Census 2000 Metropolitan Divisions (may exist as subdivision of MSA) [CENSUS.METROPOLITAN_DIVISION]

Metropolitan Divisions A Metropolitan Division may exist as a division of an MSA Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Related Statistical Areas Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (referred to generically as "core based statistical areas" or CBSAs) are statistical geographic areas defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), following a set of official standards published in the Federal Register. To meet the needs of various users for standard units at various geographic scales, OMB's standards provide for a flexible framework of area definitions that includes, in addition to metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, combined statistical areas, New England city and town areas (NECTAs), NECTA divisions, and combined NECTAs. Documentation of the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards and how they are applied is available on the Census Bureau's website or from the Population Distribution Branch, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-8800, telephone (301) 763-2419. Each metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area consists of a core area containing a substantial population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. Metropolitan statistical areas contain at least one U.S. Census Bureau-defined urbanized area of 50,000 or more population; micropolitan statistical areas contain at least one Census Bureau-defined urban cluster of at least 10,000 and less than 50,000 population. If specified criteria are met, a metropolitan statistical area containing a single urbanized area with a population of 2.5 million or more may be subdivided into metropolitan divisions, which function as distinct social and economic areas within the larger metropolitan statistical area. The territory, population, and housing units in metropolitan statistical areas are referred to as "metropolitan." The metropolitan category is subdivided into "inside principal city" and "outside principal city." The territory, population, and housing units located outside territory designated "metropolitan" are referred to as "nonmetropolitan;" the latter designation also include micropolitan statistical areas. These categories do not equate to an urban/rural classification; indeed, all metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and territory located outside CBSAs contain a mixture of urban and rural territory, population, and housing units. While it is the case that the populations of metropolitan statistical areas tend to be predominantly urban, according to Census 2000 data, over 50 percent of the U.S. rural population resides within metropolitan statistical areas.

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