p
he stroke of a pen and without necessarily moving an inch, about 5.8 million Americans who previously lived in nonmetro counties are now part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area, or metro. Conversely, about a million Americans who formerly lived in metro areas now live in nonmetro counties.
The change is due to the reclassification of counties that are part of metropolitan areas by the federal Office of Management and Budget.
Because of the switch, 113 counties that previously lay outside metro areas have been incorporated into metropolitan areas.
Thirty six counties have gone the other direction – changing from metro to nonmetro status.
The net change in county classifications is that 77 additional counties are part of metropolitan America. That means, in broad terms, that the federal government no longer considers them to be rural for some funding programs and demographic purposes.
We’ve got a list of the counties that switched below. The smallest formerly nonmetro county to join a metropolitan area is Kalawao County, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. With only 90 residents, it’s now part of the Kahului Wailuku Lahaina metro.
A message from the Rural Assembly
On the other end of the population spectrum, the formerly nonmetro county of Mohave in Arizona, with a population of over 200,000, is now part of Lake Havasu City Kingman metro.
The metro/nonmetro classification is based on population figures of cities and the economic ties of counties that are adjacent to them. While change on the ground may be gradual and occur over years or even decades, the metro/non metro designation is an either/or proposition. Cross the threshold, and your county flips from metro to nonmetro, or the other way around.
Metro counties now have a combined population of 262.5 million, while nonmetro counties have a population of 46.3 million. About 15% of the U.S. population now lives in nonmetro counties, down from 17% in 2003.
COUNTIES THAT SWITCH TO METRO FROM NONMETRO
State | County Name | Population in 2010 Census | Metro Area Joined In 2013 |
AL | Pickens County | 19,746 | Tuscaloosa, AL |
AL | Baldwin County | 182,265 | Daphne Fairhope Foley, AL |
AR | Little River County | 13,171 | Texarkana, TX AR |
AZ | Cochise County | 131,346 | Sierra Vista Douglas, AZ |
AZ | Mohave County | 200,186 | Lake Havasu City Kingman, AZ |
CT | Windham County | 118,428 | Worcester, MA CT |
DE | Sussex County | 197,145 | Salisbury, MD DE |
FL | Gulf County | 15,863 | Panama City, FL |
FL | Walton County | 55,043 | Crestview Fort Walton Beach Destin, FL |
FL | Sumter County | 93,420 | The Villages, FL |
FL | Flagler County | 95,696 | Deltona Daytona Beach Ormond Beach, FL |
FL | Highlands County | 98,786 | Sebring, FL |
FL | Citrus County | 141,236 | Homosassa Springs, FL |
GA | Lincoln County | 7,996 | Augusta Richmond County, GA SC |
GA | Pulaski County | 12,010 | Warner Robins, GA |
GA | Morgan County | 17,868 | Atlanta Sandy Springs Roswell, GA |
GA | Peach County | 27,695 | Warner Robins, GA |
HI | Kalawao County | 90 | Kahului Wailuku Lahaina, HI |
HI | Maui County | 154,834 | Kahului Wailuku Lahaina, HI |
IA | Plymouth County | 24,986 | Sioux City, IA NE SD |
ID | Butte County | 2,891 | Idaho Falls, ID |
IL | Alexander County | 8,238 | Cape Girardeau, MO IL |
IL | De Witt County | 16,561 | Bloomington, IL |
IL | Jackson County | 60,218 | Carbondale Marion, IL |
IL | Williamson County | 66,357 | Carbondale Marion, IL |
IN | Union County | 7,516 | Cincinnati, OH KY IN |
IN | Scott County | 24,181 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY IN |
KS | Kingman County | 7,858 | Wichita, KS |
KS | Pottawatomie County | 21,604 | Manhattan, KS |
KS | Riley County | 71,115 | Manhattan, KS |
KY | Butler County | 12,690 | Bowling Green, KY |
KY | Allen County | 19,956 | Bowling Green, KY |
LA | St. James Parish | 22,102 | New Orleans Metairie, LA |
LA | Webster Parish | 41,207 | Shreveport Bossier City, LA |
LA | Vermilion Parish | 57,999 | Lafayette, LA |
LA | Acadia Parish | 61,773 | Lafayette, LA |
LA | Iberia Parish | 73,240 | Lafayette, LA |
LA | Tangipahoa Parish | 121,097 | Hammond, LA |
MD | Worcester County | 51,454 | Salisbury, MD DE |
MD | St. Mary’s County | 105,151 | California Lexington Park, MD |
MI | Montcalm County | 63,342 | Grand Rapids Wyoming, MI |
MI | Midland County | 83,629 | Midland, MI |
MN | Sibley County | 15,226 | Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN WI |
MN | Fillmore County | 20,866 | Rochester, MN |
MN | Mille Lacs County | 26,097 | Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN WI |
MN | Le Sueur County | 27,703 | Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN WI |
MN | Nicollet County | 32,727 | Mankato North Mankato, MN |
MN | Blue Earth County | 64,013 | Mankato North Mankato, MN |
MO | Bollinger County | 12,363 | Cape Girardeau, MO IL |
MO | Cape Girardeau County | 75,674 | Cape Girardeau, MO IL |
MS | Benton County | 8,729 | Memphis, TN MS AR |
MS | Yazoo County | 28,065 | Jackson, MS |
MT | Golden Valley County | 884 | Billings, MT |
NC | Jones County | 10,153 | New Bern, NC |
NC | Gates County | 12,197 | Virginia Beach Norfolk Newport News, VA NC |
NC | Pamlico County | 13,144 | New Bern, NC |
NC | Lincoln County | 78,265 | Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC |
NC | Craven County | 103,505 | New Bern, NC |
NC | Rowan County | 138,428 | Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC |
NC | Iredell County | 159,437 | Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC |
NC | Davidson County | 162,878 | Winston Salem, NC |
ND | Oliver County | 1,846 | Bismarck, ND |
ND | Sioux County | 4,153 | Bismarck, ND |
NE | Howard County | 6,274 | Grand Island, NE |
NE | Merrick County | 7,845 | Grand Island, NE |
NE | Hamilton County | 9,124 | Grand Island, NE |
NE | Hall County | 58,607 | Grand Island, NE |
NY | Yates County | 25,348 | Rochester, NY |
NY | Jefferson County | 116,229 | Watertown Fort Drum, NY |
OH | Hocking County | 29,380 | Columbus, OH |
OH | Perry County | 36,058 | Columbus, OH |
OK | Cotton County | 6,193 | Lawton, OK |
OR | Josephine County | 82,713 | Grants Pass, OR |
OR | Linn County | 116,672 | Albany, OR |
PA | Montour County | 18,267 | Bloomsburg Berwick, PA |
PA | Columbia County | 67,295 | Bloomsburg Berwick, PA |
PA | Adams County | 101,407 | Gettysburg, PA |
PA | Franklin County | 149,618 | Chambersburg Waynesboro, PA |
PA | Monroe County | 169,842 | East Stroudsburg, PA |
SC | Jasper County | 24,777 | Hilton Head Island Bluffton Beaufort, SC |
SC | Union County | 28,961 | Spartanburg, SC |
SC | Chester County | 33,140 | Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC |
SC | Lancaster County | 76,652 | Charlotte Concord Gastonia, NC SC |
SC | Beaufort County | 162,233 | Hilton Head Island Bluffton Beaufort, SC |
SD | Custer County | 8,216 | Rapid City, SD |
TN | Crockett County | 14,586 | Jackson, TN |
TN | Morgan County | 21,987 | Knoxville, TN |
TN | Campbell County | 40,716 | Knoxville, TN |
TN | Roane County | 54,181 | Knoxville, TN |
TN | Maury County | 80,956 | Nashville Davidson Murfreesboro Franklin, TN |
TX | Oldham County | 2,052 | Amarillo, TX |
TX | Hudspeth County | 3,476 | El Paso, TX |
TX | Martin County | 4,799 | Midland, TX |
TX | Lynn County | 5,915 | Lubbock, TX |
TX | Somervell County | 8,490 | Dallas Fort Worth Arlington, TX |
TX | Newton County | 14,445 | Beaumont Port Arthur, TX |
TX | Falls County | 17,866 | Waco, TX |
TX | Hood County | 51,182 | Dallas Fort Worth Arlington, TX |
UT | Box Elder County | 49,975 | Ogden Clearfield, UT |
VA | Rappahannock County | 7,373 | Washington Arlington Alexandria, DC VA MD WV |
VA | Floyd County | 15,279 | Blacksburg Christiansburg Radford, VA |
VA | Buckingham County | 17,146 | Charlottesville, VA |
VA | Waynesboro city | 21,006 | Staunton Waynesboro, VA |
VA | Staunton city | 23,746 | Staunton Waynesboro, VA |
VA | Culpeper County | 46,689 | Washington Arlington Alexandria, DC VA MD WV |
VA | Augusta County | 73,750 | Staunton Waynesboro, VA |
WA | Columbia County | 4,078 | Walla Walla, WA |
WA | Pend Oreille County | 13,001 | Spokane Spokane Valley, WA |
WA | Stevens County | 43,531 | Spokane Spokane Valley, WA |
WA | Walla Walla County | 58,781 | Walla Walla, WA |
WI | Green County | 36,842 | Madison, WI |
WV | Fayette County | 46,039 | Beckley, WV |
WV | Raleigh County | 78,859 | Beckley, WV |
COUNTIES THAT SWITCHED TO NONMETRO FROM METRO
State | County Name | Population in 2010 Census | Metropolitan Area These Counties Belonged To Before 2010 Census |
AL | Greene County | 9,045 | Tuscaloosa, AL |
AR | Franklin County | 18,125 | Fort Smith, AR OK |
ID | Power County | 7,817 | Pocatello, ID |
IN | Tipton County | 15,936 | Kokomo, IN |
IN | Franklin County | 23,087 | Cincinnati Middletown, OH KY IN |
IN | Greene County | 33,165 | Bloomington, IN |
IN | Gibson County | 33,503 | Evansville, IN KY |
KS | Franklin County | 25,992 | Kansas City, MO KS |
KY | Webster County | 13,621 | Evansville, IN KY |
KY | Nelson County | 43,437 | Louisville, KY IN |
MA | Franklin County | 71,372 | Springfield, MA |
MI | Newaygo County | 48,460 | Grand Rapids Wyoming, MI |
MI | Ionia County | 63,905 | Grand Rapids Wyoming, MI |
MO | Howard County | 10,144 | Columbia, MO |
MO | Washington County | 25,195 | St. Louis, MO IL |
MS | Stone County | 17,786 | Gulfport Biloxi, MS |
MS | George County | 22,578 | Pascagoula, MS |
NC | Greene County | 21,362 | Greenville, NC |
NC | Anson County | 26,948 | Charlotte Gastonia Concord, NC SC |
OH | Ottawa County | 41,428 | Toledo, OH |
OH | Preble County | 42,270 | Dayton, OH |
OH | Washington County | 61,778 | Parkersburg Marietta, WV OH |
OH | Erie County | 77,079 | Sandusky, OH |
TN | Stewart County | 13,324 | Clarksville, TN KY |
TX | Delta County | 5,231 | Dallas Fort Worth Arlington, TX |
TX | Calhoun County | 21,381 | Victoria, TX |
TX | San Jacinto County | 26,384 | Houston Baytown Sugar Land, TX |
UT | Summit County | 36,324 | Salt Lake City, UT |
VA | King and Queen County | 6,945 | Richmond, VA |
VA | Surry County | 7,058 | Virginia Beach Norfolk Newport News, VA NC |
VA | Cumberland County | 10,052 | Richmond, VA |
VA | Louisa County | 33,153 | Richmond, VA |
VA | Danville city | 43,055 | Danville, VA |
VA | Pittsylvania County | 63,506 | Danville, VA |
WV | Pleasants County | 7,605 | Parkersburg Marietta, WV OH |
WV | Morgan County | 17,541 | Hagerstown Martinsburg, MD WV |
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A message from the Rural Assembly