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Monday, July 31, 2023  09:00 AM  (61)

New Definition of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area

The US. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has updated its definitions of Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) across the United States. CBSAs are made up of single counties, or county-equivalent areas, or combinations of counties that exhibit a high degree of social and economic integration with a core urban area as measured by commuting flows. The geographic definitions of CBSAs change as commuting flows between counties adjust and/or as definitions of how these are defined are revised. 

There are four types of CBSAs defined by OMB:  1) Metropolitan Statistical Areas have at least one urban area of 50,000 or more population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties; 2) Micropolitan Statistical Areas have at least one urban area of at least 10,000 but less than 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties; 3) Combined Statistical Areas are comprised of adjacent metropolitan and micropolitan areas that exhibit a lower threshold of integration measured by commuting flows, and; 4) Metropolitan Divisions, which are subsets of the largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and are only defined for Metropolitan Statistical Areas which have combined populations of 2.5 million or more.   

The largest change for the Pittsburgh region is that Lawrence County, PA has been added to become the 8^th county that comprises the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area.  Previously the New Castle Micropolitan Statistical Area was an independent Micropolitan Statistical Area comprised of just Lawrence County, PA. The geographic definition of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area has changed over time. The last county to be added to the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area was Armstrong County in 2003. 

In addition, in the latest revisions, a new Hermitage, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area was created and is comprised of Mercer County, PA north of Lawrecene County. Indiana County, PA remains a single-county Micropolitan Statistical Area.  

The full Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville Combined Statistical Area is now a combination of both of the Pittsburgh and Weirton-Steubenville Metropolitan Statistical Areas and the Indiana, PA, and Hermitage, PA Micropolitan Statistical Areas, for a total of 13 counties.

For more on the latest update of Core Based Statistical Areas, see OMB BULLETIN NO. 23-01:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/OMB-Bulletin-23-01.pdf

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