Metropolitan statistical area

Population tables of U.S. cities
The skyline of New York City, the most populous city in the United States
Cities
Population Area Density Ethnic identity Foreign-born Income Spanish speakers capitals By decade By state By decade/state
Urban areas
Populous cities and metropolitan areas
Metropolitan areas
184 combined statistical areas 935 core-based statistical areas 393 metropolitan statistical areas 542 micropolitan statistical areas
Megaregions
See related population lists North American metro areas World cities States and territories
v t e

In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the region.^[1][2] 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. As a result, sometimes the precise definition of a given metropolitan area will vary between sources. The statistical criteria for a standard metropolitan area were defined in 1949 and redefined as a metropolitan statistical area in 1983.^[3]

Due to suburbanization, the typical metropolitan area is polycentric rather than being centered around a large historic core city such as New York City or Chicago.^[4] Some metropolitan areas include more than one large historic core city; examples include the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News (Hampton Roads), Riverside–San Bernardino (Inland Empire), and Minneapolis–Saint Paul (Twin Cities).

MSAs are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is part of the Executive Office of the President, and are used by the U.S. Census Bureau and other U.S. federal government agencies for statistical purposes.^[5]