Geographies · Building Permits Survey
Metropolitan & micropolitan area(CBSA)
A Core-Based Statistical Area — a county-based region around an urban core.
A Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) is a region built from whole counties around an urban center. Metropolitan areas have an urban core of 50,000+ people; micropolitan areas have a core of 10,000–50,000.
Because CBSAs are made of whole counties, a single metro can span more than one state — which is why, on PUMSdata, metros are a nationwide level (you can still filter to the metros that touch a given state).
Also known as: metro area, metropolitan area, MSA, metropolitan statistical area, micropolitan area.
See metropolitan & micropolitan area on the map
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Metropolitan & micropolitan area — FAQ
What is metropolitan & micropolitan area in building permits data?+
A Core-Based Statistical Area — a county-based region around an urban core. A Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) is a region built from whole counties around an urban center. Metropolitan areas have an urban core of 50,000+ people; micropolitan areas have a core of 10,000–50,000.
Why does metropolitan & micropolitan area matter?+
Because CBSAs are made of whole counties, a single metro can span more than one state — which is why, on PUMSdata, metros are a nationwide level (you can still filter to the metros that touch a given state).
Where does this building-permit data come from?+
All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (BPS), a monthly census of permit-issuing jurisdictions. PUMSdata is an independent product that makes it easy to map and compare, and is not affiliated with the Census Bureau.