United States micropolitan area

United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA, where the initial Greek letter mu represents "micro-"), as defined by the Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metroarea.html] The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003. Like the better-known metropolitan area, a micropolitan area is a geographic entity used for statistical purposes based on counties and county-equivalents [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metroarea.html] . The bureau has identified 578 such areas in the nation.

The term was created by author G. Scott Thomas for a 1989 article in "American Demographics" magazine, and was expanded in his 1990 book, "The Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities". It gained currency in the 1990s to describe growing population centers in the United States that are removed from larger cities, in some cases 100 miles (160 km) or more. Lower land and labor costs have led to many housing subdivisions and suburban cultures similar to those found in larger metropolitan areas developing in and around the micropolitan areas. Fact|date=July 2007

Micropolitan cities do not have the economic or political importance of large cities, but are nevertheless significant centers of population and production, drawing workers and shoppers from a wide local area. Because the designation is based on the core town's population and not on that of the whole area, some micropolitan areas are actually larger than some metropolitan areas. The largest of the areas, the one whose core city is Torrington, Connecticut, had a population in excess of 180,000 in 2000; Torrington's population in that year's census was only 35,202.

Many such areas have dynamic rates of growth; however, all micropolitan areas combined account for about 10% of the population.

ee also

*Geography
**Human geography
***Demography
*United States
**United States Census Bureau
***Combined Statistical Area
***Core Based Statistical Area
***Demographics of the United States
***Metropolitan Statistical Area
***Table of United States Combined Statistical Areas (CSA)
***Table of United States Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA)
***Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
***Table of United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA)
***Table of United States primary census statistical areas (PCSA)

External links

* [http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/metroarea.html Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas, U.S. Census Bureau]
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy04/b04-03.html Official government document on statistical areas definitions]
*cite web
url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2004-06-27-rural_x.htm
title=Small-town USA goes 'micropolitan'
last=Nasser
first=Haya El
publisher=USA Today
date=June 27, 2004
accessdate=2008-07-23
*cite web
url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-11-22-micropolitan_x.htm?csp=22_tnt
title=For political trends, think micropolitan
last=Nasser
first=Haya El
publisher=USA Today
date=November 22, 2004
accessdate=2008-07-23
*cite web
url=http://www.realestatejournal.com/relocation/relocation/20040823-mccarthy.html
title=Main Street America Gets a New Moniker
last=McCarthy
first=Michael J.
publisher=Real Estate Journal
date=August 23, 2004
accessdate=2008-07-23
*cite web
url=http://www.bizjournals.com/edit_special/68.html
title=Dreamtowns that offer refuge from big cities and congested suburbs
last= Thomas
first=G. Scott
publisher=bizjournals
date= July 21, 2008
accessdate=2008-07-23