from the combined statistical area titling
criteria and instead titling each combined statistical area using the
names of the two principal cities with the largest populations, and the
name of the third-largest principal city, if present. If the combined
statistical area title duplicates that of one of its component CBSAs,
the committee recommends dropping the third-most populous principal
city name from the title of the combined statistical area.
After the initial redelineation based on the 2010 standards is
announced in 2013, the committee recommends that OMB: (1) Limit yearly
intercensal updates to the identification of new metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas (and process certain changes to
principal cities such as names and legal status), and (2) conduct an
update of the areas in 2018 based on aspects of delineation that can be
performed using Census Bureau total population estimates from the
Population Estimates Program and commuting and employment 5-year
estimates from the American Community Survey. The committee expresses
its dissatisfaction with the word ``definition'' to characterize the
boundaries of a particular area and recommends replacing it with the
word ``delineation.''
4. Issues for Comment
With this notice, OMB requests comment on the recommendations of
the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee concerning revisions to the 2000 standards for defining
metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. The 2010 standards
recommended to OMB for adoption appear in Section B of the Appendix to
this notice. Section A of the Appendix provides a discussion of the
recommendations for changes to the 2000 standards. To help ensure the
clarity of the 2010 recommended standards, OMB would appreciate
receiving comments on their wording.
Kevin F. Neyland,
Acting Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Appendix: Report and Recommendations From the Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee to the Office
of Management and Budget Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for
Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas
[Transmittal Memorandum]
December 19, 2008.
Memorandum for Katherine K. Wallman, Chief Statistician, Office of
Management and Budget
From: Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee.
Subject: Transmittal of Report and Recommendations Concerning Changes
to the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas.
We are pleased to transmit to you the attached report presenting
this committee's recommendations for modifying the Office of Management
and Budget's (OMB's) 2000 standards for defining metropolitan and
micropolitan statistical areas. They represent our best technical and
professional advice for how the standards could better account for and
describe changes in settlement and activity patterns throughout the
United States and Puerto Rico, yet still meet the data reporting needs
and requirements of Federal agencies and the public. We also are
providing the specific 2010 standards recommended by the committee,
including definitions of key terms. We hope that OMB will find these
recommendations informative and helpful in making its decision on what
changes, if any, to adopt in the standards for defining geographic
areas for collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics.
Attachment
Recommendations From the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area
Standards Review Committee to the Office of Management and Budget
Concerning Changes to the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas
A. Discussion of Recommendations
The committee notes that the 2000 standards, the result of an
extensive and comprehensive review of the previous,
[[Page 7174]]
1990 standards, have served the Federal statistical community well over
the past decade. However, the committee determined that aspects of the
standards--particularly those concerning combined statistical area
qualification and titling, and metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area updating--need to be revised to better serve data
users.
1. Recommendations Concerning Combined Statistical Areas
The Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review
Committee recommends elimination of the use of local opinion in the
qualification of combinations with employment interchange measures
between 15 and 25. Adjacent core based statistical areas (CBSAs) should
automatically qualify for combination if they possess an employment
interchange measure of 15 or higher. The committee also recommends
elimination of the use of local opinion in combined statistical area
titling; each combined statistical area should be titled using the
names of the two principal cities with the largest populations in the
combined statistical area, as well as the name of the third-largest
principal city, if present.
In the 2000 standards, OMB provided for combined statistical areas
to recognize ties between contiguous metropolitan and/or micropolitan
statistical areas that are less intense than those captured by mergers,
but still significant. (Mergers occur when adjacent CBSAs become a
single CBSA because the central county or counties (as a group) of one
CBSA qualify as outlying to the central county or counties (as a group)
of the other CBSA.) These combinations were based on the employment
interchange measure between two CBSAs, defined as the sum of the
percentage of commuting from the smaller area to the larger area and
the percentage of employment in the smaller area accounted for by
workers residing in the larger area.
In reviewing the 2000 standards, the committee noted that combined
statistical areas can serve as an important geographic tool for the
Federal statistical data community. The committee also observed,
however, that under the current system--in which adjacent metropolitan
and/or micropolitan statistical areas combine automatically if they
meet a specified employment interchange measure of 25 or more, while
areas with an interchange measure of less than 25 but at least 15
qualify with the support of local opinion--the universe of combined
statistical areas is heterogeneous. This calls into question the
comparability of the areas. Applying only statistical rules when
delineating areas--the means by which the other statistical areas
delineated by OMB currently qualify--minimizes ambiguity and maximizes
the replicability, transparency, and integrity of the process. The
committee advocated applying only statistical rules, automatically
combining all areas with the minimum employment interchange measure of
15.
Under the 2000 standards, local opinion also is used for
determining titles for combined statistical areas. The committee argued
that just as the qualification of combined statistical areas should be
based on the application of statistical rules, so too should combined
statistical areas titling. The committee recommended elimination of
local opinion from combined statistical area titling and instead
recommended titling combined statistical areas in the same manner as
their component metropolitan and/or micropolitan statistical areas: The
title of a combined statistical area should be based on the names of
the two principal cities in the combination with the largest
populations, as well as the name of the third-largest principal city,
if present. To avoid potential confusion, the committee recommends
dropping the name of the third most populous principal city from the
title of a combined statistical area if the combined statistical area
title duplicates that of one of its component CBSAs.
2. Recommendations Concerning Intercensal Update
The committee recommends that OMB: (1) Limit its yearly updates to
the identification of new metropolitan and micropolitan statistical
areas (and process certain changes to principal cities such as names
and legal status) and (2) conduct an update in 2018 based on those
aspects of delineation that can be performed using Census Bureau total
population estimates from the Population Estimates Program as well as
5-year commuting and employment estimates from the American Community
Survey.
For some purposes, frequent updates of the areas are desirable, but
for other purposes stability of the inventory of areas has advantages.
The committee examined the criteria for statistical area updates in
the 2000 standards as well as the application of those criteria over
the decade. Annual intercensal updates of statistical areas since 2003
have been extensive and have included: (1) Qualification of new
micropolitan statistical areas; (2) qualification of new metropolitan
statistical areas; (3) qualification of new principal cities; (4)
deletion of principal cities; and (5) changes in the titles of
metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan statistical areas, and
metropolitan divisions, based on the addition and/or deletion of
principal cities as well as changes in the relative population size
rankings of principal cities.
The 2000 standards also included criteria for updating areas in
2008 based on American Community Survey 5-year commuting and employment
estimates. Given a subsequent change in the American Community Survey
production and release schedule, the 2008 update that was described in
the 2000 standards could not be implemented.
The committee observed that yearly updates can present potential
difficulties to producers and users of metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area data, including the potentially considerable workload
that yearly intercensal update coding and titling changes can pose for
maintaining large databases. The committee supports a more limited
yearly update, identifying only new metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas.\1\ OMB would continue to process changes to
principal cities based on changes in their names and legal status. For
example, if a principal city disincorporates or changes its name, that
would be reflected in the yearly update inventory of principal cities,
CBSA titles, and codes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ A metropolitan statistical area that qualifies under the
yearly update due a special census or population estimate will not
contain an urbanized area as delineated by the Census Bureau. The
Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and
disseminates the official total population estimates of cities that
are used in the update process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The committee recommends a more comprehensive update of
metropolitan and micropolitan and related statistical areas in 2018
based on those parts of delineation that can be conducted using Census
Bureau total population estimates from the Population Estimates Program
and 5-year commuting and employment estimates from the American
Community Survey. The urbanized areas and urban clusters used
throughout the 2018 delineation process will be the 2010 Census Bureau-
delineated urbanized areas and urban clusters. The central counties of
CBSAs identified on the basis of a 2010 Census population count, or on
the basis of population estimates or a special census count in the case
of intercensally delineated areas, would constitute the
[[Page 7175]]
central counties for purposes of the 2018 area delineations.
3. Recommendation Concerning the Use of the Word ``Definition''
The committee recommends that OMB replace the word ``definition''
with the word ``delineation'' in the proposed 2010 standards.
During much of the history of the metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical area program, the term ``definition'' has been used to
refer to the boundaries or geographic makeup of an area (e.g., the
definition of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area). While the
program's use of the term has been consistent, it is not intuitive for
those first encountering the program.
The committee noted that while the term ``definition'' has been
used by OMB for several decades, it has caused confusion for some data
users. The committee recommends replacing ``definition'' with
``delineation'' to reference the geographic boundaries of the
statistical areas.
B. Recommended 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Key Terms
(If approved by the Office of Management and Budget, the proposed
standards below will be used to delineate Core Based Statistical Areas
beginning in 2013.)
A Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) is a geographic entity
associated with at least one core of 10,000 or more population, plus
adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic
integration with the core as measured by commuting ties. The standards
designate and delineate two categories of CBSAs: Metropolitan
Statistical Areas and Micropolitan Statistical Areas. The purpose of
the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area standards is to
provide nationally consistent delineations for collecting, tabulating,
and publishing Federal statistics for a set of geographic areas. The
Office of Management and Budget establishes and maintains these areas
solely for statistical purposes. Metropolitan and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas are not designed as a general-purpose geographic
framework for nonstatistical activities or for use in program funding
formulas. The CBSA classification is not an urban-rural classification;
Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and many counties
outside CBSAs contain both urban and rural populations.
CBSAs consist of counties and equivalent entities throughout the
United States and Puerto Rico. In view of the importance of cities and
towns in New England, a set of geographic areas similar in concept to
the county-based CBSAs also will be delineated for that region using
cities and towns. These New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs) are
intended for use with statistical data, whenever feasible and
appropriate, for New England. Data providers and users desiring areas
delineated using a nationally consistent geographic building block
should use the county-based CBSAs in New England.
The following criteria apply to both the nationwide county-based
CBSAs and to NECTAs, with the exceptions of Sections 7 and 9 in which
separate criteria are applied when identifying and titling divisions
within NECTAs that contain at least one core of 2.5 million or more
population. Wherever the word ``county'' or ``counties'' appears in the
following criteria (except in Sections 7 and 9), the words ``city and
town'' or ``cities and towns'' should be substituted, as appropriate,
when delineating NECTAs. Commuting and employment estimates are derived
from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Section 1. Population Size Requirements for Qualification of Core Based
Statistical Areas
Each CBSA must have a Census Bureau delineated urbanized area of at
least 50,000 population or a Census Bureau delineated urban cluster of
at least 10,000 population. (Urbanized areas and urban clusters are
collectively referred to as ``urban areas.'')
Section 2. Central Counties
The central county or counties of a CBSA are those counties that:
(a) Have at least 50 percent of their population in urban areas of
at least 10,000 population; or
(b) Have within their boundaries a population of at least 5,000
located in a single urban area of at least 10,000 population.
A central county is associated with the urbanized area or urban
cluster that accounts for the largest portion of the county's
population. The central counties associated with a particular urbanized
area or urban cluster are grouped to form a single cluster of central
counties for purposes of measuring commuting to and from potentially
qualifying outlying counties.
Section 3. Outlying Counties
A county qualifies as an outlying county of a CBSA if it meets the
following commuting requirements:
(a) At least 25 percent of the employed residents of the county
work in the central county or counties of the CBSA; or
(b) At least 25 percent of the employment in the county is
accounted for by workers who reside in the central county or counties
of the CBSA.
A county may be included in only one CBSA. If a county qualifies as
a central county of one CBSA and as outlying in another, it falls
within the CBSA in which it is a central county. A county that
qualifies as outlying to multiple CBSAs falls within the CBSA with
which it has the strongest commuting tie, as measured by either (a) or
(b) above. The counties included in a CBSA must be contiguous; if a
county is not contiguous with other counties in the CBSA, it will not
fall within the CBSA.
Section 4. Merging of Adjacent Core Based Statistical Areas
Two adjacent CBSAs will merge to form one CBSA if the central
county or counties (as a group) of one CBSA qualify as outlying to the
central county or counties (as a group) of the other CBSA using the
measures and thresholds stated in 3(a) and 3(b) above.
Section 5. Identification of Principal Cities
The Principal City (or Cities) of a CBSA will include:
(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) Any additional incorporated place or census designated place
with a 2010 Census population of at least 250,000 or in which 100,000
or more persons work; and
(c) Any additional incorporated place or census designated place
with a 2010 Census population of at least 50,000, but less than
250,000, and in which the number of jobs meets or exceeds the number of
employed residents; and
(d) Any additional incorporated place or census designated place
with a 2010 Census population of at least 10,000, but less than 50,000,
and one-third the population size of the largest place, and in which
the number of jobs meets or exceeds the number of employed residents.
Section 6. Categories and Terminology
A CBSA receives a category based on the population of the largest
urban area (urbanized area or urban cluster) within the CBSA.
Categories of CBSAs are: Metropolitan Statistical Areas, based on
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urbanized areas of 50,000 or more population, and Micropolitan
Statistical Areas, based on urban clusters of at least 10,000
population but less than 50,000 population. Counties that do not fall
within CBSAs will represent ``Outside Core Based Statistical Areas.'' A
NECTA receives a category in a manner similar to a CBSA and is referred
to as a Metropolitan NECTA or a Micropolitan NECTA.
Section 7. Divisions of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and New England
City and Town Areas
(a) A Metropolitan Statistical Area containing a single urbanized
area with a population of at least 2.5 million may be subdivided to
form smaller groupings of counties referred to as Metropolitan
Divisions. A county qualifies as a ``main county'' of a Metropolitan
Division if 65 percent or more of its employed residents work within
the county and the ratio of the number of jobs located in the county to
the number of employed residents of the county is at least .75. A
county qualifies as a ``secondary county'' if 50 percent or more, but
less than 65 percent, of its employed residents work within the county
and the ratio of the number of jobs located in the county to the number
of employed residents of the county is at least .75. A main county
automatically serves as the basis for a Metropolitan Division. For a
secondary county to qualify as the basis for forming a Metropolitan
Division, it must join with either a contiguous secondary county or a
contiguous main county with which it has the highest employment
interchange measure of 15 or more. After all main counties and
secondary counties are identified and grouped (if appropriate), each
additional county that already has qualified for inclusion in the
Metropolitan Statistical Area falls within the Metropolitan Division
associated with the main/secondary county or counties with which the
county at issue has the highest employment interchange measure.
Counties in a Metropolitan Division must be contiguous.
(b) A NECTA containing a single urbanized area with a population of
at least 2.5 million may be subdivided to form smaller groupings of
cities and towns referred to as NECTA Divisions. A city or town will be
a ``main city or town'' of a NECTA Division if it has a population of
50,000 or more and its highest rate of out-commuting to any other city
or town is less than 20 percent. After all main cities and towns have
been identified, each remaining city and town in the NECTA will fall
within the NECTA Division associated with the city or town with which
the one at issue has the highest employment interchange measure. Each
NECTA Division must contain a total population of 100,000 or more.
Cities and towns first assigned to areas with populations less than
100,000 will be assigned to the qualifying NECTA Division associated
with the city or town with which the one at issue has the highest
employment interchange measure. Cities and towns within a NECTA
Division must be contiguous.
Section 8. Combining Adjacent Core Based Statistical Areas
(a) Any two adjacent CBSAs will form a Combined Statistical Area if
the employment interchange measure between the two areas is at least
15.
(b) The CBSAs that combine will continue to be recognized as
individual CBSAs within the larger Combined Statistical Areas.
Section 9. Titles of Core Based Statistical Areas, Metropolitan
Divisions, New England City and Town Divisions, and Combined
Statistical Areas
(a) The title of a CBSA will include the name of its Principal City
with the largest 2010 Census population. If there are multiple
Principal Cities, the names of the second-largest and (if present)
third-largest Principal Cities will appear in the title in order of
descending population size. If the Principal City with the largest 2010
Census population is a census designated place, the name of the largest
incorporated place of at least 10,000 population that also is a
Principal City will appear first in the title followed by the name of
the census designated place. If the Principal City with the largest
2010 Census population is a census designated place, and there is no
incorporated place of at least 10,000 population that also is a
Principal City, the name of that census designated place Principal City
will appear first in the title.
(b) The title of a Metropolitan Division will include the name of
the Principal City with the largest 2010 Census population located in
the Metropolitan Division. If there are multiple Principal Cities, the
names of the second-largest and (if present) third-largest Principal
Cities will appear in the title in order of descending population size.
If there are no Principal Cities located in the Metropolitan Division,
the title of the Metropolitan Division will use the names of up to
three counties in order of descending population size.
(c) The title of a NECTA Division will include the name of the
Principal City with the largest 2010 Census population located in the
NECTA Division. If there are multiple Principal Cities, the names of
the second-largest and (if present) third-largest Principal Cities will
appear in the title in order of descending population size. If there
are no Principal Cities located in the NECTA Division, the title of the
NECTA Division will use the name of the city or town with the largest
population.
(d) The title of a Combined Statistical Area will include the names
of the largest two Principal Cities in the combination and the name of
the third-largest Principal City, if present. If the Combined
Statistical Area title duplicates that of one of its component CBSAs,
the third-most populous principal city name will be dropped from the
title of the Combined Statistical Area.
(e) Titles also will include the names of any state in which the
area is located.
Section 10. Update Schedule
(a) The Office of Management and Budget will delineate CBSAs in
2013 based on Census 2010 data and American Community Survey 5-year
estimates.
(b) Each year thereafter, the Office of Management and Budget will
designate new Micropolitan Statistical Areas if:
(1) A city that is outside any existing CBSA has a Census Bureau
special census count of 10,000 to 49,999 population, or a population
estimate of 10,000 to 49,999 population for two consecutive years from
the Census Bureau's Population Estimate Program, or
(2) A Census Bureau special census results in the delineation of an
urban cluster of 10,000 to 49,999 population that is outside of any
existing CBSA.
(c) Also each year thereafter, the Office of Management and Budget
will designate new Metropolitan Statistical Areas if:
(1) A city that is outside any existing Metropolitan Statistical
Area has a Census Bureau special census count of 50,000 or more
population, or a population estimate of 50,000 or more population for
two consecutive years from the Census Bureau's Population Estimate
Program, or
(2) A Census Bureau special census results in the delineation of a
new urbanized area of 50,000 population or more that is outside of any
existing Metropolitan Statistical Area.
(d) In the years 2014 through 2017, and 2019, outlying counties of
intercensally designated CBSAs will qualify, according to the criteria
in Section 3 above, on the basis of
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American Community Survey 5-year commuting estimates.
(e) The Office of Management and Budget will review the
delineations of all existing CBSAs and related statistical areas in
2018 using 5-year commuting and employment estimates from the Census
Bureau's American Community Survey. The urbanized areas and urban
clusters used in the 2018 delineations will be the 2010 Census Bureau-
delineated urbanized areas and urban clusters. The central counties of
CBSAs identified on the basis of a 2010 Census population count, or on
the basis of population estimates from the Census Bureau's Population
Estimate Program or a special census count in the case of intercensally
delineated areas, will constitute the central counties for purposes of
the 2018 area delineations. New CBSAs will be designated in 2018 on the
basis of Census Bureau special census counts or population estimates as
described above in sections 10(b) and 10(c); outlying county
qualification will be based on 5-year commuting estimates from the
American Community Survey.
(f) Other aspects of the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical
Area and related Statistical Area delineations are not subject to
change between decennial censuses.
Section 11. Definitions of Key Terms
Census designated place--A statistical geographic entity that is
equivalent to an incorporated place, delineated for the decennial
census, consisting of a locally recognized, unincorporated
concentration of population that is identified by name.
Central county--The county or counties of a Core Based Statistical
Area containing a substantial portion of an urbanized area or urban
cluster or both, and to and from which commuting is measured to
determine qualification of outlying counties.
Combined Statistical Area--A geographic entity consisting of two or
more adjacent Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) with employment
interchange measures of at least 15.
Core--A densely settled concentration of population, comprising
either an urbanized area (of 50,000 or more population) or an urban
cluster (of 10,000 to 49,999 population) delineated by the Census
Bureau, around which a Core Based Statistical Area is delineated.
Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)--A statistical geographic entity
consisting of the county or counties associated with at least one core
(urbanized area or urban cluster) of at least 10,000 population, plus
adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic
integration with the core as measured through commuting ties with the
counties containing the core. Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical
Areas are the two categories of Core Based Statistical Areas.
Delineation--The establishment of the boundary of a statistical
area.
Employment interchange measure--A measure of ties between two
adjacent entities. The employment interchange measure is the sum of the
percentage of employed residents of the smaller entity who work in the
larger entity and the percentage of employment in the smaller entity
that is accounted for by workers who reside in the larger entity.
Geographic building block--The geographic unit, such as a county,
that constitutes the basic geographic component of a statistical area.
Main city or town--A city or town that acts as an employment center
within a New England City and Town Area that has a core with a
population of at least 2.5 million. A main city or town serves as the
basis for delineating a New England City and Town Area Division.
Main county--A county that acts as an employment center within a
Core Based Statistical Area that has a core with a population of at
least 2.5 million. A main county serves as the basis for delineating a
Metropolitan Division.
Metropolitan Division--A county or group of counties within a Core
Based Statistical Area that contains an urbanized area with a
population of at least 2.5 million. A Metropolitan Division consists of
one or more main/secondary counties that represent an employment center
or centers, plus adjacent counties associated with the main/secondary
county or counties through commuting ties.
Metropolitan Statistical Area--A Core Based Statistical Area
associated with at least one urbanized area that has a population of at
least 50,000. The Metropolitan Statistical Area comprises the central
county or counties containing the core, plus adjacent outlying counties
having a high degree of social and economic integration with the
central county or counties as measured through commuting.
Micropolitan Statistical Area--A Core Based Statistical Area
associated with at least one urban cluster that has a population of at
least 10,000, but less than 50,000. The Micropolitan Statistical Area
comprises the central county or counties containing the core, plus
adjacent outlying counties having a high degree of social and economic
integration with the central county or counties as measured through
commuting.
New England City and Town Area (NECTA)--A statistical geographic
entity that is delineated using cities and towns as building blocks and
that is conceptually similar to the Core Based Statistical Areas in New
England (which are delineated using counties as building blocks).
New England City and Town Area (NECTA) Division--A city or town or
group of cities and towns within a NECTA that contains an urbanized
area with a population of at least 2.5 million. A NECTA Division
consists of a main city or town that represents an employment center,
plus adjacent cities and towns associated with the main city or town,
or with other cities and towns that are in turn associated with the
main city or town, through commuting ties.
Outlying county--A county that qualifies for inclusion in a Core
Based Statistical Area on the basis of commuting ties with the Core
Based Statistical Area's central county or counties.
Outside Core Based Statistical Areas--Counties that do not qualify
for inclusion in a Core Based Statistical Area.
Principal City--The largest city of a Core Based Statistical Area,
plus additional cities that meet specified statistical criteria.
Secondary county--A county that acts as an employment center in
combination with a main county or another secondary county within a
Core Based Statistical Area that has a core with a population of at
least 2.5 million. A secondary county serves as the basis for
delineating a Metropolitan Division, but only when combined with a main
county or another secondary county.
Urban area--The generic term used by the Census Bureau to refer
collectively to urbanized areas and urban clusters.
Urban cluster--A statistical geographic entity to be defined by the
Census Bureau for 2010 Census, consisting of a central place(s) and
adjacent densely settled territory that together contain at least 2,500
people. For purposes of delineating Core Based Statistical Areas, only
those urban clusters of 10,000 more population are considered.
Urbanized area--A statistical geographic entity defined by the
Census Bureau, consisting of a central place(s) and adjacent densely
settled territory that together contain at least 50,000 people.
[FR Doc. E9-2978 Filed 2-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P