Micropolitan Statistical Areas: a few highlights

Micropolitan Statistical Areas were first introduced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in June 2003 as part of the OMB redefinition of Federal Statistical Areas that occurs after each decennial census. About 10% of the US population resides in micropolitan areas. In contrast, metropolitan areas are home to roughly 83% of the Nation's residents. People residing in the residual territory, account for about 7% of the overall population. Unemployment rates for small labor market areas have been consistently higher than those for micropolitan areas. This may be due in part to relative access to jobs: areas with smaller population bases may have fewer jobs relative to their populations. Splitting micropolitan areas into two groups indicates that small micropolitan areas have unemployment rates slightly lower than larger ones, although no major differences in trends are apparent.