a geographic entity designated by the federal Office of Management and Budget for use by federal statistical agencies. If an area that qualifies as a metropolitan area(MA) has a census population of one million or more, two or more primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs) may be defined within it if they meet official standards and local opinion favors the designation. When PMSAs are established within an MA, that MA is designated a Consolidated Metroplitan Statistical Area (CMSA).
U.S. Government term for a major urban area within a consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA). A PMSA is an urbanized county or set of counties with strong social and economic ties to neighboring communities. PMSAs are identified within areas of one million-plus populations. For example, Long Island's Nassau and Suffolk counties form part of the New York CMSA; Oxnard-Ventura forms part of the Los Angeles CMSA, and Aurora-Elgin forms part of the Chicago CMSA.
a classification of the U.S. Census Bureau applied to cities with the following classifications. Within a metropolitan area with a population of one million or more, there may be areas that would qualify as metropolitan areas on their own, yet are linked to other cities in close proximity. These individual areas are called Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas, while the metropolitan area containing these PMSAs is called a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA).
Example: Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, are each classified as Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas, while the Dallas-Fort Worth area is a Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.
