Introduction

Summary

Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) are geographic regions defined by the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that include a core urban area and adjacent communities with high social and economic integration, typically measured by commuting ties. CBSA is a collective term for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), which have an urban area of 50,000 or more, and Micropolitan Statistical Areas (Micros), which have an urban core of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000. CBSAs are used by federal statistical agencies to consistently collect and publish data and are useful for businesses to understand markets and identify trends. CBSAs are county based, consisting of the core county or counties containing the principal urban area, and adjacent counties that are integrated with the central county due to commuting patterns, where a significant proportion of residents commute to or from the central county.

The map and table below give geographic data on Alabama's 26 CBSAs. The land and water areas are given in square miles.

Map

In the map below, the metropolitan CBSAs are colored blue while the micropolitan CBSAs are colored orange. Alabama counties can be added as an area layer with the layer control, and the census-designated central points can be added as a point layer. Click on a feature to view summary information about the feature.

Tables

In the tables below, only Alabama counties are included.

CBSA Table

Click on a row in the table to see the corresponding CBSA highlighted in green in the map above. Click on the row again to de-select.

Summary Table by Type

• The Metro counties are Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chilton, Colbert, Elmore, Etowah, Jefferson, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Pickens, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Tuscaloosa, and Walker.
• The Micro countes are Barbour, Chambers, Cullman, Coffee, Coosa, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Marshall, Pike, Tallapoosa, and Talladega.
• Non-Core counties are counties that are not a part of a CBSA, and so can be considered completely rural. The Non-Core Counties are Bullock, Butler, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia, Fayette, Lamar, Marengo, Marion, Monroe, Perry, Randolph, Sumter, Washington, Wilcox, and Winston.