Description

METRO indicates whether a household resided in a metropolitan area. For households within metropolitan areas, METRO also indicates whether the housing unit was inside or outside of a central/principal city. The Census Bureau adds this information itself and does not collect it directly from respondents. The Census Bureau adds this information itself and does not collect it directly from respondents. Some smaller metropolitan areas do not have a central city/outlying area distinction, so households in those areas will be included in the "metropolitan, not identified" category.

While the Census Bureau's terminology for metropolitan areas and the classification of specific areas changes over time, the general concept is consistent: a metropolitan area consists of a large population center and adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social interaction.

See MSASIZE for the population of the metropolitan area and METAREA for the specific metropolitan area.

METRO was added to the data by the Census Bureau, not collected from respondents.

Comparability

In January 2023, the Census Bureau made a significant change to the way confidentiality is protected for individuals in small geographic areas. Geography is now partially synthesized for areas with a population below the threshold of 100,000. This change will be phased in as new respondents enter the CPS, beginning with month-in-sample 1 in January 2023. These changes affect the following geographic variables: COUNTY and METRO. For more information, see the Census Bureau's 2023 Current Population Survey User Note.

Universe

Availability

• 2003-2023

Flags