Metropolitan statistical area

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core (Census Bureau-defined Urban Area) and close economic ties throughout the region.[1] Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be and are not legal administrative divisions like counties or separate entities such as states. That makes the precise definition of any given metropolitan area vary with the source. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983.[2]

Population tables of U.S. cities
Cities
Population Area Density Ethnic identity Foreign-born Income Spanish speakers By decade
Urban areas
Populous cities and metropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas
563 primary statistical areas 175 combined statistical areas 939 core-based statistical areas 384 metropolitan statistical areas 547 micropolitan statistical areas
Megaregions
See related population lists North American metro areas World cities States and territories
v t e

A typical metropolitan area is polycentric and no longer monocentric due to suburbanization of employment and has a large historic core city (such as New York City or Chicago).[3] However, some metropolitan areas contain more than one large historic core city such as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News (Hampton Roads), Riverside–San Bernardino (Inland Empire), or Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities). MSAs are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and are used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other federal government agencies for statistical purposes.[4]