Living outside any metro area

[TheBostonian]

What does it mean to reside outside any metro area? Are non-metro areas simply rural?

Is anyone here located somewhere that doesn't fall within any metropolitan area (either CSA, MSA or one's own general definition)? Tell us what it means.

[Phizzy]

What does it mean to reside outside any metro area? Are non-metro areas simply rural?

Is anyone here located somewhere that doesn't fall within any metropolitan area (either CSA, MSA or one's own general definition)? Tell us what it means.

Link.

Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas

The 2000 standards provide that each CBSA must contain at least one urban area of 10,000 or more population. Each metropolitan statistical area must have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more inhabitants. Each micropolitan statistical area must have at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population.

Under the standards, the county (or counties) in which at least 50 percent of the population resides within urban areas of 10,000 or more population, or that contain at least 5,000 people residing within a single urban area of 10,000 or more population, is identified as a "central county" (counties). Additional "outlying counties" are included in the CBSA if they meet specified requirements of commuting to or from the central counties. Counties or equivalent entities form the geographic "building blocks" for metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

[billpa]

With the US Census department coming up with the idea of micropolitan areas, it would seem very few Americans would live outside a metro or a micro zone. I'm sure most people inside the micropolitan areas would be surprised to learn they live in one.

[monsoon]

Link.

That is actually the old definition no longer used. CBSAs were eliminated and replace with new definitions for micropolitian areas, metropolitan areas (MSAs), and combined statistical areas (CSA). This change was made in 2003.