[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52174-52184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20808]
[[Page 52173]]
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Part IV
Department of Commerce
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Bureau of the Census
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Proposed Urban Area Criteria for the 2010 Census; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 163 / Tuesday, August 24, 2010 /
Notices
[[Page 52174]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Bureau of the Census
[Docket Number 100701026-0260-02]
Proposed Urban Area Criteria for the 2010 Census
AGENCY: Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of proposed criteria and request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: This notice provides the Bureau of the Census' (hereafter,
Census Bureau's) proposed criteria for defining urban areas based on
the results of the 2010 Decennial Census (the term ``urban area'' as
used throughout this notice refers generically to urbanized areas of
50,000 or more population and urban clusters of at least 2,500 and less
than 50,000 population). It also provides a description of the changes
from the final criteria used for Census 2000. The Census Bureau is
requesting public comment on these proposed criteria.
The Census Bureau's urban-rural classification is fundamentally a
delineation of geographical areas, identifying both individual urban
areas and the rural areas of the nation. The Census Bureau's urban
areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential,
commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses. The Census
Bureau delineates urban areas after each decennial census by applying
specified criteria to decennial census and other data. Since the 1950
Census, the Census Bureau has reviewed and revised these criteria, as
necessary, for each decennial census. The revisions over the years
reflect the Census Bureau's desire to improve the classification of
urban and rural territory to take advantage of newly available data, as
well as advancements in geographic information processing technology.
DATES: Any comments, suggestions, or recommendations concerning the
criteria proposed herein should be submitted in writing no later than
November 22, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on the proposed criteria to
Timothy Trainor, Chief, Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau,
Washington, DC 20233-7400.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vincent Osier, Chief, Geographic
Standards and Criteria Branch, Geography Division, U.S. Census Bureau,
via e-mail at [email protected] or telephone at 301-763-9039.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Census Bureau's urban-rural
classification is fundamentally a delineation of geographical areas,
identifying both individual urban areas and the rural areas of the
nation. The Census Bureau's urban areas represent densely developed
territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other non-
residential urban land uses. The boundaries of this ``urban footprint''
have been defined using measures based primarily on population counts
and residential population density, but also through criteria that
account for non-residential urban land uses, such as commercial,
industrial, transportation, and open space that are part of the urban
landscape. Since the 1950 Census, when densely settled urbanized areas
(UAs) of 50,000 or more people were first defined, the urban area
delineation process has addressed non-residential urban land uses
through criteria designed to account for commercial enclaves, special
land uses such as airports, and densely developed noncontiguous
territory.
In delineating urban and rural areas, the Census Bureau does not
take into account or attempt to meet the requirements of any
nonstatistical uses of these areas or their associated data.
Nonetheless, the Census Bureau recognizes that some federal and state
agencies use the Census Bureau's urban-rural classification for
allocating program funds, setting program standards, and implementing
aspects of their programs. The agencies that use the classification and
data for such nonstatistical uses should be aware that the changes to
the urban area criteria also might affect the implementation of their
programs.
The Census Bureau is not responsible for the use of its urban-rural
classification in nonstatistical programs. If a federal, tribal, state,
or local agency voluntarily uses the urban-rural classification in a
nonstatistical program, it is that agency's responsibility to ensure
that the classification is appropriate for such use. In considering the
appropriateness of the classification for use in a nonstatistical
program, the Census Bureau urges each agency to consider permitting
appropriate modifications of the results of implementing the urban-
rural classification specifically for the purposes of its program. When
a program permits such modifications, the Census Bureau urges each
agency to describe and clearly identify the different criteria being
applied to avoid confusion with the Census Bureau's official urban-
rural classifications.
I. History
Over the course of a century in defining urban areas, the Census
Bureau has introduced conceptual and methodological changes to ensure
that the urban-rural classification keeps pace with changes in
settlement patterns and with changes in theoretical and practical
approaches to interpreting and understanding the definition of urban
areas. Prior to the 1950 Census, the Census Bureau primarily defined
``urban'' as any population, housing, and territory located within
incorporated places with a population of 2,500 or more. That definition
was easy and straightforward to implement, requiring no need to
calculate population density; to understand and account for actual
settlement patterns on the ground in relation to boundaries of
administrative units; or to consider densely settled populations
existing outside incorporated municipalities. For much of the first
half of the twentieth century, that definition was adequate for
defining ``urban'' and ``rural'' in the United States, but by 1950 it
became clear that it was incomplete.
Increasing suburbanization, particularly outside the boundaries of
large incorporated places led the Census Bureau to adopt the UA concept
for the 1950 Census. At that time, the Census Bureau formally
recognized that densely settled communities outside the boundaries of
large incorporated municipalities were just as ``urban'' as the densely
settled population inside those boundaries. Due to the limitations in
technology for calculating and mapping population density, delineation
of UAs was limited to cities of at least 50,000 people and their
surrounding territory. The geographic units used to analyze settlement
patterns were enumeration districts, but to facilitate and ease the
delineation process, each incorporated place was analyzed as a single
unit--that is, the overall density of the place was calculated and if
it met the minimum threshold, it was included in its entirety in the
UA. Outside UAs, ``urban'' was still defined as any place with a
population of at least 2,500. The Census Bureau recognized the need to
identify distinct unincorporated communities existing outside the UAs,
and thus created the ``census designated place'' (CDP) \1\ and
designated those with populations of at least 2,500 as urban.
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\1\ A CDP is a statistical geographic entity encompassing a
concentration of population, housing, and commercial structures that
is clearly identifiable by a single name, but is not within an
incorporated place. CDPs are the statistical counterparts of
incorporated places.
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[[Page 52175]]
Starting with the 1960 Census and continuing through the 1990
Census, the Census Bureau made a number of changes to the methodology
and criteria for defining UAs, but retained the 1950 Census basic
definition of ``urban,'' which was defined as UAs with a population of
50,000 or more and defined primarily on the basis of population
density; and places with a population of 2,500 or more located outside
UAs. The enhancements made by the Census Bureau to the methodology and
criteria used during this period included:
(1) Lowering, and eventual elimination, of minimum population
criteria for places that formed the ``starting point'' for delineating
a UA. This made recognition of population concentrations independent of
the size of any single place within the concentration.
(2) Identification of ``extended cities''--incorporated places
containing substantial amounts of territory with very low population
density, which were divided into urban and rural components using 100
persons per square mile (ppsm) as the criterion. This kept the extent
of urban territory from being artificially exaggerated by thinly
settled corporate annexations.
(3) Implementation for the 1990 Census of nationwide coverage by
census blocks, and use of interactive analysis of population density
patterns at the census block level, or by groups of blocks known as
``analysis units,'' using Census Bureau-developed delineation software.
This enhancement allowed greater flexibility when analyzing and
defining potential UAs, as opposed to using enumeration districts and
other measurement units defined prior to data tabulation.
(4) Implementation of qualification criteria for incorporated
places and CDPs for inclusion in a UA based on the existence of a
densely populated ``core'' containing at least fifty percent of the
place's population. This eliminated certain places from the urban area
classification because much of their population was scattered rather
than concentrated.
For Census 2000, the Census Bureau took advantage of technological
advances associated with geographic information systems (GIS) and
spatial data processing to classify urban and rural territory on a more
consistent and nationally uniform basis than had been possible
previously. Rather than delineating urban areas in an interactive and
manual fashion, the Census Bureau developed and utilized software that
automated the examination of population densities and other aspects of
the criteria to delineate urban areas. This new automated urban area
delineation methodology provided for a more objective application of
criteria compared to previous censuses in which individual geographers
applied the urban area criteria to delineate urban areas interactively.
This new automated approach also established a baseline for future
delineations to enable the Census Bureau to provide comparable data for
subsequent decades.
Changes for Census 2000
The Census Bureau adopted six substantial changes to its urban area
criteria for Census 2000:
(1) Defining urban clusters (UCs). Beginning with Census 2000, the
Census Bureau created and implemented the concept of an urban cluster.
Urban clusters are defined as areas of at least 2,500 and less than
50,000 people using the same residential population density-based
criteria as applied to UAs. This change provided for a conceptually
consistent, seamless classification of urban territory. For previous
censuses, the lack of a density-based approach for defining urban areas
of less than 50,000 people resulted in underbounding of urban areas
where densely settled populations existed outside place boundaries or
overbounding when cities annexed territory with low population density.
Areas where annexation had lagged behind expansion of densely settled
territory, or where communities of 2,500 up to 50,000 people were not
incorporated and were not defined as CDPs, were most affected by the
adoption of density-based UCs. As a result of this change, the Census
Bureau no longer needed to identify urban places located outside UAs
for the purpose of its urban-rural classification.
(2) Disregarding incorporated place and CDP boundaries when
defining UAs and UCs. Taking place boundaries into account in previous
decades resulted in the inclusion of territory with low population
density within UAs when the place as a whole met minimum population
density requirements, and excluded densely settled population when the
place as a whole fell below minimum density requirements.
Implementation of this change meant that territory with low population
density located inside place boundaries (perhaps due to annexation, or
the way in which a CDP was defined) no longer necessarily qualified for
inclusion in an urban area. However, it also meant that non-residential
urban land uses located inside a place's boundary and located on the
edge of an urban area might not necessarily qualify to be included in a
UA or UC.
(3) Adoption of 500 persons per square mile (ppsm) as the density
criterion for recognizing some types of urban territory. The Census
Bureau adopted a 500 ppsm population density threshold at the same time
that it adopted its automated urban area delineation methodology. This
ensured that census blocks that might contain a mix of residential and
non-residential urban uses, but might not have a population density of
at least 1,000 ppsm, could qualify for inclusion in an urban area. For
the 1990 Census, geographers could interactively modify analysis units
to include census blocks with low population density that might contain
non-residential urban uses, while still achieving an overall population
density of at least 1,000 ppsm. Adoption of the lower density threshold
facilitated use of the automated urban area delineation methodology,
and provided for comparability with the 1990 methodology. This change
did not result in substantial increases to the extent of urban areas.
(4) Increase in the jump distance from 1.5 to 2.5 miles. The Census
Bureau increased the jump distance from 1.5 to 2.5 miles. A ``jump'' is
the distance across territory with low population density separating
noncontiguous qualifying territory from the main body of an urban area.
The increase in the jump distance was a result of changing planning
practices that led to the creation of larger clusters of single-use
development. In addition, research conducted prior to Census 2000
showed that some jumps incorporated in UA definitions in 1990 were
actually longer than 1.5 miles as a result of the subjective
identification of undevelopable territory. As used in previous
censuses, only one jump was permitted along any given road connection.
(5) Introduction of the hop concept to provide an objective basis
for recognizing small gaps within qualifying urban territory. For
Census 2000, the Census Bureau officially recognized the term ``hops,''
which is defined as gaps of 0.5 miles or less within a qualifying urban
territory. Hops are used primarily to account for territory in which
planning and zoning processes result in alternating patterns of
residential and non-residential development over relatively short
distances. This provided for a more consistent treatment of short gaps
with low population density, some of which had been treated as jumps in
the 1990 urban area delineation process (and not
[[Page 52176]]
permitted if identified as a second jump), while others were
interpreted as part of the pattern of urban development and grouped
with adjacent, higher density blocks to form qualifying analysis units.
(6) Adoption of a zero-based approach to defining urban areas. The
urban area delineation process in previous censuses had generally been
an additive process, where the boundary of a UA from the previous
census providing the starting point for review for the next census. The
changes made for Census 2000 were substantial enough to warrant the
Census Bureau to re-evaluate the delineation of all urban areas as if
for the first time, rather than simply making adjustments to the
existing boundary. The Census Bureau adopted this zero-based approach
to ensure that all urban areas were defined in a consistent manner.
The six changes described above represent the major modifications
implemented for the 2000 Census. They illustrate the substantial shift
in approach adopted by the Census Bureau in its procedure for
delineating urban areas. However, the availability of new datasets and
continued research since the 2000 Census show the potential for further
improvements for the 2010 Census.
II. Differences Between the Proposed 2010 Census Urban Area Criteria
and the Census 2000 Urban Area Criteria
For the 2010 Census, the Census Bureau proposes moderate changes
and enhancements to the criteria to improve upon the classification of
urban and rural areas while continuing to meet the objective of a
uniform application of criteria nationwide. The proposed changes and
enhancements recognize that the Census Bureau's urban-rural
classification provides an important national baseline definition of
urban and rural areas.
The following summary describes the differences between the Census
2000 urban area criteria and the urban area criteria proposed for the
2010 Census.
Use of Census Tracts as Analysis Units in the Initial Phase of
Delineation
For the Census 2000 urban area delineation process, the Census
Bureau used blocks and block groups as analysis units (geographic
building blocks). For the 2010 Census delineation process, the Census
Bureau proposes replacing block groups with census tracts as the
analysis unit during the delineation of the initial urban area core.
Similar to the way block groups were used in 2000, if a census tract
does not meet specified proposed area measurement and density criteria,
the focus of analysis will shift to individual census blocks within the
tract, and delineation will continue at the block level. During the
initial urban area core delineation (see section B.1 in the proposed
urban area criteria below for a description of an initial urban area
core), the maximum size threshold for qualifying census tracts will be
three square miles compared to the two square mile threshold adopted
for block groups for Census 2000 (Figure 1). Changing the urban area
core delineation analysis unit to the census tract offers advantages of
increased consistency and comparability, since census tracts are more
likely to retain their boundaries over time than block groups.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24AU10.015
Although census tracts will be used in the delineation of initial
urban area cores, as in Census 2000 census blocks will continue to form
the analysis units when analyzing territory beyond the qualifying
tracts, for example on the edge of the urban area or when including
noncontiguous territory via hops and jumps.
Test delineations of initial cores in selected areas of the United
States
[[Page 52177]]
(Figure 2) show slight decreases in territory and only slight increases
in population qualifying as urban when the initial analysis unit is
changed from the block group to the census tract.\2\
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\2\ Two initial core test delineations were performed for eight
test delineation regions covering an area of approximately 392,900
square miles. The first initial core test delineation used the same
population count, population density, geographic area, and proximity
criteria used for the Census 2000 urban area delineation. The second
test used the proposed criteria for the same items, but also
reflected the 2010 Census proposed use of census tracts in the
identification of initial cores. Both tests used Census 2000
population counts and geography and implemented the impervious
surface and enclave criteria proposed for the 2010 Census in this
notice.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24AU10.016
Table 1 provides a comparison of the number of cores defined using
block groups as analysis units with the number defined using census
tracts. Population, land area, and population density for the cores
also are provided for comparison.
Table 1--Comparison of Initial Urban Area Cores Defined Using Block Groups or Census Tracts as Analysis Units
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Population
Number of Population in Land area density
cores cores (Census (sq. miles) (people per
2000) square mile)
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Block group as analysis unit when defining cores 904 42,213,521 15,027 2,809
Census tract as analysis unit when defining 924 42,384,952 14,525 2,918
cores..........................................
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The small reduction in initial urban area core territory shown by
the test data is due to the use of census tracts, which are larger
geographic units, and therefore less likely than block groups to
qualify under the density requirements. As a result, when using census
tracts, the delineation process shifts to census block-level analysis
sooner than would be the case when using block groups.
Maximum Distances of Jumps
The Census Bureau is considering reducing the maximum jump distance
to 1.5 miles based on data users' comments that the 2.5 mile distance
adopted for the 2000 Census was too generous in some situations and
resulted in the overextension of urban area territory. The Census
Bureau seeks comment on whether the jump distance should revert to the
1.5 mile maximum that was in use from 1950 through 1990.
Use of Land Use/Land Cover Data
The Census Bureau plans to use the newly available National Land
Cover Database (NLCD) developed by the Multi-Resolution Land
Characteristics Consortium to identify business districts and
commercial zones, located both on
[[Page 52178]]
the edge and in the interior of an urban area that would not qualify as
urban based on residential population measures alone. The NLCD is a
consistently defined national land cover dataset \3\ that would enable
the Census Bureau to add further territory to the list of exempted
territory and enforce its qualification criteria objectively (Figure
3). This nationwide dataset will assist the Census Bureau in
identifying, and qualifying as urban, sparsely populated urban-related
territory associated with a high degree of impervious surface land
cover. It also will assist the Census Bureau to identify land cover
types that restrict development, such as marshes, wetlands, and
estuaries, which will be included as exempted territory. Without such
recognition, these types of undevelopable land covers would otherwise
prohibit two or more communities to connect via a jump, even though
they share functional ties.
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\3\ The NLCD includes data for the entirety of the United
States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24AU10.017
Qualification of Airports for Inclusion in Urban Areas
For Census 2000, airports with an annual enplanement (departing
passengers) of 10,000 or greater qualified for inclusion in an urban
area if adjacent to other qualifying territory. For the 2010 Census,
the Census Bureau proposes lowering the minimum annual enplanement
threshold to 2,500 passengers to provide a better inclusion of
airports, particularly those adjacent to smaller initial urban cores.
Based on annual passenger boarding and all-cargo data published by the
Federal Aviation Administration for the 2007 calendar year, lowering
the enplanement threshold would result in an additional 152 airports
included in urban areas.\4\
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\4\ The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) annual passenger
boarding and all-cargo data extracted from the Air Carrier Activity
Information System published for the 2007 calendar year reports 409
airports had an annual enplanement of at least 10,000 passengers in
any year between 2000 and 2007.
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Elimination of the Central Place Concept
The Census Bureau proposes to discontinue identifying central
places as part of the 2010 Census urban area delineation process. A
central place is the most populous place within an urban area or any
other place that meets specified population criteria. Starting with the
1990 Census, the identification of central places was no longer
necessary for the process of delineating urban areas. For Census 2000,
the urban area delineation process moved away from a ``place-based''
definition of urban areas, which caused some central places to be split
between urban and rural territory. Moreover, the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) identifies principal cities as part of the
metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas program.\5\ The list of
principal cities identified by the OMB is quite similar to what would
emerge if the urban area process created a list of central places. The
Census Bureau no longer sees a need for a second representation of the
same concept in its statistical and geographic data products.
Therefore, the Census Bureau proposes to eliminate the use of central
places in the 2010 Census urban area delineation criteria.
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\5\ See the ``2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas,'' Federal Register, Vol. 75, No.
123, Monday, June 28, 2010.
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Requirement for Minimum Population Residing Outside Institutional Group
Quarters
The Census 2000 urban area delineation criteria resulted in the
identification of 24 urban clusters consisting entirely or
predominantly of
[[Page 52179]]
population residing in institutional group quarters (GQs). Most of
these urban clusters comprised only the few census blocks in which the
institutional GQ was located. These blocks met the population density
requirements specified in the Census 2000 criteria, and encompassed at
least 2,500 persons. Although the population densities of these areas
exceed the minimum thresholds specified in the Census 2000 urban area
criteria, and the total populations exceed 2,500, they lack most of the
residential, commercial, and infrastructure characteristics typically
associated with urban territory. The Census Bureau proposes that in
addition to at least 2,500 total population, an area must contain at
least 1,500 persons who reside outside institutional GQs to qualify as
urban.
Splitting Large Urban Agglomerations
Similar to the delineation process used for the 2000 Census, the
Census Bureau will use the same automated urban area delineation
methodology for determining urban and rural areas in the 2010 Census.
Use of this approach will result in some exceptionally large urban
agglomerations of continuously developed territory. Although such areas
do reflect the reality of urbanization at one scale, the areas may be
cumbersome and less satisfactory for more localized applications. For
example, an area of virtually continuous urbanization exists from
northeastern Maryland through the Philadelphia area, central New
Jersey, the New York City area, and central Connecticut to beyond
Springfield, MA. This area of near-continuous urbanization encompasses
nine UAs defined for Census 2000. Another area of continuous
urbanization exists in the San Francisco Bay area, including the San
Francisco-Oakland, San Jose, and several smaller areas.
The Census Bureau anticipates that many data users would find these
large agglomerations to be inconvenient for meaningful analysis, and
therefore, proposes that they be split in some consistent fashion. For
example, the Census Bureau split large agglomerations for Census 2000
by using metropolitan statistical area and primary metropolitan
statistical area (PMSA) boundaries as a guide to identify the narrowest
area along the high density ``corridor'' between larger core areas. For
instance, the corridor of high residential population density between
Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, was narrowest in northern Prince
George's County, MD, in the area of Beltsville, MD, and near the
boundary between the Washington PMSA and the Baltimore PMSA.
For the 2010 Census urban area delineation process, the Census
Bureau proposes splitting large agglomerations along metropolitan
statistical area boundaries, resulting in the identification of
individual UAs. In New England, large agglomerations would be split
based on the boundaries of metropolitan New England city and town areas
(NECTAs). In areas where an incorporated place or a CDP crosses the
metropolitan statistical area or NECTA boundary, the boundary splitting
the large agglomeration would be modified to follow the incorporated
place or CDP boundary. The incorporated place or CDP would be assigned
to the resulting UA that contains the largest proportion of the place's
land area (Figure 4). Urban clusters would not be created as a result
of splitting.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN24AU10.018
This approach has the advantage of simplicity and ease of
implementation. It also maintains some comparability with previous
decades' criteria and definitions. This approach, however, results in
some circularity of outcomes--the metropolitan statistical area and
NECTA definitions that would be used to split large agglomerations are
[[Page 52180]]
those that were defined on the basis of Census 2000 data, including
Census 2000 urban area definitions; the 2010 UAs resulting from the
splitting process will form the cores of metropolitan statistical areas
and NECTAs. In addition, this approach will result in the movement of
some territory and population from one UA to another. For example, the
split between the Washington and Baltimore UAs would occur along the
Howard County, MD-Prince George's County, MD boundary; territory in
northern Prince George's County, MD that currently is in the Baltimore
UA would be included in the Washington UA. The split between the San
Francisco-Oakland and San Jose UAs would shift northward to follow the
San Mateo County, CA-Santa Clara County, CA boundary.
Based on Census 2000 UAs, the Census Bureau has identified 52
potential agglomerations consisting of multiple and currently separate
UAs. These agglomerations contain UAs that currently are contiguous as
well as some that are in close proximity to each other and that
potentially could form a continuous agglomeration when areas are
redefined based on 2010 Census data (note, however, that inclusion in
the list below does not necessarily mean that contiguity will exist
between two UAs when redefined). The following table lists the
potential agglomerations, the component UAs, and the estimated
population based on the 2006-2008 ACS 3-year estimates (margins of
error are not noted in the table below; 3-year estimates were used
because not all UAs met the 65,000 person threshold for ACS 1-year
estimates). The Census Bureau is considering applying a 1,000,000
person minimum population threshold to identify agglomerations to be
split, but seeks comment on the appropriate population size threshold
to determine which large agglomerations would be split. Other minimum
population thresholds under consideration are 500,000 and 250,000.
Based on 2006-2008 ACS estimates, 27 of the 52 potential agglomerations
have populations less than 1,000,000; 14 have populations less than
500,000; and four have populations less than 250,000. If a threshold of
1,000,000 people is chosen as the minimum for splitting large
agglomerations, all formerly separate UAs in agglomerations of less
than 1,000,000 people would be merged to form a single UA. If 500,000
people is adopted as the minimum threshold, then all formerly separate
UAs in agglomerations of less than that threshold would be merged.
Because UAs form the cores of metropolitan statistical areas, the
merger of formerly separate UAs might affect the delineation of
metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. It is important to
note that some of the agglomerations listed below are contained within
the same metropolitan statistical area, and as a result, would not be
split, regardless of the threshold chosen. The agglomerations are:
Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston-Texas City; Phoenix-Mesa; San Diego-Mission
Viejo; St. Louis-Alton; Pittsburgh-Uniontown-Monessen; Kansas City-
Lee's Summit; Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord; Nashville-Murfreesboro;
Oklahoma City-Norman; Honolulu-Kailua; Stockton-Lodi-Manteca; Boise
City-Nampa; Modesto-Turlock; Santa Rosa-Petaluma; Beaumont-Port Arthur;
and Fairfield-Vacaville.
Table 2--Potential Urban Agglomerations
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2006-2008 ACS
Potential urban agglomeration Census 2000 UAs contained within the potential 3-year
agglomeration estimated
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------population--
New York-Philadelphia-Connecticut............. New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT; Philadelphia, PA-NJ- 29,028,337
DE-MD; Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ; Lancaster,
PA; Pottstown, PA; Reading, PA; Trenton, NJ;
Hightstown, NJ; Vineland, NJ; Poughkeepsie-
Newburgh, NY; Bridgeport-Stamford, CT; Danbury,
CT-NY; Hartford, CT; New Haven, CT; Norwich-New
London, CT; Waterbury, CT; Springfield, MA-CT.
Los Angeles-Riverside-San Bernardino.......... Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA; Riverside- 15,492,749
San Bernardino, CA; Camarillo, CA; Hemet, CA;
Oxnard, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Santa Clarita,
CA; Simi Valley, CA; Temecula-Murrieta, CA;
Thousand Oaks, CA.
Chicago-Kenosha-Racine-Round Lake Beach....... Chicago, IL-IN; Kenosha, WI; Round Lake Beach- 8,944,789
McHenry-Grayslake, IL-WI; Racine, WI.
Boston-Providence-Worcester................... Boston, MA; Providence, RI-MA; Worcester, MA-CT; 6,692,295
Barnstable Town, MA; Leominster-Fitchburg, MA;
New Bedford, MA; Dover-Rochester, NH;
Manchester, NH; Nashua, NH; Portsmouth, NH.
Baltimore-Washington.......................... Aberdeen, MD; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC-VA- 6,585,315
MD; St. Charles, MD.
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose................ San Francisco-Oakland, CA; San Jose, CA; 5,870,212
Antioch, CA; Concord, CA; Livermore, CA;
Vallejo, CA.
Dallas-Fort Worth............................. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX; Denton- 5,006,527
Lewisville, TX; McKinney, TX.
Houston-Texas City............................ Houston, TX; Texas City, TX; Galveston, TX; The 4,599,176
Woodlands, TX.
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Port Huron.................. Detroit, MI; Ann Arbor, MI; Port Huron, MI; 4,326,040
South Lyon-Howell-Brighton, MI.
Atlanta-Gainesville........................... Atlanta, GA; Gainesville, GA.................... 4,196,670
San Juan-Aguadilla-Ponce...................... San Juan, PR; Aguadilla-Isabela-San 3,591,491
Sebasti[aacute]n, PR; Arecibo, PR; Fajardo, PR;
Florida-Barceloneta-Bajadero, PR; Guayama, PR;
Juana D[iacute]az, PR; Mayag[uuml]ez, PR;
Ponce, PR; San Germ[aacute]n-Cabo Rojo-Sabana
Grande, PR; Yauco, PR.
Phoenix-Mesa-Avondale......................... Phoenix-Mesa, AZ; Avondale, AZ.................. 3,328,183
San Diego-Mission Viejo....................... San Diego, CA; Mission Viejo, CA................ 3,273,255
Seattle-Bremerton-Marysville.................. Seattle, WA; Bremerton, WA; Marysville, WA...... 3,206,057
Cleveland-Akron-Canton-Lorain-Elyria.......... Cleveland, OH; Akron, OH; Canton, OH; Lorain- 2,722,194
Elyria, OH.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Lakeland-Winter Haven.... Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL; Lakeland, FL; Winter 2,719,812
Haven, FL; Brooksville, FL.
Cincinnati-Dayton-Middletown.................. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN; Dayton, OH; Middletown, 2,426,070
OH; Springfield, OH.
Denver-Boulder-Longmont....................... Denver-Aurora, CO; Boulder, CO; Longmont, CO; 2,339,587
Lafayette-Louisville, CO.
St. Louis-Alton............................... St. Louis, MO-IL; Alton, IL..................... 2,184,037
[[Page 52181]]
Orlando-Ocala-Kissimmee....................... Orlando, FL; Ocala, FL; Kissimmee, FL; Lady 1,814,061
Lake, FL; Leesburg-Eustis, FL.
Pittsburgh-Uniontown-Monessen................. Pittsburgh, PA; Uniontown-Connellsville, PA; 1,792,892
Monessen, PA.
Kansas City-Lee's Summit...................... Kansas City, MO-KS; Lee's Summit, MO............ 1,468,106
Salt Lake City-Ogden-Layton................... Salt Lake City, UT; Ogden-Layton, UT............ 1,439,004
Indianapolis-Anderson......................... Indianapolis, IN; Anderson, IN.................. 1,367,392
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord.................... Charlotte, NC-SC; Gastonia, NC; Concord, NC; 1,282,839
Rock Hill, SC.
Nashville-Murfreesboro........................ Nashville-Davidson, TN; Murfreesboro, TN........ 983,180
Raleigh-Durham................................ Raleigh, NC; Durham, NC......................... 974,582
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville-Vero Beach...... Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL; Titusville, FL; Vero 938,675
Beach-Sebastian, FL; Port St. Lucie, FL.
Oklahoma City-Norman.......................... Oklahoma City, OK; Norman, OK................... 875,469
Honolulu-Kailua (Honolulu County)............. Honolulu, HI; Kailua (Honolulu County), HI...... 854,430
McAllen-Harlingen............................. McAllen, TX; Harlingen, TX...................... 753,816
Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem........... Greensboro, NC; High Point, NC; Winston-Salem, 741,457
NC.
Sarasota-Bradenton-Punta Gorda................ Sarasota-Bradenton, FL; North Port-Punta Gorda, 726,695
FL.
Bonita Springs-Naples-Cape Coral.............. Bonita Springs-Naples, FL; Cape Coral, FL....... 659,480
Harrisburg-York-Lebanon....................... Harrisburg, PA; York, PA; Lebanon, PA........... 651,160
Greenville-Spartanburg........................ Greenville, SC; Spartanburg, SC; Mauldin- 568,737
Simpsonville, SC.
Pensacola-Fort Walton Beach................... Pensacola, FL-AL; Fort Walton Beach, FL......... 506,715
Stockton-Lodi-Manteca......................... Stockton, CA; Lodi, CA; Manteca, CA............. 501,544
Spokane-Coeur d'Alene......................... Spokane, WA-ID; Coeur d'Alene, ID............... 441,042
Boise City-Nampa.............................. Boise City, ID; Nampa, ID....................... 422,639
Modesto-Turlock............................... Modesto, CA; Turlock, CA........................ 414,571
South Bend-Elkhart............................ South Bend, IN-MI; Elkhart, IN-MI............... 408,373
Salinas-Santa Cruz-Watsonville................ Salinas, CA; Santa Cruz, CA; Watsonville, CA.... 388,071
Charleston-Huntington......................... Charleston, WV; Huntington, WV-KY-OH............ 354,568
Santa Rosa-Petaluma........................... Santa Rosa, CA; Petaluma, CA.................... 351,752
Rockford-Beloit............................... Rockford, IL; Beloit, WI-IL..................... 337,215
Atlantic City-Wildwood........................ Atlantic City, NJ; Wildwood-North Wildwood-Cape 280,698
May, NJ.
Appleton-Oshkosh.............................. Appleton, WI; Oshkosh, WI....................... 263,213
Beaumont-Port Arthur.......................... Beaumont, TX; Port Arthur, TX................... 249,716
Macon-Warner Robins........................... Macon, GA; Warner Robins, GA.................... 232,780
Kingsport-Johnson City........................ Kingsport, TN-VA; Johnson City, TN.............. 208,241
Fairfield-Vacaville........................... Fairfield, CA; Vacaville, CA.................... 207,859
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed Urban Area Criteria for the 2010 Census
The proposed criteria outlined herein apply to the United
States,\6\ Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas.\7\ The Census Bureau
proposes the following criteria and characteristics for use in
identifying the areas that will qualify for designation as urbanized
areas and urban clusters for use in tabulating data from the 2010
Census, the American Community Survey (ACS), the Puerto Rico Community
Survey, and potentially other Census Bureau censuses and surveys.
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\6\ For Census Bureau purposes, the United States includes the
50 States and the District of Columbia.
\7\ For Census Bureau purposes, the Island Areas include
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands are an aggregation of nine U.S.
territories: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston
Atoll, Kingman Reef, the Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra
Atoll, and Wake Island.
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A. 2010 Census Urban Area, Urbanized Area, and Urban Cluster
Definitions
For the 2010 Census, an urban area will comprise a densely settled
core of census tracts \8\ and/or census blocks \9\ that meet minimum
population density requirements, along with adjacent territory
containing non-residential urban land uses as well as territory with
low population density included to link outlying densely settled
territory with the densely settled core. To qualify as an urban area,
the territory identified according to the proposed criteria mentioned
above must encompass at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of which
reside outside institutional group quarters. Urban areas that contain
50,000 or more people are designated as urbanized areas (UAs); urban
areas that contain at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people are
designated as urban clusters (UCs). The term ``urban area'' refers to
both UAs and UCs. The term ``rural'' encompasses all population,
housing, and territory not included within an urban area.
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\8\ A census tract is made up of from one to ten census block
groups within a single county. A census block group is a collection
of one to 999 census blocks within a single census tract.
\9\ A census block is the smallest geographic area for which the
Census Bureau tabulates data and is an area normally bounded by
visible features, such as streets, rivers or streams, shorelines,
and railroads, and by nonvisible features, such as the boundary of
an incorporated place, MCD, county, or other 2010 Census tabulation
entity.
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As a result of the urban area delineation process, an incorporated
place or census designated place (CDP) may be partly within and partly
outside an urban area. Any place that is split by an urban area
boundary is referred to as an extended place. Any census geographic
areas, with the exception of census blocks, may be partly within and
partly outside an urban area.
All proposed criteria based on land area, population, and
population density, reflect the information contained in the Census
Bureau's Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic
Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB) at the time of the
initial delineation. All calculations of
[[Page 52182]]
population density include only land; the areas of water contained
within census tracts and census blocks are not used to calculate
population density.
B. Proposed UA and UC Delineation Criteria
The Census Bureau proposes to define urban areas primarily on the
basis of residential population density measured at the census tract
and census block levels of geography. Two population density thresholds
are utilized in the delineation of urban areas: 1,000 ppsm and 500
ppsm. The higher threshold is consistent with final population density
criteria used in the 1960 through 1990 urban area delineation
processes; it is used to identify the starting point for delineation of
individual, potential urban areas and ensures that each urban area
contains a densely settled core area that is consistent with previous
decades' delineations. The lower threshold was adopted for the Census
2000 process when the Census Bureau adopted an automated delineation
methodology; it ensures that additional territory that may contain a
mix of residential and non-residential urban uses can qualify for
inclusion in an urban area.
1. Identification of Initial Urban Area Cores
The Census Bureau proposes to begin the delineation process by
identifying and aggregating contiguous census tracts, each having a
land area less than three square miles and a population density of at
least 1,000 ppsm. If a qualifying census tract does not exist, then one
or more contiguous census blocks that have a population density of at
least 1,000 ppsm are identified and aggregated. This aggregation of
continuous census tracts or census blocks, as appropriate, would be
known as the ``initial urban area core.''
After the initial urban area core with a population density of
1,000 ppsm or more is identified, a census tract is included in the
initial urban area core if it is adjacent to other qualifying territory
and has a land area less than three square miles and a population
density of at least 500 ppsm.
A census block \10\ is included in the initial urban area core if
it is adjacent to other qualifying territory and
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\10\ Due to imposed restrictions on the selection of features
that could be used as census block boundaries within military
installations for the 2010 Census, blocks on military installations
that have a population of 2,500 or more are treated as having a
population density of 1,000 ppsm if the density is less than 1,000
ppsm. Census blocks that have a population greater than 1,000 and
less than 2,500 are treated as having a population density of 500
ppsm.
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a. Has a population density of at least 500 ppsm; or
b. At least one-third of the census block consists of territory
with a level of imperviousness of at least twenty percent,\11\ and is
compact in nature as defined by a shape index. A census block is
considered compact when the shape index is at least 0.185 using the
following formula: I = 4[pi]A/P\2\ where I is the shape index, A is the
area of the entity, and P is the perimeter of the entity.
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\11\ The Census Bureau has found in testing the NLCD that
territory with an impervious percent less than twenty percent
results in the inclusion of road and structure edges, and not the
actual roads or buildings themselves.
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The Census Bureau would apply proposed criteria 1.a and 1.b above
until there are no blocks to add to the urban area.
2. Inclusion of Noncontiguous Territory Separated by Exempted Territory
The Census Bureau proposes to identify and exempt territory in
which residential development is substantially constrained or not
possible due to either topographic or land use conditions.\12\ Such
``exempted'' territory offsets urban development due to particular land
use, land cover, or topographic conditions. For the 2010 Census, the
Census Bureau proposes the following to be exempted territory:
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\12\ The land cover and land use types used to define exempted
territory are limited to only those that are included in or can be
derived from the Census Bureau's MTDB or the MRLC's 2001 NLCD
nationally, consistently, and with some reasonable level of
accuracy.
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Bodies of water; and
Wetlands (belonging to one of eight wetlands class
definitions \13\).
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\13\ For the MRLC's 2001 NLCD, wetlands are identified as
belonging to one of eight wetlands class definitions including
woody, palustrine forested, palustrine scrub/shrub, estuarine
forested, estuarine scrub/shrub, emergent herbaceous, palustrine
emergent (persistent), or estuarine emergent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noncontiguous qualifying territory would be added to a core when
separated by exempted territory, provided that:
a. The road connection across the exempted territory (located on
both sides of the road) is no greater than five miles; and
b. The road connection does not cross more than a total of 2.5
miles of territory not classified as exempted (those segments of the
road connection where exempted territory is not on both sides of the
road); and
c. The total length of the road connection (exempt distance and
non-exempt distance) is no greater than five miles for a jump and no
greater than 2.5 miles for a hop.
3. Inclusion of Noncontiguous Territory via Hops and Jumps
Noncontiguous territory that meets the proposed population density
criteria specified in section B.1.a and b above, but is separated from
an initial urban area core of 1,000 or more people, may be added via a
``hop'' along a road connection of no more than 0.5 miles. Multiple
hops may be made along a single road connection, thus accounting for
the nature of contemporary urban development which often encompasses
alternating patterns of residential and non-residential uses.
After adding territory to an initial urban area core via hop
connections, the Census Bureau will identify all cores that have a
population of 1,500 or more and add other qualifying territory via a
jump connection.\14\ Jumps are used to connect densely settled
noncontiguous territory separated from the core by territory with low
population density measuring greater than 0.5 and no more than 2.5 road
miles across. This process recognizes the existence of larger areas of
non-residential urban uses or other territory with low population
density that does not provide a substantial barrier to interaction
between outlying territory with high population density and the main
body of the urban area. Because it is possible that any given densely
settled area could qualify for inclusion in multiple cores via a jump
connection, the identification of jumps in an automated process starts
with the initial urban area core that has the largest total population
and continues in descending order based on the total population of each
initial urban area core. Only one jump is permitted along any given
road connection. This limitation, which has been in place since the
inception of the urban area delineation process for the 1950 Census,
prevents the artificial extension of urban areas over large distances
that result in the inclusion of communities that are not commonly
perceived as connected to the particular initial urban area core.
Exempted territory is not taken into account when measuring road
distances across hop and jump corridors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ All initial urban area cores with a population less than
1,500 are not selected to continue the delineation as separate urban
areas; however, these cores still are eligible for inclusion in an
urban area using subsequent proposed criteria and procedures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the distance criteria listed above, a hop or a jump
will qualify if:
a. The census tracts and blocks identified in the high density
destination and along the hop or jump corridor have a combined overall
[[Page 52183]]
population density of at least 500 ppsm, or
b. The high density destination to be added via the hop or jump has
a total population of 1,000 or more.
No additional jumps may originate from a qualifying area after the
first jump in that direction unless the territory being included as a
result of the jump was an initial urban area core with a population of
50,000 or more.
4. Inclusion of Airports
After all territory has been added to the initial core via hop and
jump connections, the Census Bureau will then add whole tabulation
blocks that approximate the territory of major airports, provided at
least one of the blocks that represent the airport is included within
or adjacent to the initial core. An airport is identified as a ``major
airport'' if it had an annual enplanement of at least 2,500 passengers
in any year between 2000 and the last year of reference in the Federal
Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Carrier Activity Information
System.
5. Inclusion of Enclaves
The Census Bureau will add enclaves within the urban area, provided
that they are surrounded only by land, by territory that qualified for
inclusion in the urban area based on the proposed population density
criteria, and at least one of the following conditions is met:
a. The area of the enclave must be less than five square miles; or
b. All area of the enclave is surrounded by territory that
qualified for inclusion in the initial core, and is more than a
straight-line distance of 2.5 miles from a land block that is not part
of the initial core; or
c. The area of the enclave is less than five square miles, is
surrounded by both land that qualified for inclusion in the initial
core and water, and the length of the line of adjacency with the water
is less than the length of the line of adjacency with the land.
6. Inclusion of Indentations
The Census Bureau proposes to evaluate and include territory that
forms an indentation within the urban area. Including such territory
will produce a smoother and more manageable boundary for each urban
area. It would also recognize that small sparsely settled areas that
are wholly or partially enveloped by urban territory are more likely to
be affected by and integrated with adjacent urban territory and may
become more densely settled by future development.
To determine whether an indentation should be included in the urban
area, the Census Bureau proposes to identify a ``closure line,''
defined as a straight line no more than one mile in length, that
extends from one point along the edge of the urban area across the
mouth of the indentation to another point along the edge of the urban
area.
A census block located wholly or partially within an indentation
will be included in the urban area if at least 75 percent of the area
of the block is inside the closure line. The total area of those blocks
that meet or exceed the proposed 75 percent criterion is compared to
the area of a circle, the diameter of which is the length of the
closure qualification line. The territory within the indentation will
be included in the urban area if its area is at least four times the
area of the circle and less than five square miles.
If the collective area of the census blocks inside the closure line
does not meet the criteria listed above, the Census Bureau will define
successive closure lines within the indentation, starting at the mouth
and working inward toward the base of the indentation, until the
criteria for inclusion are met or it is determined that the indentation
will not qualify for inclusion.
7. Splitting Large Agglomerations
The automated urban area delineation methodology that will be used
for the 2010 Census may result in large urban agglomerations of
continuously developed territory. If such results occur, the Census
Bureau proposes splitting large agglomerations of 1,000,000 or more
people along metropolitan statistical area boundaries to identify
individual UAs. In New England, large agglomerations will be split
based on the boundaries of metropolitan New England city and town areas
(NECTAs). In situations where an incorporated place or a CDP crosses
the metropolitan statistical area or metropolitan NECTA boundary, the
boundary splitting the large agglomeration will be modified to follow
the incorporated place or CDP boundary. The incorporated place or CDP
will be assigned to the resulting UA that contains the largest
proportion of the place's land area. Urban clusters would not be
created as a result of splitting.
8. Assigning Urban Area Titles
A clear, unambiguous title based on commonly recognized place names
helps provide context for data users, and ensures that the general
location and setting of the urban area can be clearly identified and
understood. The title of an urban area identifies the place(s) that is
(are) most populated within the urban area. All population requirements
for places and MCDs apply to the portion of the entity's population
that is within the specific urban area being named. The Census Bureau
proposes the following criteria to determine the title of a urban area:
a. The most populous incorporated place with a population of 10,000
or more within the urban area will be listed first in the urban area
title.
b. If there is no incorporated place with a population of 10,000 or
more, the urban area title will include the name of the most populous
incorporated place or CDP having at least 2,500 people in the urban
area.
Up to two additional places, in descending order of population
size, may be included in the title of an urban area, provided that:
a. The place has 250,000 or more people in the urban area; or
b. The place has at least 2,500 people in the urban area, and that
population is at least two-thirds of the urban area population of the
most populous place in the urban area.
If the urban area does not contain a place of at least 2,500
people, the Census Bureau will use the following rules to identify an
urban area title, applying each in order until a title is identified:
a. The governmental MCD having the largest total population in the
urban area; or
b. A local name recognized for the area by the United States
Geological Survey (USGS)' Geographic Names Information System (GNIS),
with preference given to names recognized by the United States Postal
Service (USPS).
The urban area title will include the USPS abbreviation of the name
of each state or statistically equivalent entity into which the urban
area extends. The order of the state names is the same as the order of
the related place names in the urban area title.
If a single place or MCD qualifies as the title of more than one
urban area, the largest urban area will use the name of the place or
MCD. The smaller urban area will have a title consisting of the place
or MCD name and the direction (North, South, East, or West) of the
smaller urban area as it relates to the larger urban area.
If any title of an urban area duplicates the title of another urban
area within the same state, or uses the name of an incorporated place,
CDP, or MCD that is duplicated within a state, the name of the county
that has most of the population of the largest place or MCD is
appended, in parentheses, after the duplicate place or MCD name for
each
[[Page 52184]]
urban area. If there is no incorporated place, CDP, or MCD name in the
urban area title, the name of the county having the largest total
population residing in the urban area will be appended to the title.
C. Definitions of Key Terms
Census Block: A geographic area bounded by visible and/or invisible
features shown on a map prepared by the Census Bureau. A block is the
smallest geographic entity for which the Census Bureau tabulates
decennial census data.
Census Designated Place (CDP): A statistical geographic entity
encompassing a concentration of population, housing, and commercial
structures that is clearly identifiable by a single name, but is not
within an incorporated place. CDPs are the statistical counterparts of
incorporated places for distinct unincorporated communities.
Census Tract: A small, relatively permanent statistical geographic
division of a county defined for the tabulation and publication of
Census Bureau data. The primary goal of the census tract program is to
provide a set of nationally consistent small, statistical geographic
units, with stable boundaries that facilitate analysis of data across
time.
Contiguous: Refers to two or more areas sharing common boundaries.
Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA): A statistical geographic entity
defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, consisting of the
county or counties associated with at least one core (urbanized area or
urban cluster) of at least 10,000 population, plus adjacent counties
having a high degree of social and economic integration with the core
as measured through commuting ties with the counties containing the
core. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas are the two types
of core based statistical areas.
Exempted Territory: Pre-existing landcover that offsets the pattern
of urban development.
Group Quarters (GQs): A place where people live or stay, in a group
living arrangement, that is owned or managed by an entity or
organization providing housing and/or services for the residents. These
services may include custodial or medical care, as well as other types
of assistance, and residency is commonly restricted to those receiving
these services. This is not a typical household-type living
arrangement. People living in GQs are usually not related to each
other. GQs include such facilities as college residence halls,
residential treatment centers, skilled nursing facilities, group homes,
military barracks, correctional facilities, and workers' dormitories.
Impervious Surface: Paved, man-made surfaces, such as roads and
parking lots.
Incorporated Place: A type of governmental unit, incorporated under
state law as a city, town (except in New England, New York, and
Wisconsin), borough (except in Alaska and New York), or village,
generally to provide specific governmental services for a concentration
of people within legally prescribed boundaries.
Metropolitan Statistical Area: A core based statistical area
associated with at least one urbanized area that has a population of at
least 50,000. A metropolitan statistical area comprises a central
county or counties containing an urbanized area, plus adjacent outlying
counties having a high degree of social and economic integration with
the central county as measured by commuting.
Micropolitan Statistical Area: A core based statistical area
associated with at least one urban cluster that has a population of at
least 10,000, but less than 50,000. A micropolitan statistical area
comprises a central county or counties containing an urban cluster,
plus adjacent outlying counties having a high degree of social and
economic integration with the central county as measured by commuting.
Minor Civil Division (MCD): The primary governmental or
administrative division of a county in 29 states and the Island Areas
having legal boundaries, names, and descriptions. MCDs represent many
different types of legal entities with a wide variety of
characteristics, powers, and functions depending on the state and type
of MCD. In some states, some or all of the incorporated places also
constitute MCDs.
New England City and Town Area (NECTA): A statistical geographic
entity that is delineated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget
using cities and towns in the New England states as building blocks,
and that is conceptually similar to the metropolitan and micropolitan
statistical areas.
Noncontiguous: Refers to two or more areas that do not share common
boundaries, such that the areas are separated by intervening territory.
Rural: Territory not defined as urban.
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing
(TIGER): Database developed by the Census Bureau to support its mapping
needs for the decennial census and other Census Bureau programs. The
topological structure of the TIGER database defines the location and
relationship of boundaries, streets, rivers, railroads, and other
features to each other and to the numerous geographic areas for which
the Census Bureau tabulates data from its censuses and surveys.
Urban: Generally, densely developed territory, encompassing
residential, commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses
within which social and economic interactions occur.
Urban Area: The generic term used to refer collectively to
urbanized areas and urban clusters.
Urban Cluster (UC): A statistical geographic entity consisting of a
densely settled core created from census tracts or blocks and adjacent
densely settled territory that together have at least 2,500 people but
fewer than 50,000 people.
Urbanized Area (UA): A statistical geographic entity consisting of
a densely settled core created from census tracts or blocks and
adjacent densely settled territory that together have a minimum
population of 50,000 people.
Executive Order 12866
This notice has been determined to be not significant under
Executive Order 12866.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This notice does not contain a collection of information subject to
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 United States Code,
Chapter 35.
Dated: August 17, 2010.
Robert M. Groves,
Director, Bureau of the Census.
[FR Doc. 2010-20808 Filed 8-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P