Census Flashcards
2010 Census mail response rate
74%
Urbanized Area
The Census Bureau defines an urbanized area wherever it finds an urban nucleus of 50,000 or more people.
In general, they must have a core with a population density of 1,000 persons per square mile and may contain adjoining territory with at least 500 persons per square mile.
Urban Cluster
Urban clusters have at least 2,500 but less than 50,000 persons and a population density of 1,000 persons per square mile. This delineation of built-up territory around small towns and cities is new for the 2000 Census. In 2000, 11% of the U.S. population lived in 3,158 urban clusters.
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
includes at least one city with 50,000 or more inhabitants, or an urbanized area (of at least 50,000 inhabitants), and a total metropolitan population of at least 100,000.
Micropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
has a population of more than 10,000 people and less than 50,000 people. This includes a central county and adjacent counties that have a high degree of social and economic integration as measured by commuting.
Census Designated Places (CDP)
is the equivalent of an incorporated place for data purposes. This is for settled concentrations of population that are not incorporated.
Consolidated MSA (CMSA)
is made up of several PMSA’s. An example is the Dallas-Fort Worth Consolidated Metropolitan Area. Dallas and Fort Worth are each primary metropolitan statistical areas.
Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA)
is defined by the US Office and Budget to provide data description for areas where there is a core area with at least 10,000 people that when combined with other adjacent communities is socially and economically integrated.
Megalopolis
1961, Jean Gottman published Megalopolis, a book about the 300-mile-long urban area between Boston and Washington D.C.
The Oxford Dictionary of Geography defines the term as “any many-centered, multi-city, urban area of more than 10 million inhabitants, generally dominated by low-density settlement and complex networks of economic specialization.” The term megacity refers specifically to the megalopolis areas with more than 10 million people.
Census Tract
It is the smallest area where all information is released.
typically has a population between 2,000 and 8,000 people
Census Block
is the smallest level at which the Census data is collected. There are typically 400 housing units per block.
Census Block Group
is a group of Census Blocks. They generally contain 600-3,000 people, and are used to present data and control block numbering.
Minor Civil Division (MCD)
a unit only used in 29 states and usually corresponds to a municipality.
Census County Divisions
are used in the 21 states that do not have MCDs.
Tribal Designated Statistical Area
is a unit drawn by tribes that do not have a recognized land area. These are defined independently of the standard county-based census delineations.