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metropolitan statistical area
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[standards, measurement, social GIS]
A statistical region in the United States that contains at least one city or urbanized area with 50,000 or more inhabitants and a total metropolitan population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England); the region also includes the adjacent communities that are both economically and socially integrated with the core area. Metropolitan statistical areas were originally defined in 1990 by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for use by U.S. statistical agencies, such as the U.S. Census Bureau.