A core geographic area containing a large population nucleus as designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

A region, often including more than one county based on commute and work patterns, defined by the U. S. Bureau of the Census as having a central city of at least 50,000 people or an urbanized area of 50,000 people and a metropolitan area population of at least 100,000 people.

Areas defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. A Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is 1) A county or a group of contiguous counties that contain at least one city of 50,000 inhabitants or more, or 2) An urbanized area of at least 50,000 inhabitants and a total MSA population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). The contiguous counties are included in an MSA if, according to certain criteria, they are essentially metropolitan in character and are socially and economically integrated with the central city. In New England, MSAs consist of towns and cities rather than counties. (DOE4) (DOE5) (FHWA3)

An economically integrated region including and surrounding a central city; areas in an MSA outside the central city are suburbs.

a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area of at least 50,000 inhabitants with a total metropolitan population of at least 100,000. Additional contiguous counties are included in the MSA if they meet certain requirements of commuting to the central counties and other selected requirements of metropolitan character (such as population density and percent urban).

Defines geographic areas; developed by U.S. Census Bureau

A U.S. term. For licensing purposes, the FCC divided the U.S. into MSA markets and Rural Service Area (RSA) markets. There are 306 MSAs in the U.S.

A geographic entity designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. A metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a metropolitan area (MA) that is not closely associated with another MA. An MSA consists of one or more counties, except in New England, where MSAs are defined in terms of county subdivisions (primarily cities and towns). (See also supplemental note 1.)

A large population nucleus (a county or group of counties with a total population of at least 75,000 and a central city or urbanized area of at least 50,000) together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of social and economic integration within that nucleus.

MSA)–A geographic area with a significant population nucleus, along with any adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus. Qualification of an MSA requires the presence of a city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or the presence of a Urban Area and a total population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England).

The current standards provide that each newly qualifying MSA must include at least: one city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area (of at least 50,000 inhabitants) and a total metropolitan population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). Under the standards, the county (or counties) that contains the largest city becomes the "central county" (counties), along with any adjacent counties that have at least 50 percent of their population in the urbanized area surrounding the largest city.

A term applied by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to counties or aggregations of counties that have one or more central cities and that meet specified criteria of population, population density, commuting patterns, and social and economic integration.

A geographic area defined by the U.S. Census Bureau that encompasses the territory around a major city. The territory included in the MSAs are the counties that encompass the city. Each NIC MAPJ MSA report lists the counties included in the report.

A federally designated geographically unit consisting of an urbanized area, a central city of least 50,000 residents and a regional population of 100,000. Federal banking regulations permit financial institutions doing business within an MSA to use a single master account in dealing with the Federal Reserve for computing reserve requirements, processing checks, and sending electronic fund transfers.

A clearly defined geographic area used to establish a standard measure for population statistics and analysis. Defined by the US Government and represents the commercial core of an economic region.

(MSA): The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines a MSA as a core area with at least 50,000 residents and bordering communities which are socially and economically integrated with the central city. Larger metropolitan areas are termed Primary MSAs, or PMSAs. Metropolitan areas made up of more than one PMSA and with with one million or more residents may be recognized as Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSAs). The county-based alternative for the New England states is known as New England County Metropolitan Areas (NECMAs).

The President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) establishes and maintains the definitions of metropolitan areas solely for statistical purposes. All federal agencies that collect and publish data for MSAs use the most recent definitions of MSAs established by OMB. National Emergency Management Information System (NEMIS) NEMIS is a FEMA-wide system of hardware, software, telecommunications, and applications that provides a technology base to FEMA and its partners to carry out the emergency management mission. NEMIS integrates and automates tools to support operations for many of the agency’s essential activities. NEMIS enables FEMA to use information as a strategic resource to provide effective and timely response, recovery, mitigation, and services, and also to provide access to the data and analytical tools necessary for making effective plans and decisions.

Defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It has a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus. Also known as Metro Area.

One or more counties having a population of at least 50,000. A Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) is an area with two or more Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSA). A CMSA must also include at least 1 million people.

A geographic entity defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies, based on the concept of a core area with a large population nucleus, plus adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. Qualification of an MSA requires the presence of a city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or the presence of an Urbanized Area (UA) and a total population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). The county or counties containing the largest city and surrounding densely settled territory are central counties of the MSA. Additional outlying counties qualify to be included in the MSA by meeting certain other criteria of metropolitan character, such as a specified minimum population density or percentage of the population that is urban. MSAs in New England are defined in terms of minor civil divisions, following rules concerning commuting and population density.( Back to the top)

Census Bureau delineation for major metro areas in the U.S. Also includes standard (SMSA) and consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA).

Area with a population greater than 50,000, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.

Generally, the area in and around a major city. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines an MSA as having one of the following characteristics: a city with a population of at least 50,000, or an urbanized area with a population of at least 50,000 with a total metropolitan population of 100,000.

An area that has either a city with a population of at least 50,000 or a Bureau of Census urbanized area of at least 50,000 and a total metropolitan area of at least 100,000. The Office of Management and Budget designates the MSAs. There are two MSAs in Idaho—Boise City (including Ada and Canyon counties) and Pocatello City (including Bannock County).

One of two types of CBSAs (Core Based Statistical Areas) with a population of 50,000 or more and its adjacent counties where 25% or more of the residents are employed in the county where the core population resides.  Applications include: Trade Area Analysis and Custom Mapping

See MSA

an area qualifies as an MSA in one of two ways: it must either have a city of at least 50,000 population or an urbanized area of at least 50,000 and a total metropolitan area population of at least 100,000. MSAs are defined in terms of counties. In addition to the county containing the main city, an MSA may include additional counties which have close economic and social ties to the central city.

Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (metro and micro areas) are geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use by Federal statistical agencies in collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics.

(MSA) The United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas according to published standards that are applied to Census Bureau data. The general concept of a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area is that 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. (Census)

One of 306 geographic regions, primarily urban areas, in the United States that are used as license areas in the cellular frequency band. Originally, two wireless operators were licensed in each MSA.