McKINNEY ACT PROGRAMS IN NONMETRO AREAS: HOW FAR DO THEY REACH?
PART TWO: CASE STUDIES

© Housing Assistance Council, 1995

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METROPOLITAN AREAS

The general concept of a metropolitan area (MA) is one of a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus. Some MA's are defined around two or more nuclei.

The MA classification is a statistical standard, developed for use by Federal agencies in the production, analysis, and publication of data on MA's. The MA's are designated and defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget [OMB], following a set of official published standards. . . .

Each MA must contain either a place with a minimum population of 50,000 or a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area and a total MA population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). An MA comprises one or more central counties. An MA also may include one or more outlying counties that have close economic and social relationships with the central county. In New England, MA's are composed of cities and towns rather than whole counties. . . .

To meet the needs of various users, the standards provide for a flexible structure of metropolitan definitions that classify an MA either as a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) or as a consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) that is divided into primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSA's).⁵

Both sample case study areas contain portions that experienced metro/nonmetro classification changes with the consideration of new census data. In June 1985, based on census population estimates, Madison County, Tennessee (which had previously been classified as nonmetro) was defined as the newly- classified Jackson MSA. In their December 31, 1992 announcement of metro classifications based on 1990 census data, OMB eliminated the Jackson MSA and Madison County became nonmetro again.

As of OMB's June 1983 announcement of metro areas based on 1980 census data, the towns of Buxton, Hollis and Old Orchard Beach in York County, Maine were classified as part of the Portland MSA. Additionally, eight communities in southern York County -- Berwick, North Berwick, South Berwick, Eliot, Kittery, Ogunquit, York, and Wells -- were classified as part of the Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester MSA at that time. With the December 1992 announcement, the Portsmouth-Dover-Rochester MSA became engulfed by the Boston CMSA and Ogunquit, Wells and North Berwick were subtracted from the metro area. Also with that announcement, Limington was re-classified as metro, becoming part of the Portland MSA.

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