Micropolitan Statistical Area

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United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSA, where the initial Greek letter mu represents "micro-"), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are urban areas in the United States based around an urban cluster (urban area) with a population of 10,000 to 49,999.[1] 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.[1] The OMB has identified 576 micropolitan areas in the United States.

The term "micropolitan" gained currency in the 1990s to describe growing population centers in the United States that are removed from larger cities, in some cases by 100 miles (160 km) or more. Lower land and labor costs have led some micropolitan areas to develop many housing subdivisions and suburban cultures similar to those found in larger metropolitan areas.[citation needed]

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 urban cluster's population and not on that of the whole area, some micropolitan areas are actually larger than some metropolitan areas.[examples needed] The largest of the areas, centered around Torrington, Connecticut, had a population in excess of 180,000 in 2000; Torrington's population in that year's census was only 35,202.[citation needed]


An enlargeable map of the 955 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) of the United States and Puerto Rico. The 374 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are shown in medium green. The 581 Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs) are shown in light green.

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